Week 2 AFC West Roundup
By Justin Smith
Denver Broncos
1st in AFC West
Record: 2-0
Last Game: Home victory over Indianapolis Colts (0-2), 34-20
Next Game: at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) — Sunday, September 25 at1:00PM EST
Trevor Siemian has done just enough to keep his team moving while his defense does the rest.
Really, that was the plan all along.
Siemian has one TD and three INTs in his first two games. But thanks to Von Miller and the Denver defense — along with the steady hand of C.J. Anderson — the Broncos are 2-0 and sit atop the AFC West yet again.
The bad news for the rest of the league is that Siemian will, likely, only get better. Paxton Lynch is super athletic and continues to develop. This team won the Super Bowl with a depleted Peyton Manning playing poorly at QB and an untested Brock Osweiler picking up the pieces when Manning went down.
If they put a viable TD threat under center it’s painful to say the league will be in real trouble.
However, the Broncos are vulnerable. But only if teams can run the ball to keep the pass rush and exceptional secondary honest. If Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard can create any space, then A.J. Green can get loose and do some damage. The Bengals are a good team.
Andy Dalton has faced two tough defenses in the Jets and Steelers thus far, and has played well. He’s completing 64.3% of his passes, and has 732 yards and 2 TDs through two games against those defenses.
The Broncos defense once again boasts excellent numbers. They’re sixth in the NFL in total defense, giving up 293 yards per game, and second in pass defense with a paltry 173 yards per game. That’s despite playing Andrew Luck last week, who put up over 350 yard in Week 1. Dalton has his work cut out for him.
The Broncos have a tough go this weekend but have again established themselves the team to beat in the AFC West. If Siemian starts becoming more of an offensive threat they will continue to be so for a while.