CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 21: D’Ernest Johnson #30 of the Cleveland Browns plays against the Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 21, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos once again look to end their losing streak this Sunday when they play the Washington Football Team.
The Denver Broncos had the perfect opportunity to end their losing streak this past Thursday. They faced a Cleveland Browns team that would be without quarterback Baker Mayfield, right tackle Jack Conklin and running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Certainly, the Broncos could win, right? Wrong.
Denver lost 17-14 to extend their losing streak to four games. Third string running back D’Ernest Johnson ran right through the Broncos defense and signal caller Case Keenum played well enough to get the win for Cleveland.
Look, we understand if Broncos fans are tired of hearing about the team having a favorable matchup. But they have another one this weekend, as they face the Washington Football Team. The NFC East team continues to spiral out of control, and could be the get-right game for Denver. We stress the word “could.”
Here are 5 bold predictions for the Broncos against the Football Team
5. Washington’s run game dominates Denver
As mentioned above, the Broncos were seemingly at an advantage with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt sidelined due to calf injuries. That meant the Browns needed D’Ernest Johnson to step up, and did he ever.
Johnson ran all over the Broncos, as he scored a touchdown on the team’s opening drive, before ending his night tallying 146 yards on 22 carries. The third-string running back managed to do this against Denver, who had one of the better run-stopping units.
Now, the Broncos face a Washington offense that needs to rely on their running game. This past week, the Football Team tallied 195 yards on the ground against Green Bay. 95 of those yards came from quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who ran the ball 10 times in the game.
Considering Denver’s defense had trouble stopping a depleted Cleveland running back depth chart, Washington should have an easy time tallying over 150 rushing yards.