The Denver Broncos enter the NFL playoffs with one of the most complete defenses in this year's field, but they do have a perceived weakness that just about every opponent attempts to take advantage of.
That is starting cornerback Riley Moss, who sees a huge amount of targets (the most in the league this season) come his way based mostly on the fact that he's not Pat Surtain II. Moss has been picked on consistently throughout the season, giving up several big plays and drawing several pass interference penalties.
Moss was penalized 10 times this season. That was tied with Deommodore Lenoir of the San Francisco 49ers and Keisean Nixon of the Green Bay Packers for the most penalized defensive backs in the league.
That has led many fans within Broncos Country to feel that Moss is not a very good player, even though there are statistics that suggest the exact opposite. For one, Moss' 19 pass breakups this season were tied for the most in the league and the most by a Broncos player since Champ Bailey in 2006. That's some pretty good company.
Moss is going to be targeted. That is something the Broncos are used to by now. Bucky Brooks of NFL.com named one playoff X-factor for each of the 14 teams vying for the Lombardi Trophy and when it came to the Broncos, he named Moss. But in all truth, Moss has been in that role basically all season.
Here was Brooks' analysis:
"It can be tough for any cornerback to handle the pressure that comes with playing opposite a reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Moss has been relentlessly targeted by opposing quarterbacks who are looking to avoid throwing at Patrick Surtain II ; in fact, Moss led the NFL in targets, with 116, per Next Gen Stats. And yet, other than struggling some with penalties, the Broncos' CB2 has held his own in matchups against marquee pass catchers, posting the league's fourth-lowest passer rating allowed (83.7) among players who were targeted 90-plus times. Denver's playoff journey promises to feature showdowns with elite quarterbacks throughout -- meaning Moss' ability to weather the storm on the perimeter could determine how far the Broncos advance in the tournament."
That goes in line with what I said about Moss back in the beginning of December. You can see it coming from a mile away; Moss will either be burned or come up with a huge defensive play on a play that ends up deciding the game in these playoffs. In a critical situation, he is going to be put on the spot.
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Whether he is up to the challenge or not could easily decide the Broncos' fate.
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