It's been a tale of two weeks for both the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams so far in 2026, and now the two collide in Week 3 with both looking to get above .500 for the first time on the young season.
The Rams were humiliated in prime time to open the season in Australia, falling to the 49ers 27-7 in a lifeless performance that was surely affected by their bizarre travel plans. In Week 2, they responded with a dominant 28-6 drubbing of the New York Giants on Monday night to get back to 1-1. Now, it will be a third consecutive prime time game for Sean McVay and company.
The Broncos also took one on the chin in front of the whole nation in Week 1 at the hands of a bitter division rival. But it was how Sean Payton and company responded from that 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, with a 20-13 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, that has fans feeling good heading into the rest of the season.
The story of that turnaround from Week 1 to Week 2 was the Denver defense. Kenneth Walker III ran all over Vance Joseph's unit in the season opener, though it looks like he might do that to just about everyone. In Week 2, the Broncos completely blanked a very good Jaguars offense in the second half and stumped one of the best play-callers in the NFL in Liam Coen.
Now, the Denver defense faces arguably the biggest test in the entire NFL. The Rams have one of the most talented offenses in the league, and even if Puka Nacua isn't able to go because of his hip injury, the combination of Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay makes LA very difficult to stop.
Broncos' run defense must take another step
The Broncos slowed down a Jags team that is known for running the ball effectively in Week 2, but they did so mostly by getting to Trevor Lawrence and winning the battle on passing downs. The Jags still had decent success running the ball, gaining 95 yards on 24 carries with an EPA just above zero.
That came on the heels of a Week 1 performance by Denver that was much more alarming in that area. The Chiefs ran for 220 yards with a +0.33 EPA per rush in that game per Next Gen Stats, so the jury is definitely still out on this Broncos run defense.
When you think about the Rams, you think about Stafford, Nacua and Davante Adams, but the running game is the foundation for what McVay wants to do with this offense.
That was on full display in Week 2 on Monday night. The Rams ran for 149 yards on 25 carries against the Giants, to the tune of a whopping +0.36 EPA per play. Both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum are contributing on the ground, and the Rams' offensive line is able to get downhill and dominate in McVay's duo-heavy scheme. If they can do that, Stafford and the passing game will have a much easier time moving the ball as the Broncos pass rush won't be able to pin their ears back.
Where do the Rams go in the passing game?
At the moment, it looks like Nacua is a longshot to play in this game. He was banged up all training camp with hip and groin issues, and didn't practice at all or play in Week 2. He has still yet to practice this week, so his status for Sunday night is looking bleak after McVay called it “doubtful” that he would be out there.
If Nacua doesn't go, that leaves the Rams with Davante Adams as the No. 1 receiver and a host of journeyman options behind him. That didn't hinder the Los Angeles passing attack on Monday night, as Adams reeled in eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. However, this Broncos secondary is a significantly more daunting challenge than the beat-up unit that the Giants rolled out there.
The Broncos love to play man coverage, and they have the personnel to do so with Patrick Surtain II on the outside. Surtain is arguably the best cornerback in all of football and can erase half of the field anytime he is out there.
This season, Denver has played man coverage on 35.9% of its defensive snaps, the sixth-highest number in the NFL according to Football Insights.
Of course, with Nacua likely out this week, Surtain can just follow Adams around all day. That will be especially limiting in the red zone, when the Rams love to get Adams isolated and ask him to win in one-on-one situations.
Behind Surtain, the Broncos still have a number of capable cornerbacks. Riley Moss has become underrated over the years despite being targeted at will, and Ja'Quan McMillian is a quality starter in the nickel.
Behind Adams, with Nacua out of the lineup, Tutu Atwell, Xavier Smith and Konata Mumpfield will all see more looks. Tight ends Terrance Ferguson and Colby Parkinson will also have to step up in this game.
All of these secondary pieces for the Rams will have to make individual plays against the man coverage that the Broncos will throw at them, especially if Surtain is having success against Adams on the outside. Who wins that battle could determine who comes out on top under the lights in Denver on Sunday night.