The Broncos have two wins this season, one against the Bengals (4-2) to go with the improbable comeback against the winless Dolphins last Sunday.
Each of those wins brought a few more smiles around the team’s Dove Valley complex, but the first didn’t lead to the kind of rebound the Broncos had hoped it would.
And now they will see if the second one does.
The Lions are certainly not without troubles of their own — they surrender too many rushing yards and haven’t shown they have an answer for when opponents slow things down on them — but they are 5-2, physical on both sides of the ball and can put up the points on offense.
So, to get their first two-game win streak since back-to-back wins Nov. 26 and Dec. 4 in the 2009 season, the Broncos will have to:
Some teams have used misdirection and influence plays to keep Suh away from the ball, but that can mean exposing the edges of the formation where Lions defensive ends Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril can do some damage.
Vanden Bosch, in particular, is tied for the league lead in forced fumbles this season and will give Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady a full day’s work. The Broncos will likely have to help rookie right tackle Orlando Franklin some on passing downs against Avril.
Bailey will have to do the job plenty — getting some kind of quality jam at the line of scrimmage will be key for him — but Johnson is the Lions’ top threat in the scoring zone. He has a huge reach, top-tier leaping ability and the speed to run past most defensive backs.
The Broncos will have to double him on occasion, but have to change it up or quarterback Matthew Stafford will find other options.
Both routinely overpower safeties and run past linebackers. And unlike many teams who use tight ends as bailout receivers in the short to intermediate areas of the field, the Lions are looking to gouge defenses deep down the hashmarks.
The Broncos cannot get in a high-speed scorefest with Detroit and win. They’ll have to find a way to run the ball, without Willis McGahee in the lineup, even if they put Tebow in the shotgun 45 times in the game.
The Broncos have to keep the Lions’ offense off the field, especially if defensive end Elvis Dumervil’s ankle either keeps him out of the lineup or forces him to simply be a situational player.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
