Game Preview: Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins

Can the Broncos — on both sides of the ball — find success on third down?

A week ago, the Broncos’ defense mostly found success on third down against the Commanders. Denver held the Washington offense to a 27.3 percent third-down success rate, allowing the Commanders to convert on just 3-of-11 attempts.

That is, except for a series of plays in which the Broncos allowed a first down via penalty. On a pair of occasions, Denver was whistled for a penalty on third down that kept a Washington drive alive — and the Commanders scored touchdowns on both of those possessions. On another, Denver was whistled for pass interference on second-and-long — and again, Washington cashed in for seven points.

“Third downs, that’s where your time is spent during the week,” Joseph said Thursday. “So when you don’t win those — not because of the scheme or not making a play — [but] off a call, a holding call or a face mask, it’s demoralizing. You have to reboot and go do it again, but it adds plays to your total. And it also adds points. It’s the NFL, right? If you give an offense three more chances on a drive, they’re going to make at least a field goal.”

As the Broncos look to slow a high-powered Miami offense, they’ll need to take advantage of opportunities to push the Dolphins offense off the field. Miami boasts the top-ranked total offense, and the Broncos cannot give the group extra opportunities to make plays.

Offensively, Denver will look to continue the success it’s found early in the season, as the Broncos lead the NFL in points per possession and overall touchdown rate. Against a Fangio-led defense that is known for preventing big plays and strong red-zone defense, that means the Broncos must find success on third down to maintain possession.

“Part of it is playing complementary football, and part of it is the type of defense we’re seeing,” Payton said. “We’ve got to be good on third down. That’s the one thing that will be important — and then red zone. Vic’s always done a good job of playing good red-zone defense. They don’t give you a lot, but what they give you, they play it very well.”

The Broncos currently rank 16th in the NFL with a 39.1 percent third-down conversion rate, and they’ll face a defense that ranks 30th in third-down defense and 31st in red-zone defense.

They’ll also look to continue the first-half success they’ve had in each of the first two weeks over to the second frame.

The Broncos’ postseason chances took a hit in Week 2 as they dropped a two-point decision to the Washington Commanders, but history suggests the Broncos may still have a chance at the postseason.

In seven of the last 10 seasons, an 0-2 team has rebounded to make the postseason. And in a cluttered AFC that features just two 2-0 teams, there figures to be plenty of intrigue the rest of the way.

A win over the Dolphins would certainly help the Broncos’ chances of making the postseason.

“You have to get on to the next game,” Payton said. “You have to make corrections. You can’t just blindly say, ‘All right.’ You have to make corrections. This will be a good test for us. [It’s] a good team we’re playing, obviously.”