Clayton: Seasons on the line Sunday for both Broncos, WFT

Sunday’s home game against the Washington Football Team is vital for the Denver Broncos. It’s a must-win.

A loss would mean the losing streak would be extended for five games. That would make the hot seat for the coaches even hotter. A loss could mean the Broncos might end up being sellers instead of buyers for Tuesday’s trade deadline. General manager George Paton wants to be a buyer.

He did make two trades this week out of desperation to get some numbers at the depleted linebacker position. They have six linebackers on injured reserve, including three starters. Linebacker Von Miller is questionable with an ankle injury. The group that will play Sunday is young and inexperienced.

There will be pressure on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to get off to a faster start and be more consistent. It will help having the return of wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. That gives him a good three-receiver set with Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick. Noah Fant is good at tight end.

The big mystery is the Washington defense. It went from being the second best last year to the second worst this year. They have four first-rounders on the defensive line and good defensive coaching with head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.

The Broncos probably need to win more of a lower scoring game. They will be a home, which is a help, and the crowd should be loud and desperate. The season is on the line for both teams Sunday. It should be interesting.

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