Broncos vs. Patriots: Delay Gives Denver Time to Heal up, but It Still Won’t Be Enough

The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc throughout 2020, and the NFL is just the most recent professional league to have to deal with the effects.

Last week, the Denver Broncos and were slated to play, but positive coronavirus tests for New England meant the game couldn’t be played. Instead, it was rescheduled for this coming Sunday.

That’s good news for Denver. The team has been dealing with a run of injuries as of late and the delay in this contest should allow several players to return in time for kickoff. For the Patriots, it will allow for Bill Belichick to have even more time to prepare for the game. That is concerning for Denver fans since the Pats have gone 15-5 in the games following a bye week during his tenure as head coach in New England.

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

Date: Sunday, October 2, 2020

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Odds: Patriots -7.5

Total: 52

Denver Broncos

Quarterback Drew Lock (shoulder) was a full participant in practice this week — his first since his injury against Pittsburgh in Week 2. In addition to Lock, cornerback Bryce Callahan (wrist), corner Davontae Harris (hamstring), linebacker Joseph Jones (knee), running back Phillip Lindsay (foot) and safety Trey Marshall (wrist) all were full participants.

The return of Lindsay to the backfield is likely a huge relief for the coaching staff in Denver since running back Melvin Gordon was charged with a DUI and is not participating in practice.

Denver is 29th in overall offense with 306.8 average yards per game, and 28th in scoring offense with 20.5 average points per game. The team is a bit stouter on the defensive side of the ball, standing at 16th overall in defense, allowing 365.3 yards per game. They have allowed 24.5 points per game, which is good enough for 14th in the NFL.

The Broncos have the ability to disrupt offenses — they have 10 sacks over four games — and with a number of offensive players potentially returning to the lineup this week, they could be more dangerous on that side of the ball than they have been all year. If Denver can keep from committing turnovers, they stand a chance at beating the odds and getting the win.

New England Patriots

The Pats are eighth overall in offense with 396 average yards per game, and a lot of that has to do with their rushing attack as they have averaged 179.8 yards per contest on the ground, which is good enough for second in the NFL.

Defensively, New England is 11th in overall defense (349 yards per game) and 12th in scoring defense as they allow 23 points per game.

It’s expected that quarterback Cam Newton will be cleared to play after being removed from the team’s Covid-19 list Wednesday. Newton reportedly tested positive for the virus on Oct. 2. The result wasn’t pretty as the Chiefs rolled over New England, 26-10, in the following game. Quarterback Brian Hoyer threw an interception and lost a fumble while completing 15 of 24 passes. He was pulled in the third quarter and replaced by Jarrett Stidham, who went 5 of 13 passing and had a touchdown along with two interceptions.

This contest could easily turn into a defensive struggle if neither team can find their rhythm, and with Gordon likely not playing for Denver, the Patriots could fill the box with defenders and force Lock to throw in order to try to beat them. That game plan worked for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 as they beat Denver, 23-10, while holding the Broncos’ ground game to just 42 rushing yards.

The Pats are expecting limited participation from defensive lineman Adam Butler (shoulder), receiver Julian Edelman (knee), guard Shaq Mason (calf) and tackle Isaiah Wynn (calf).

If Edelman is cleared for the game, expect the Patriots to try to create a mismatch between him and Denver corner Bryce Callahan, who has allowed a nearly 70 percent completion rate by quarterbacks this season. Edelman, on the other hand, has caught 60 percent of the passes thrown his way.

Outlook

In the end, the Patriots are the better team on paper, and with the extra week to prepare there is little doubt Belichick has absolutely dissected their offensive and defensive strategies. To that end, it’s clear why oddsmakers have the Patriots taking the win this week. We can’t argue with that, either, and even though Denver will likely have multiple players return from injury for this matchup, we still have to go with the Patriots.

Pick: Patriots, 21-16