Pittsburgh Steelers Meet The Opponent: Denver Broncos

Offense

Total Offense- 11th (371.9 YPG)
Passing Offense- 15th (247.1 YPG)
Rushing Offense- 8th (124.8 YPG)
Scoring Offense- 19th (22.8 PPG)

Denver’s offense is led by quarterback Case Keenum, who has been far from a fan favorite since his arrival in Denver. Keenum’s style can be communicated as boring and somewhat underwhelming, and his numbers back that belief up. With 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and a 83.4 passer rating, Keenum has found little success thus far in 2018. Yet Keenum isn’t solely to blame for the Broncos woes thus far, as many other factors including coaching (Vance Joseph isn’t much more popular) have prevented Denver from reaching their potential in 2018.

Keenum’s offensive line has allowed 24 sacks through 10 games played, tied for 12th-best in the league with Jared Goff and Blake Bortles. Denver’s offensive line reads as following, from left to right: Garett Bolles, Nico Falah, Connor McGovern, Billy Turner and Jared Veldheer. The injury bug has not been kind to the unit in 2018, with multiple injuries to the starting unit including Ronald Leary, Matt Paradis and Max Garcia.

Pittsburgh fans will recognize a familiar face on Sunday, as former Steeler Emmanuel Sanders headlines Denver’s receiving corps. After trading Demaryius Thomas to Houston at the NFL’s trade deadline, Sanders now becomes the team’s true number one receiver. Although Sanders leads Denver in yards, catches and touchdowns through the air, rookie receiver Courtland Sutton has impressed in his young career so far. Fellow rookie DaeSean Hamilton has shown potential as well, yet Denver has limited his opportunities thus far.

Jeff Heuerman will start as Denver’s main tight end, providing a solid security blanket for Keenum to throw to if needed. Heuerman has proven to be a reliable asset in the passing game, as has Denver’s running back stable. Halfbacks Phillip Lindsay and Devontae Booker have a combined 47 catches, yet most of their damage is done on the ground. Lindsay has emerged as the team’s lead back, with Royce Freeman providing a complimentary 1-2 punch out of the backfield.

Denver excels at running the football, and with backs as special as Freeman/Lindsay, it’s easy to see why.

When Denver sticks to the ground, they’ve found success. However when offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave leans more on Keenum, the offense tends to stall. Denver has played a lot of high-powered offenses in 2018, will the Broncos feel the need to go blow for blow when they meet the Steelers? Rumors have circulated this week that Denver could potentially run the no-huddle defense, which could play into their home-field advantage of high altitudes.