Denver Broncos on the Road: Week 5 Scoring Prediction

The Denver Broncos started this season a mile high above expectations at 3-0 but recently had their first loss of the season.

That loss created a little bit of uncertainty, and BetMGM’s NFL betting lines reflect it, with the Broncos currently being one-point underdogs against the Pittsburgh Steelers next week.

Will the Broncos bounce back against the Steelers? Here is what you need to know.

Quarterback Uncertainty

The Broncos enter Week 5 with uncertainty at the quarterback position for the first time this season. Teddy Bridgewater suffered a concussion in last week’s loss against the Ravens.

Currently, Bridgewater is in concussion protocol, and his status for Sunday’s game against the Steelers remains up in the air. If he cannot go, then quarterback Drew Lock will likely get the nod.

To me, there is a noticeable gap in talent between the two quarterbacks. Bridgewater beat Lock for the job in the pre-season and is a much better game manager.

One notable stat that supports this is that Teddy Bridgewater does not have an interception in four games this season.

In comparison, Drew Lock had 15 interceptions in 13 games last season. For his career, he averages one interception per game. Lock had an interception in last week’s game coming in for Bridgewater.

Denver is a team that focuses on protecting the football. They believe that if they win the turnover battle, they’ll win the game. But, unfortunately, the Broncos will lose a lot of ball security if Bridgewater cannot clear concussion protocol before Sunday.

If that was not enough, Bridgewater is also far superior in completion percentage. He’s completed about 72% of his passes for the season, whereas Lock had a 57.3 completion percentage in 2020.

Melvin Gordon’s Importance

If Denver does not have a reliable quarterback taking the snaps, more of the offensive load will fall onto running back Melvin Gordon. He is currently averaging 62 rushing yards per game and has two rushing touchdowns on the season.

However, he can also be a threat to catch the ball in the open field. Gordon has eight catches for 87 receiving yards on the season.

Challenging Defense

The Broncos have a big challenge coming up against the Steelers’ defense. It is loaded with talent with players such as linebacker T.J. Watt and cornerback Joe Haden.

Statistically, the Steelers are not topping the charts in defense stats, but they have had very tough competition.

They have played the Bills and the Raiders, two of the best offenses in the NFL so far. The Bills are second in points scored, and the Raiders are second in passing yards.

Then last week, they had to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, who have scored 92 points since Week 1. The Steelers held the Bills to 16 points, the Raiders to 26 points, and the Packers to 27.

For comparison, the Broncos only scored seven points last week and have not scored more than 27 points once this season. With that and the questions surrounding the quarterback position, it may not be best to count on many points from the Broncos.

Make Your Denver Broncos Prediction

Do you think the Denver Broncos are overmatched, or will they overcome adversity?

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