The Denver Broncos are riding high after last week’s historic fourth-quarter comeback. Exciting though it was, it’s not a model for success.
Good teams won’t let you come back and drop 33 points in a quarter. Now, whether the Dallas Cowboys are a “good team” is up for debate, but their offense, at least, is one of the best in the NFL.
The Broncos will have to mind their Ps and Qs. Can Denver’s offense find some traction earlier in the game? Will the Broncos’ leaky defense of last week be a thing of the past?
Let’s go around the table to see how the Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle staff envision this one shaking out. Be sure to follow our editorial staff and excellent writers on X/Twitter, which are linked next to each author’s name.
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 5-2: Broncos beat the Cowboys after a good defensive performance and growth shown by Bo Nix and the offense. Javonte Williams runs with purpose in his return to Denver but the Broncos’ defense finds a way.
Pick: Broncos 24, Cowboys 17
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 5-2: Historic comebacks most certainly don’t grow on trees, so the Broncos need to start far earlier than the fourth quarter. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is playing well and he will not be afraid to attack through the air against the stellar Denver defense. Ultimately, a 3-to-1 turnover margin in favor of the Broncos makes the major difference, especially when cornerback Riley Moss makes a fourth-quarter house call.
Pick: Broncos 31, Cowboys 21
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 5-2: At some point, the Broncos’ offense has to click. This is the game where it does just that. Nix leads an offensive explosion while the defense curtails the Cowboys’ potent offense.
Pick: Broncos 34, Cowboys 23
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 5-2: It was once said that if Sean Payton couldn’t fix Russell Wilson, no one could. In that same sense, if this wildly inconsistent Broncos offense can’t get things rolling vs. the NFL’s worst defense, it’s unlikely to come together this season. I foresee a modest step forward offensively, buying the Broncos more time to coalesce on that side of the ball. The Broncos pressure Prescott, who puts the ball in harm’s way for a defense that has been woefully short on takeaways. Denver’s home and October streaks continue.
Pick: Broncos 27, Cowboys 19
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 5-2: I’ll keep this short and sweet: if the Broncos play like they did against the New York Jets and Giants (save the fourth quarter), they’re gonna lose. If they play as they did against the Cincinnati Bengals (perhaps even a little better), I really like their chances of winning. Which Broncos team are we gonna get, Jekyl or Hyde? Who knows. My gut says the Good Version shows up.
Pick: Broncos 29, Cowboys 24
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 5-2: The Broncos square off against the best passing attack and arguably the best offense this week as Dallas comes to town. The Broncos’ offense has sleepwalked in 10 of the team’s last 12 quarters. That won’t cut it, as Dallas will likely put up points even against Denver’s defense. Can Nix and the Broncos match drive for drive? I just don’t think the offense is consistent enough yet to get it done.
Pick: Cowboys 24, Broncos 20
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 5-2: The Broncos’ offense didn’t play four quality quarters of ball against two mediocre defenses the past two weeks and, now, it will face one of the worst defenses in the NFL. But in this case, that defense is paired with one of the best offenses in the NFL. The Broncos have to come out strong on offense and play well for four quarters, because asking the defense to shut down the Cowboys is asking too much. The Broncos defense didn’t have a good outing against the Indianapolis Colts — another team with a top offense. And given that the Broncos’ offense hasn’t been that good in recent weeks, I’m worried that it won’t do enough to keep pace with the Cowboys offense.
Pick: Cowboys 27, Broncos 20
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 5-2: Prescott is the same false-positive along with the Cowboys’ offense as usual. If Denver’s defense can snuff the Williams revenge angle, Vance Joseph’s guys will get two-plus turnovers. The Broncos’ offense has something to prove, as the Orange Crush throwback threads bring some extra energy to Denver.
Pick: Broncos 30, Cowboys 24
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 5-2: The Broncos’ defense is in for its toughest game on the season with how the Cowboys have played, as well as having elite quarterback play and receiver play. It seems like a tough ask for the Broncos to hold up, even in a game where the offense should do well against the worst defense in the NFL. It seems poised to be a higher scoring game, but one where the Broncos fall short.
Pick: Cowboys 34, Broncos 30
Dylan Von Arx (@DylanVonArxMHH) 5-2: The Broncos must get out to a fast start if they want to keep up with the Cowboys’ high-powered offense. I trust that Denver’s defense can get enough stops to keep themselves in the game, but CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will still make plays. Ultimately, Dallas’s defense is horrid enough that the Broncos should be able to take advantage with more uptempo play and a ground game, should Coach Payton allow it.
Pick: Broncos 28, Cowboys 21
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 4-3: This might be the toughest game to pick of the year as the Cowboys have an offense that can put up 40 points on anyone, yet they seem to let bad teams hang around and even lose to them. I’m not saying the Broncos are a bad team, but this is a tough one to anticipate how it will go. That said, I see the Broncos’ offense finally getting going earlier in this one and Dak has one of his worst games of the year, throwing a pick and then a sack/fumble, leading to the Broncos getting a nice lead. The Broncos’ run game has another nice day and they find a way to win another one-score game.
Pick: Broncos 30, Cowboys 24
Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) 4-3: I see this game going one of two ways. The Broncos either win in a shootout, or the Cowboys win in a blowout. It all depends on whether the Broncos can finally execute offensively because this Cowboys offense is no joke, but their defense is the worst in the league. Based on the past couple weeks, where the Broncos’ offense has struggled for seven out of eight quarters against bad defenses in the Jets and Giants, I’m struggling to see if they can string multiple drives together and stave off all of the explosive plays from the Cowboys this week.
Pick: Cowboys 31, Broncos 17
Ron White (@RonWhiteNFL) 4-3: After escaping with a win at home against the Giants, the Broncos now face a stiffer challenge as the NFL’s top-ranked offense of the Cowboys coming to town. In order to win this game, the Broncos’ defense must be sound by not having lapses in coverage and not missing tackles. On offense, the Broncos need to re-establish the ground game and go uptempo against a defense ranked last in the NFL. This game will be close but the Broncos come out on top.
Pick: Broncos 28, Cowboys 24
