Broncos Must Have an Answer to Commanders' Biggest Offensive Threat

After the Denver Broncos' 17-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, much of the focus was on the defense. Rightfully so, as the Broncos managed just six QB pressures with zero sacks, and one of their cornerbacks was open for business. 

The Broncos must do better in their Week 2 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Starting the season 0-2 would be unthinkable. 

Typically, these biggest threat articles focus on a single player, but an exception is being made for this week. It's more so a focus on the Broncos' biggest weakness defensively.

And that is Denver's lack of pass rush and cornerback Damarri Mathis. Those two potential vulnerabilities combined could lead to a bad day with the Commanders' trio of pass catchers. 

Before getting to those receivers, let's look at what the Broncos defense failed to do in the opener. Mathis allowed eight catches on nine targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Seven of those eight catches went for a first down or a score. If the Raiders needed to move the chains, well, they knew who to target. 

There is some reason for hope with Mathis and his ability to turn it around, but can he do it a week later? Last year, he did see some snaps early in the season and played well in Week 2 against the Houston Texans. However, he was thrown to the wolves in Week 5 and received his first start the following game. 

Between those two games, Mathis was targeted 18 times, allowing 15 catches for 152 yards, with four penalties. He went on to have a solid rookie season and recover from a bad couple of weeks. Cornerback is a confidence position, so he needs to find his confidence, and for that, he has to play better. 

The Broncos also got no pass rush against the Raiders in the opener, but part of the reason why was how quickly the receivers were getting separation. Mathis has to slow down the receivers enough off the snap and stick with them so the pass rush has a chance. 

That will be a focus against the Commanders, as Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson love to move around, and each will see reps against Mathis. If the Broncos can slow them down and keep them from getting instant separation, they'd buy their pass rush a little extra time to get after Commanders QB Sam Howell. 

In the Commanders' opener, Howell had 40 drop-backs and was sacked six times. The Commanders have plenty of offensive line concerns that the Broncos can exploit if the coverage can hold up and keep the ball in Howell's hands. 

That won't be easy because each of Washington's receivers are good route runners. They vary their speed and throw in a mixture of fakes to get separation in their routes. The three receivers were targeted 16 times, with 12 catches for 125 yards last week. 

This trio likes to move around and find favorable matchups, and after breaking down the Raiders game, the Commanders will have identified the Broncos' weaknesses. On top of that, Washington will quickly see how to beat Mathis after Jakobi Meyers smoked him so frequently. 

The Commanders' offensive coordinator is also familiar with Mathis, as Eric Bienemy held that same position with the Kansas City Chiefs for years, and Mathis started both of those games last year. 

Mathis allowed seven of nine targets to be caught vs. the Chiefs last year, but he did well to limit the yardage to just 30. He picked up a pass break-up as well. However, it's worth noting he didn't finish the second game against the Chiefs, exiting with an injury after 19 snaps. 

Bottom Line

Even with a quarterback making just his third NFL start, this won't be an easy task for Mathis. McLaurin, Samuel, and Dotson are dangerous receivers who can quickly attack where Mathis struggles the most. 

The Broncos need Mathis to step up while getting their pass rush to try and help out the young corner. Doing so will be vital to walk out with the win in this one.