Denver Broncos News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) reacts against the Tennessee Titans in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Broncos DC Raves Over Talanoa Hufanga’s Eye-Popping Debut

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Keith Cummings | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 4:06 PM ET

In the wake of the Denver Broncos' opening day win over the Tennessee Titans, the worries about quarterback Bo Nix and the turnover-prone offense have taken center stage. Even so, the Broncos' defense pushed the Titans around at will last Sunday, coming out of the gates as advertised.

Now the sky's the limit for what the Broncos might achieve defensively. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is marshaling a unit that attacks for 60 minutes without letting up, and nobody typifies the unrelenting aggressive attitude more than new safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Against the Titans, Hufanga was flying all over the field, leading the team in tackles in his Broncos debut, with 11 (seven solo). Joseph was more than a little impressed with his new playmaker after watching the film.

"My god, I was impressed, especially after watching the actual tape," Joseph said of Hufanga on Thursday. "The range he played with, how he capped off plays for us. He's making plays from 15 yards deep. He's making them for four and five-yard stops. He was obviously a special player on tape, watching him for the 49ers, but he is the same player. He has such great range, and he is a bigger safety, so when he gets there, he makes some noise."

Hufanga always stands out on game tape and makes a serious noise. Joseph also believes that Hufanga has a well-rounded skill set that allows him to work with fellow safety Brandon Jones to help make key stops in the passing game and in run support.

"He can cover; he can blitz. He has no weakness in his game," Joseph said. "It was really fun watching him and Brandon Jones kind of keep some of those runs from popping. They were five and six yards that should have probably been 10 and 12 with normal safeties. Those two guys—they capped off the ball really well for us on Sunday."

Having Hufanga and Jones on the back end allows Joseph to keep his foot to the floor for the duration of a game, something the Broncos will undoubtedly be planning to implement against new Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones as he tries to revive his career.

Jones is benefiting from the arrival of Colts' rookie tight end Tyler Warren, allowing their offense to get a lot more ambitious. Rest assured, Joseph has a plan for Warren this weekend.

"We watched him in college, actually, on staff, He is a special player. The size and the ball skills. I told [Head Coach] Sean [Payton] he has some [SaintsTE] Taysom Hill in him," Joseph said of Warren. "He can run the football; he has thrown the football in college; he is a receiver; he is an in-line tight end blocker. He's an all-around good player. You saw it last week in the first two or three drives. The plays are being designed for him to make, and he is making them. Having a plan for that player is going to be critical."

Pass-catching tight ends have been a constant thorn in the side of Denver's defense for several years now, but Hufanga's presence figures to provide a powerful antidote to the poisonous effects of the past.

For as enthused as Joseph is about Hufanga and his defense, the Broncos' defensive coordinator remains focused on ironing out the creases he identified in Week 1.

"I was pleased we won," Joseph said about the Broncos' 20-12 victory over the Titans. "Obviously, our job is to play defense. I thought the first third down upset me a little bit. They got a big play there. We have been focusing on winning third downs and not giving up explosive plays in preseason. Even last year when teams got explosives—especially on third downs—they scored on us. If we can win third downs and keep big plays to a minimum, that helps us win."