LA Rams - Denver Broncos a Potential Super Bowl Preview on SNF
When the LA Rams and Denver Broncos face off tonight, it's a possible preview of Super Bowl LXI. Can Bo Nix out-duel Matthew Stafford and can Denver's defense tackle better?
When the LA Rams face the Denver Broncos tonight on Sunday Night Football, it's a potential Super Bowl LXI preview.
That's what all the experts were saying before the season, anyway.
Then both the Rams and the Broncos laid eggs in Week 1. But both bounced back in Week 2, setting up for an epic battle at Mile High Stadium tonight.
LA Rams - Denver Broncos a Potential Super Bowl LXI Preview
Considering injuries, the Broncos are getting the Rams at the right time. Things will likely look a lot different injury-wise in February for both teams.
But for tonight's game, injuries on both sides are one focal point.
The second is quarterback play, where the Rams have the advantage.
And third, can the Denver Broncos wrap up and stop two stellar running backs?
Injuries
The Rams are missing arguably their best offensive and defensive players tonight.
Puka Nacua, who led the NFL in receptions and yards per game last year (129, 107.5 YPG) is listed as DOUBTFUL and not expected to play. That's a huge break for the Broncos, even if they do have the best secondary in the NFL.
They're also without former Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Meanwhile, the Broncos will be without rookie standout running back Jonah Coleman who was placed on the IR and won't be back to the team until October.
I would've loved to see Nacua vs. Pat Surtain, but instead Surtain will be lining up against Davante Adams tonight. While Riley Moss will likely get some snaps against the veteran star receiver as well.
Adams went off last week with Nacua out of the lineup. He had 8 receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the blowout win over the New York Giants. He looked like prime Davante as he and Matt Stafford cooked the Giants.
But Adams has struggled vs. Surtain.
In fact, their matchups have been sensational over the years.
Simply, there's no way Adams goes off for anything close to the production he had last week. Surtain takes the matchup personally and Adams is just one more receiver in a long line that he's shut down the last few years.
That means the Rams will have to rely on their third and fourth-best receivers Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington, and tight ends Terrance Ferguson and Colby Parkinson.
The Broncos have the advantage when the Rams pass the ball. If they can come up with a turnover there, it'd be icing on the cake.
Coleman out for Denver is a big blow because he was the back that looked best last week. Luckily, the Broncos will get J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey back tonight. Dobbins is the more powerful inside runner and will have his work cut out for him against Aaron Donald and that strong front for LA. Meanwhile Harvey is a matchup problem for any defense because he can quickly get outside on runs and is a pass catching threat no matter where he lines up on the field.
The Rams have held opponents to only 4.4 yards per carry, while the Broncos only average 3.8 YPC. When Denver runs, LA likely has the advantage.
Matthew Stafford vs. Bo Nix
Obviously these guys don't line up against one another, but Nix needs to outplay Stafford on Sunday Night Football.
That means starting more quickly than he has in either game this year, and faster than he usually has throughout his career.
Nix played his worst football per QBR and PFF grades in Week 1, and then had a 73.44 passer rating in the first half against the Jaguars. That included the terrible interception off his back foot in the end zone before the half.
Luckily for Broncos fans, he looked like a top-10 QB in the second half. He went 11-15 for 134 yards and 1 touchdown in the second half, a stellar 122.64 passer rating.
Meanwhile, Matt Stafford was an MVP candidate last year and his Rams came one game short of Super Bowl LX just like the Broncos did.
Like his entire team, Stafford Struggled in Week 1 in Australia. That was an aberration.
Last week he played like himself again; 71.0% completion percentage, 327 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT and a 131.3 passer rating.
That's a lot for Nix to live up to.
What the Broncos QB has going for him is the fact that Nacua is out and Stafford's receivers aren't great outside of Adams, while Jaylen Waddle caught fire last week and we haven't even seen much out of Courtland Sutton or Pat Bryant yet.
What Bo Nix needs to do is play confidently — with poise in the pocket and not happy feet — consistently, and pass accurately.
We know that Nix is fantastic at avoiding sacks, which is a huge plus for his game. But he can't abandon clean pockets early or throw off his back foot tonight.
Once he got it going in the second half last week, his consistency and accuracy were phenomenal. He hit Waddle not only on that 49-yard bomb, but led him perfectly on a crosser that turned into a solid gain, too. Among many other great passes after the break.
Nix and the offense getting out to a fast start, especially at home, would be a big boost to the Broncos.
Rich Kurtzman
Can the Broncos defense tackle?
In Week 1, it seemed like the Kansas City Chiefs wrote the blueprint of how to beat the Broncos.
Run the ball. Run it some more. Then, run it again.
But the Jaguars didn't follow the plan. Mostly because they're a pass-first offense.
The Rams, on the other hand, can do a little of both. When Nacua is healthy, they're one of the most deadly passing attacks in the game today. But they always mix in the run, and both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are great backs to contend with. And they'll probably lean on the run more tonight.
Corum actually leads in yards (133-126) and yards per carry (6.0-5.5) over Williams, who's the starter.
But that shows how close the two are and how the Broncos can't sleep when Williams gets bottled up and Corum comes in.
After missing an insane 24 tackles in Week 1 vs. Kansas City, the Broncos missed only seven tackles last week vs. Jacksonville.
That's a vast improvement, but can they tighten up their tackling even more tonight?
Missing a tackle against Williams could result in a house call and this game is going to be close.
Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad have to step up when the running backs get to the second level, just like Hufanga needs to if they get to the third level.
Singleton missed zero tackles last week after missing four vs. the Chiefs. He seemed to find his rhythm there. Strnad played much more soundly last week, too, though he did miss one tackle on the game. They were graded at 85.5 (Strnad) and 83.0 (Singleton) vs. the run last week, which are both high marks.
If and when the defense limits the passing game, they'll be needed to play tough-nosed and sound football against two brilliant backs.
One note: Williams had two fumbles in 2025 and one against the Giants, too. Similarly, Corum's first fumble of his career came last week vs. New York.
If the Broncos can win the turnover battle, they'll win this game. And forcing more turnovers is a point of emphasis for this team; they need to put the money where their mouth is.
Prediction
Broncos win 24-21 on a late Wil Lutz field goal set up by a Patrick Surtain pick.
LA Rams (1-1) vs. Denver Broncos kicks off at 6:20 p.m. MT at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium tonight. The game can be seen on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Thanks for reading! Please subscribe today. Or leave a tip in the tip jar!
New offer: Get a free artwork print of your choice with a paid subscription.
Follow The Broncos Blitz on Bluesky!
Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
Comments ()