Vance Joseph Headlines Key Matchups against the Giants Defense

The New York Giants are surging on offense since they inserted Jaxson Dart into the starting spot, but they haven’t faced a defense like the Denver Broncos yet. This defense has a good track record against rookie quarterbacks, and its ability to generate pressure has been impressive. 

Jaxson Dart will face a tough challenge against a defense that has 93 sacks since the start of the 2024 season. This is 28 more than the team with the second-most sacks and 37 more than the team with the fewest sacks in that period. That just highlights how dangerous this Broncos pass rush is, especially with the simulated pressures Vance Joseph has been dialing up. 

When looking at the matchups, five key ones stand out, with three of them dealing with the pressure up front. This is a game where the Broncos can have another dominant showing defensively, but there are a few areas they need to be cautious in. 

Vance Joseph vs. Jaxson Dart

To start the season, Joseph has been on a tear with his pre-snap and simulated pressure looks. It has given issues to every quarterback they have faced, even in their two losses, so Jaxson Dart is going to have his work cut out for him. 

The Broncos like to blitz, having the fourth-highest blitz rate in the league, but Dart has performed better against the blitz than without it. Fortunately, the Broncos have proven they can still generate pressure without blitzing, boasting a 43.7 pressure rate that leads the NFL. 

What adds to this is that the Giants have the third-highest pressure rate allowed against non-blitzes, while having the seventh-lowest against blitzes. Their 38.1% against non-blitzes is higher than their 34.5% against blitzes, so Joseph needs to be careful with his blitz timing, as he has been most of the season. 

For the most part, the Broncos should use their simulated pressures to create pre-snap confusion for Dart and the Giants' offense line, and use that to win with four rushers consistently. It helps to win with four when they have advantages across the line.

Nik Bonitto and Joanthon Cooper vs. Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor

Bonitto going against Thomas is the highlight match in the trenches. In four games, Thomas has only allowed two pressures, and both of them came in their last game. Then you have Bonitto, who is leading in pressures, pressure rate, and sacks. 

In the first six games of the season, Bonitto has faced a gauntlet of left tackles, including Joe Alt, Jordan Mailata, and Bernhard Raimann, all of whom have been some of the better tackles this season. Bonitto has 14 pressures against those three tackles, so he steps up against good or great tackles, making this a key matchup for both sides. 

On the other hand, Eluemunor has been solid, allowing only seven pressures this season, but he has technical lapses, and Cooper wins by breaking down his opponents' techniques. This isn’t as enticing a matchup as what will happen on the other side, but Cooper has not been quiet during the week leading up to the game, so there is a need for him to back it up in the game. 

Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers vs. Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan

The Giants' guards have performed well in the run game, while both interior defenders for the Broncos have some issues. However, the situation is the opposite in the passing game. Runyan has allowed 17 pressures, with Van Roten allowing 13 pressures. 

Allen and Franklin-Myers need to improve against the run, and D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach can provide help there. However, they must win their one-on-ones as pass rushers to help Denver generate pressure without blitzing. Allen has 24 pressures, with Franklin-Myers sitting at 16 on the season. 

Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad vs. Cam Skattebo

The key to the Giants' offense has been the way they run the ball with Skattebo and Dart. They are highly physical and like to try to pound the rock down the middle. It's physical and can wear down a defense, setting up big plays off of that. 

Over the past three games, the Broncos' linebackers have done a fine job, but with the way Skattebo runs, their issues with missed tackles could be a detriment. Skattebo has forced 17 missed tackles and is averaging 3.6 yards after contact, which makes him hard to bring down. 

Singleton has three missed tackles against the run, and Strnad has two, for a combined total of 14 run stops between the two. Their average tackle depths are 3.9 and 3.4 yards, respectively, as they have struggled to step up consistently. That doesn’t even address Singleton's issues in coverage. 

The Broncos have helped address the linebacker issues by playing Talanoa Hufanga closer to the line of scrimmage, and they need to do this again in another game. Even then, they still need their linebackers to hold up. 

Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, and Ja’Quan McMillian vs. the Giants' pass catchers.

With Malik Nabors done, the Giants don’t have much of a threat with their pass catchers, but the Broncos can’t underestimate them. Wan’Dale Robinson has done well and can create some mismatches with the Broncos' secondary. 

Theo Johnson is a threat and a tight end, and Skattebo has done well out of the backfield. Then Darius Slayton is a deep great, but he doesn’t have the route running to be a widespread threat. There are weapons and threats, but the Giants don't present a problem with their pass catchers, unlike other teams they have faced. 

Surtain and Moss have found their footing over the past few games, while McMillian has been the best corner on the team so far. Denver can’t afford to underestimate the Giants' weapons and struggles, which allows the Giants' passing offense to achieve tremendous success. 

This is a game where Surtain could match up with Johnson, while Moss and McMillian take on Robinson and Slay, with the safeties providing help with the linebackers to limit Skattebo. There are options available without the Giants having a premier threat.