The Denver Broncos have what many feel is a loaded defense for the upcoming NFL season. But who is the player who could make the biggest difference by stepping up his level of play?
Broncos Country knows what the team is going to get out of Pat Surtain II and Nik Bonitto. Ben Solak of ESPN recently discussed an X-factor for every team in the league, noting that no quarterbacks, rookies or coaches would be selected. His choice for the Broncos was third-year cornerback Riley Moss.
Here was Solak's assessment:
"Only three outside corners with at least 200 coverage snaps were targeted more than Moss last season. Not because he was a bad player -- he allowed 7.6 yards per target, just above the average (7.4) for outside corners -- but because that's what happens when you play opposite Pat Surtain II: Teams throw it at you. Consider the late-season game he played against the Bengals in which Cincinnati eschewed the Ja'Marr Chase-Surtain matchup to target Tee Higgins against Moss: 8 targets, 7 catches, 101 yards and 2 scores.
Higgins is perhaps the best WR2 in football, and Moss was just off an MCL sprain. His film was a lot better than his coverage numbers imply -- he lost a lot of contested catches and should expect some positive regression there. But the target density isn't going away, especially now that the Broncos have improved at slot corner with first-round pick Jahdae Barron . Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph wants to play man coverage and blitz, so opposing quarterbacks will default to challenging Moss with back-shoulder fades and dare him to make them pay at the catch point.
Moss' first season as a starter was encouraging, but he'll need to take another step for the Broncos to remain atop the defensive charts."
Moss was solid for the Broncos last season as the starting cornerback opposite Surtain, but he was exposed a bit in that Bengals game. However, he didn't play as bad in that game as many would have you believe; he just saw a lot of action his way. The Broncos and Bengals meet again this season in Week 4, and you can expect Joe Burrow to throw against Moss early and often in that game.
That could be a good early-season test for Moss and if he handles that one-on-one matchup better than he did last season, perhaps it could be a catalyst to him gaining the kind of confidence that welcomes the opposing team shying away from Surtain and throwing against him.
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If that happened, then Solak's prediction is not only a good one, but one that could give the Broncos a chance to have a secondary that rivals the old 'No Fly Zone' in every way.
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