ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – As the Broncos prepare for a crucial AFC game against the Cleveland Browns, right tackle Mike McGlinchey remembered the words of one of the greatest professional wrestlers.
“Ric Flair always said, ‘To be the man, you have to beat the man,'” McGlinchey said Wednesday.
Against the Browns’ toughest defense, this will be the Broncos’ challenge.
Led by NFL sacks leader Myles Garrett, the Browns rank first in total defense, points per possession (1.2) and yards per possession (18.6), among a number of other metrics .
Cleveland has the fewest yards per drive since at least 2000, the fewest yards per game (243.3) since 2008, the fewest passing yards per game (143.7) since 1982 and the fewest first downs per game (12.5) since it was approved in 1973.
The Browns have also forced the highest percentage of three drives since the statistic began being tracked in 2000.
“They’re not just great passers,” McGlinchey said. “Their front, they defend the run, they rush the passer, it’s a talented group. They do well and they are well trained.
Garrett has 13 sacks in 10 games and his four strip sacks are tied for the NFL lead. “Man, he plays at a high level,” head coach Sean Payton said.
“He’s smart, he’s talented. It has all the qualities you are looking for. His success is fantastic. He fights against chips and nudges and all those things.
He’s having an excellent season. They play very good defense. They are first in the league in many categories. He is something else.
However, the Broncos believe in their chances of succeeding against the best in the NFL.
“They defend the run, they rush the passer, they’re a talented group and they do it well and they’re well coached,”
McGlinchey said. “…But we think we’re a good group too. It’s going to be a fun challenge and a fun game on Sunday.”
McGlinchey said the ability to “sound the alarm” against the Browns would be “a big step forward” for a Broncos offense that is still trying to play its best football.
One path to finding success could be on the field. Despite rushing for just 46 yards in Week 11, the Broncos averaged more than 134 yards per game on the ground between Weeks 5 and 10.
That total would rank sixth in the league for the entire season, and the Broncos believe they be able to go back there.
kind of hit against Cleveland. “That’s the plan, man,” center Lloyd Cushenberry III said of throwing the ball. “It will be a physical match.
We have to be ready to play, ready to work from the first moment. We can’t wait.”
BETTER IN THE RED ZONE
As the Broncos look to find success against Cleveland, they will have to find success in a potentially limited number of opportunities in the red zone.
Through ten games, the Browns defense has allowed opponents to average just 2.1 red zone drives per game, the lowest number in the NFL.
Denver has found success in the red zone at times this season, but the Broncos’ offense was 1-of-5 in red zone opportunities against the Vikings and ranks 21st in red zone percentage this season.
“I think it’s just an execution,” McGlinchey said. “I think it’s the concentration. Sure, it’s those stupid, cliché things you end up saying, but the penalties are deadly.
Unidentified blocking surfaces kill you on second-and-1 and all of a sudden it turns into third-and-1 and we pay a penalty and it’s third and 6. Every match counts.
You can’t pass up a job because you never know where the next piece will take you. If you have the opportunity to hit, score and kill, you should do it.
There is no excuse not to do it. We are too talented, we are too good for a group. Our offense has to be better there.”
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SKINNER?
Without Kareem Jackson — who will miss the next four games — Payton said the Broncos will “represent some different players” at safety opposite Justin Simmons.
Fourth-year player PJ Locke started a pair of games during Jackson’s previous absence, but suffered an injury against the Bills and did not practice Wednesday.
“We will see where we are from a health perspective,” Payton said.
If Locke is unavailable to play, rookie JL Skinner could be one of the Broncos’ options to fill in at safety.
The sixth-round pick made his first appearance in Week 11 and played six snaps on special teams in his debut.
Payton said the Broncos coaching staff “became aware of his presence on the scout team” over the past three weeks and decided to activate him for Sunday’s game against Minnesota.
“He obviously has a good understanding of what we do,” Payton said. “He must be ready. He has good length and good ball skills.
There is no specific timetable for recruits. I’m making his life difficult. … You know, sometimes in college you get a redshirt year.
There’s a sense of urgency here where it’s like, “Hey, let’s do this.” “…Over the last month, we feel like he’s really figured things out and he’s playing with better eyes and playing faster. »
