As the Broncos gathered on the field following Friday's practice, Head Coach Sean Payton delivered a message designed for Denver's Week 7 matchup and beyond.
"The last thing I just said to them was, 'We have to be ascending, improving,'" Payton said Friday. "I think they understand that."
The Broncos (4-2) will get their next chance to demonstrate that improvement as they visit the Cardinals (2-4), and they'll aim to secure a third consecutive win. A victory would also represent the Broncos' fifth win in the last six weeks.
"It just can't be a yo-yo," Payton said of the importance of stringing wins together. "Any team that I can think of, there are runs."
With a win in Arizona, the Broncos would cap a 3-1 mark against the NFC West, and they would earn their 12th win over an NFC opponent in their last 13 tries. Since the start of 2024, the Broncos are 11-2 in matchups against NFC teams.
These are the questions that will determine if the Broncos can earn a Week 7 win over the Cardinals:
CAN BO NIX, BRONCOS' OFFENSE FIND CONSISTENT SUCCESS?
The Broncos scored a pair of first-half touchdowns in a Week 6 win over the Seahawks' top-ranked defense, but Denver is looking for more consistency in Week 7.
"Now, it's taking that last step of playing the last two quarters like we have the first two the last couple of weeks," Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb said Thursday. "Putting a good game together where we can look up and the score is not as close as it needs to be in the fourth quarter. We can kind of stretch the lead out a little bit. Our defense has been playing excellent, and we are looking forward to hopefully trying to accomplish that this week."
Quarterback Bo Nix said this week that he feels he can play better, and he said he's evaluated his preparation and process to "figure out ways to put us in a better spot."
Nix said he wants to adopt an aggressive mentality as the season continues, and Webb said he believes Nix is poised to find success.
"I think he's in a good spot," Webb said. "… I think he's ready to go on a little run. I think [Jaguars quarterback] Trevor Lawrence did something similar last year, and he had a great end to his campaign last year and it's kicking into this year. He's done a great job. Hopefully Bo can follow that trend."
Lawrence overcame an up-and-down start to the 2025 season, and he has thrown 29 touchdowns and just five interceptions across his last 12 regular-season games.
"I think Bo's done a good job handling what's been going on the last couple weeks and coming to work every day with the right mindset," Webb said. "I'm hoping and I'm thinking that it's going to pay off in a big way here coming up."
Nix and Co. will look to find that success against a Cardinals defense that has allowed the most passing touchdowns (16) and the highest passer rating (116.5) and yards per attempt (8.6) in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. Arizona, it should be noted, did hold the Rams to 2-of-4 in the red zone and record three sacks in a Week 6 upset of Los Angeles.
"This is a pressure defense," Payton said of Arizona. "They give you some looks where they were problematic for the Rams. They were able to take a really good offense and a good quarterback and maybe put them out of rhythm. So, we're going to have to have the right answers."
CAN THE BRONCOS' RUN GAME PROVIDE A SPARK?
As the Broncos look for offensive improvement, Payton pointed on Monday to the importance of running the football.
"[Nix is] going to become the byproduct of all the finer things that get improved," Payton said. "The improved play from our offensive line, the more efficient we are relative to balance, running the football. That's our jobs as coaches here. We talked after the game about [how]we're excited to get that win, and yet at the same time find that improvement we need in all areas. So, it starts with all of us."
The Broncos have broken the 100-yard mark on the ground in a pair of games this season — both wins — and the run game got going late in those settings. In Week 2 against the Jaguars, the Broncos rushed for 36 yards in the final quarter as they closed out the game. Against the Chargers, Denver had 49 of its 106 total rushing yards in the final frame.
Against Jacksonville, rookie running back Jonah Coleman played a significant role — and he could poised to make his return after being activated from injured reserve on Saturday. Coleman tallied three first downs, 58 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in that win over Jacksonville, averaging 4.5 yards per touch.
With J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey also pacing the Broncos' running back corps, Denver has options in its backfield.
"We think it's a deep room and a talented room," Payton said Wednesday.
Could the Broncos find success on the ground on Sunday? Arizona is allowing a 43.7 percent rushing success rate to running backs, which is the third highest rate in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. The Cardinals have also posted a 15.6 percent missed tackle rate, which ranks 10th in the league.
CAN DENVER'S DEFENSE GAIN THE EDGE IN THE RED ZONE?
After a stellar performance against the Seahawks, the Broncos' defense will face yet another of the league's top talents.
Arizona tight end Trey McBride has at least seven catches in all six games this season, and he enters Week 7 tied with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the most catches in the NFL.
"Clearly, he reminds me a lot of [Raiders TE Brock] Bowers, these unique skill set tight ends that can get matched up on safeties or even corners," Payton said Wednesday. "He has really good feel, really good transition, and they're doing a really good job of moving him around."
Denver's defense will also have to contend with wide receiver Michael Wilson and quarterback Jacoby Brissett — as well as an Arizona running game that totaled 120 yards in a win over the Rams. While top-five pick Jeremiyah Love remains out with an ankle injury, Cardinals running back Bam Knight has averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 18 carries this season, including 15 carries for 80 yards in Week 6.
"The quarterback's a grownup," Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday. "He's not putting the ball in harm's way. They run the ball very well. It's a well-coached group. … They do a great job. They have a bunch of good players who are smart and tough. They just do it right. When you watch the tape as a coach, it kind of makes you proud how well they play the game. It's our job to stop the run and keep the big plays off of us and break their drives. They're first in the league, I think, with 10-plus play drives. That burns the clock and leads to points."
Against the Rams, the Cardinals had four such drives — and they chewed up nearly 17 minutes off the game clock on two consecutive second-half possessions.
The Broncos, though, may be able to gain an edge in the red zone. While the Cardinals possessed the ball against the Rams, they settled for six field goals in the win. Since Week 2, Denver is tied for the seventh-best red zone defense in the NFL. In Week 7, the Broncos will face a Cardinals offense that went 0-for-5 inside the 20-yard line in Week 6. Entering Sunday's games, the Cardinals ranks 27th in red-zone efficiency — and Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur acknowledged the challenge his team will face.
"They're very smart," LaFleur said Wednesday. "… You can tell 'VJ' and those guys believe in what they believe in and they're unapologetic with it. They play really hard. I see 11 guys working in unison. It's a challenge. Yes, it's the last two weeks, but it's really been all year, and it's been for a few years now. We have our hands full with this group, for sure."
