This is not the season that the Denver Broncos envisioned. They have lost three straight games and are dead last in their division. They obviously want to turn things around even if their playoff hopes have pretty much blown up. They have a good chance to salvage some pride here as they face the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season. A win here can potentially bump them up to third place in the AFC West. Here are our Broncos Week 13 predictions as they take on the Ravens.
Defense will be the name of the game here. We expect this Ravens-Broncos clash to be one of the lowest-scoring NFL games of Week 13. That makes sense given that Denver has scored 20 points only once this season, and its defense has allowed opponents to score 20 points in only three of 11 games.
Meanwhile, the Ravens were defeated last week due to a last-second winning drive by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Broncos, one of the NFL's biggest disappointments this season, might be the unlucky receivers of a Baltimore reprisal. Led by Russell Wilson, the Broncos offense has struggled this season, leaving Denver wondering if he was ever worth the hefty deal they gave him.
Truth be told, Denver's defense may be enough to keep them in this game. The bigger question is whether Wilson can lead the offense in scoring enough points to win for the first game in over a month. We have our doubts.
With all these in mind, here are our four bold predictions for the Broncos in their Week 13 game against the Ravens.
Keep working. 💪#DENvsBAL 📸's » https://t.co/Iba9VIHJix pic.twitter.com/46Vw9ZLezB
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 2, 2022
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4. WR Courtland Sutton has another 70-yard game
As we head into Week 13, Denver wideout Courtland Sutton is competing for targets with the likes of Kendall Hinton and rookie tight end Greg Dulcich. However, Denver has been so inept on offense that he has had trouble even reaching breakout numbers in recent games. In Week 12, Sutton's 6-75-0 line is about as good as we can expect from anyone in an offense that ranks near the bottom of the league in touchdowns and total points.
Having said that, Jerry Jeudy's current injury situation will affect the Broncos' target share in Week 13. As such, Sutton will likely be considered the team's WR1 here. He should go over 70+ yards again just like last week.
3. RB Latavius Murray leads the team in rushing yards
With the Denver backfield devastated by injuries and a terribly unproductive offense, RB Latavius Murray appears to be the Broncos' workhorse by default at this point. Marlon Mack is on the roster, but he is unlikely to do much other than mix up the tempo behind Murray.
Murray should see plenty of touches down the stretch, consisting mostly of carries on early downs for one of the league's worst offenses. He had his best game last week, putting up 92 rushing yards on 13 carries for an average of 7.1 a pop.
Having said that, keep in mind that the Broncos struggle to score more than one touchdown per week, which means the ceiling for everyone in the offense is incredibly low. Murray should get pretty decent yardage again, but don't expect anything in the endzone. He should be good for another 90+ yards.
2. QB Russell Wilson continues to struggle
The ballyhooed Russell Wilson had a very awful game in Week 12. He gained only 142 yards on 35 tries, barely below the 4.0-yard-per-attempt threshold. He entered the second half with 53 yards and no points. His lone score came in garbage time when the Panthers were merely attempting to run out the clock.
There's hardly much to say about Wilson at this point other than that he's having a dreadful season. It hurts to say it, but because of his performance, the Broncos' offense is borderline absent of any value at all. Remember that last week, a Broncos defender was even observed yelling at Wilson as they passed each other after a change of possession. That demonstrated how unhappy some members of the team were with the offense's inefficiency.
Things are bound to get bleaker, though. Wilson and Denver fans are unlikely to find solace in a Week 13 away game in Baltimore. As Wilson goes up against Lamar Jackson, Broncos fans will only get to see just how far off their QB is from the NFL's true elite. Watch Wilson go for 250+ yards with one interception.
1. Broncos will be the Broncos and lose again
Denver's shocking slide from preseason fanfare was underscored by a lifeless performance last week against Carolina. They just looked listless and directionless.
And then now they battle a hungry-for-redemption Ravens squad led by Lamar Jackson. Of course, Denver has seen what Jackson is capable of. He is, in fact, 2-0 versus the Broncos in his career, with no turnovers in either game. Jackson is also perhaps the finest running quarterback in the NFL, but he can also cause havoc via the air. This season, he has completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,231 yards and 17 touchdowns, while also gaining 755 yards and three additional touchdowns on the run.
Good luck stopping that, Denver.
This uninspiring Broncos offense will continue to look bad in consecutive road games, especially against a team coming off a devastating loss. Sure, the Ravens haven't exactly been lighting things up as well, but they'll do enough to win this game and continue the Broncos' troubles.
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