Three keys to the Broncos beating the Cardinals at Empower Field

The Broncos have a chance to get back in the win column on Sunday. I didn’t think I would be picking the Broncos for the rest of the season, but that’s not the case this weekend. I think the Broncos could win – and that’s important for the players. There’s not anything to be gained for the “dead man walking” coaching staff, but I think a win for the players would be huge.

In Week 15, the Broncos are at home to take on the Arizona Cardinals. Like the Broncos, the Cardinals came into the 2022 season with high hopes. Also like the Broncos, things have not gone as planned and this is a lost season for both franchises.

Broncos head coach (for now) Nathaniel Hackett is impressed with the effort of his players.

“Definitely. We are for sure here to play the game of football, and that’s what we’re paid to do. We’re all professionals. We love this game. Every opportunity, you have to relish, and you have to be excited for it—for the development of the future and just to have the opportunity to go out there with your team and learn and grow. I think [that] is so important. Those guys see that and there was some great stuff that happened last week and the week before while playing against some high caliber football teams. We just have to get over that hump, and we have to play football games to do that. We have a bunch more to be able to see that,” Hackett said.

Here are three keys to victory in Week 15.

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Fight the Power

Everyone should be a fan of Cardinals RB James Conner. When he was in college at Pitt, Conner beat cancer – and that’s something we all should cheer for. Conner began his pro career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he’s been with the Cardinals for the past couple of seasons as their lead back. He’s the best part of their offense in my opinion and slowing down Conner should be priority No. 1 for the Broncos defense.

Conner is a power back, and the Broncos need to be ready for the physical task of slowing him down. The Cardinals have a change at quarterback (more on that later), so Conner should be the centerpiece of what they do on offense. He’s a bruising back who gets stronger as the game goes on, so if the score is close the Cardinals will continue to feature the veteran back.

He’s the type of player who lives between the tackles. The Cardinals offense can be dynamic under head coach Kliff Kingsbury, but injuries will likely limit them to an “old school” mentality of bludgeoning their opponent with the ground game. The Broncos need to be able to stay strong between the tackles or else it will set up play-action passing that can damage their plan. The Cardinals will set things up with the run, so if the Broncos stuff the run they’ll go a long way when it comes to improving their chances of winning the game.

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No Explosive Plays

The Cardinals are rolling with QB Colt McCoy as their starter in Week 15. That’s not a problem for the Broncos defense. McCoy knows the Kingsbury system like the back of his hand, but he’s not the threat that regular starter Kyler Murray is as a runner or a passer. With Murray out for the season with an ACL injury, the Broncos should be able to take advantage of McCoy’s game.

We’ll see the Cardinals use McCoy as a game manager on Sunday. As aforementioned, the Cardinals will try to hammer Denver with Conner and set up deep shots to a talented (but oft-injured) group of receivers. The Cardinals’ best receiver is WR DeAndre Hopkins. After missing the first six games of the year to a suspension, Hopkins has been a force for the rest of the 2022 season.

He’s a big-play specialist who can rip off explosive plays at any moment. Hopkins is one of the savviest wide receivers in the game today. In addition to guile as a route-runner, Hopkins has the spee and quickness to expose defenders and make them look silly most of the time he’s on the football field. In addition to stuffing Conner and the ground game, the Broncos had better have a good plan for dealing with Hopkins.

Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain understands the challenges that Hopkins brings to the football field.

“I think he has the ability to make every catch on the field, obviously. I believe that when he’s not open, he’s open at the same time. He gives his quarterback a chance when the ball is in the air. Obviously, he’s a great player maker as well, too,” Surtain said.

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Receiving Backs

Former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph has been the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals for the past few seasons, and he’s had various results for his new job. There are times when the Cardinals defense looks good – as they do have talent at all three levels. However, there are times when Joseph’s defense looks vulnerable.

Too often this season, the Cardinals have been weak when it comes to running backs who are great receivers out of the backfield. It’s an element of today’s game that can be used to attack defenses who are playing “zone dog” ad nauseum. That’s an influence that former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has had on the NFL, and it’s one of the reasons that scoring is down. When a team is playing zone, teams will go underneath to tight ends and receiving backs. That’s what the Broncos should do in Week 15.

We saw how dangerous Marlon Mack can be on a well-timed screen pass. The Broncos need to use Mack and Latavius Murray not only on screen passes but on swing passes and “Texas” routes that can get them open against the aggressive second level of the Cardinals defense. I think Joesph is a better defensive coordinator that he is a head coach, but his teams have always been susceptible to backs out of the backfield catching passes. In order to win, this needs to be an emphasis of the Broncos offense.

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