Can Cortland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. Favor?
Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. had 13 catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns against the Bengals in Week 17, and the Broncos’ leading receivers could make a big impact on Sunday as well. be.
Kansas City lists starting cornerback Trent McDuffie and starting safety Justin Reid as questionable for the game, while excluding cornerback Jalen Watson (who remains on injured reserve). Ta.
Sutton is 17 yards away from his second 1,000-yard season as a pro, and the Broncos will certainly benefit from him having a great afternoon. This season, he has 11 games with at least 50 receiving yards, and only Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Malik Nabors, Drake Rondon and CeeDee Lamb have had more this year. is.
Meanwhile, Mims was all over the field for the Broncos and made a Pro Bowl-worthy impact as a returner. If Mims can follow up his career-best performance with another strong showing Sunday, it could help Denver utilize chunk plays to defeat the Chiefs.
“We started him off a little bit at running back, but now he’s growing as the season goes on,” Mims said Thursday. “To be honest, most of the time it’s just memorization. We go out to the practice range and they see what they like (as well as). Things change over time. But at the end of practice, all day long, it’s just memorizing receivers, backs and returns, making plays in certain situations, and at the end of the day, it’s just making the perfect play. No. What is there?”
If Sutton and Mims can get that chance, Denver could be poised for offensive success.
Will Denver’s Pro Bowl defender make an impact?
The Chiefs are expected to be without offensive playmakers such as Patrick Mahomes, Isaiah Pacheco, Mecole Hartman, Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt, but Kansas City will have plenty of talent in Sunday’s game. He is expected to be on the pitch.
Wide receivers Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster were not among the players listed on the Chiefs’ final injury report, and starting offensive lineman D.J. Humphries, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith were also not included.
And at quarterback, former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz has had success in this type of situation before. In his only start in 2023, Wentz completed 17 of 24 passes for 163 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a 99.8 passer rating, while also rushing 17 times for 56 yards and one touchdown. He recorded the innings and won the game.
“He’s in this league for a reason,” Payton said Wednesday. “He’s big, he’s strong. He was a first-round draft pick. … It’s the player, but it’s also everything around him and understanding what they’re trying to do.”
Cornerback Pat Surtain II and outside linebacker Nick Bonitto – both of whom were named Pro Bowlers this week – will be among the Broncos’ defensemen looking to slow down Wentz and co. Denver’s defense has given up at least 30 points in four straight games, but the unit also made game-changing plays. Bonitto has two defensive touchdowns on his way to 11.5 sacks, while Surtain continues to shut down opponents’ top receivers on a weekly basis. Surtain also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery to give the Broncos a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter against the Bengals.
“When you think about the receivers he’s guarded and the impact he’s had on us and how we’ve played defensively and everything else, it’s a no-brainer.” Surtain of the Year Payton said when asked about potential defensive players. . “…Certainly, he deserves such an award. That’s how good he is.”
And while defensive lineman Zach Allen didn’t qualify for the Pro Bowl, he could be another defender who could help the Broncos slow Kansas City on Sunday. Allen leads the NFL with 39 quarterback hits and could join JJ Watt, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa and Aaron Donald as the only players with 40 quarterback hits since 2006. Both Allen (8.5 sacks) and Jonathan Cooper (9.5 sacks) could also be in that range. distance for their first double-digit sack campaign of their careers.
If the Broncos can put pressure on Wentz while Surtain and the secondary provide tight coverage, it could help Denver’s defense bounce back in a big way.
