Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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The Broncos' regular-season opener isn't for another few months, but over the next few weeks, DenverBroncos.com will take an early look at each game on the Broncos' 2020 schedule. We don't know how injuries could impact each contest, but we'll present the pressing storylines, matchups, questions and more.
It's never too early to start talking football.
We continue with Denver's Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Storylines to monitor:
The Broncos return to the field after their Week 8 bye for the first of two consecutive road games. In this Week 9 contest, the Broncos will head to Atlanta to face a Falcons team that won six of its final eight games in 2019 after a 1-7 start to the year. Atlanta, which has missed the playoffs each of the last two years since nearly winning Super Bowl LI at the end of the 2016 season, dealt with a slew of injuries in 2019. Still, with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones on offense, the Falcons will pose a difficult test for the Broncos' defense.
This game — which was long expected to be held in London — is also now a chance for several Broncos players to return to their home state. Bradley Chubb, Kareem Jackson, A.J. Bouye and Alexander Johnson are among the players who will get to show off in Atlanta. Under the NFL's current scheduling formula, the Broncos aren't slated to return to Atlanta until 2028, so this is a rare opportunity.
It's also a chance for the Broncos' 2020 first-round pick, Jerry Jeudy, to prove himself against another pair of Alabama products in Jones and Calvin Ridley. As a rookie, Ridley posted 64 catches for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns. If Jeudy can approach those totals, the Broncos would be thrilled.
Player to watch:
WR Julio Jones
The Broncos' secondary will get one of its toughest tests of the season against Jones and Ridley, as Jones is arguably the league's best receiver. The 10th-year pro caught 99 passes for 1,394 yards and six touchdowns last season, and he's earned seven Pro Bowl nods during his career. Just twice in his career has Jones failed to break the 1,000-yard mark, and he's averaged more than 100 receiving yards per game in five different seasons. Jones has the unique athleticism to beat cornerbacks down the field, high point the ball and use his physicality to rack up yards after the catch. He could be A.J. Bouye's toughest assignment of the year.