The Mile High Report staff and Brandon Perna of That’s Good Broncos give their score predictions for the Week 5 game between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. It’s offense versus defense, so who comes out on top?
Our consensus pick is Broncos 30, Falcons 21. Here is how we fare on our own.
Broncos 27, Falcons 24
After week 4 there must be some trepidation on the part of Broncos Country. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones made the Carolina Panthers look like Sister Mary Katherine's School for the Insanely Blind. At 4-0, the Broncos have leaned heavily on the defense, and this game will be no exception. Aqib Talib has led the way for the No Fly Zone, and the Broncos look to shut down another top receiver, while the offense will look to rack up the points on the ground and in the air. Look for CJ Anderson to have a big game in an attempt to control the clock and limit the scoring. Holding back the Falcons offense may turn out to be a difficult task, but the Falcons defense will have the same struggles with the Broncos. It may be a tight game, but look for a Brandon McManus field goal to be the difference. - Adam Malnati
Broncos 31, Falcons 17
Last season the Falcons started the season 5-0 and had two games where they scored 39 and 48 points, they were one of the few remaining undefeated teams at that time and there was talk about this perhaps being the year they put it together and make some noise. Then, they went on to lose 7 of their next 8 and finish the season at .500. It's about that time of year again for the paper tiger to be exposed, and Denver's specialty is making good offenses look childish. This game looks like "game of the week" on paper, but it will feel over by halftime. - Jeff Essary
Broncos 30, Falcons 16
In 2015, the Packers came to Denver with the #1 scoring offense. That #1 scoring offense managed an whopping 143 total yards as the Denver defense dominated. That Packers team also had a defense that was in the top of the league in scoring defense. It didn't matter, our offense rolled and our defense dominated. The Falcons have a very hot offense like the Packers did last year, but they don't have the D. The Broncos offense is going to put up 30 and the Falcons will only be able to manage 16. - Joe Mahoney
Broncos 27, Falcons 17
Defense wins championships. And this Broncos defense wins regular season games hyped up to be big challenges too. With its ability to dominate big offensive threats ALL over the field, the Julio-Ryan Show will find out how hard it is to put up 200 yards against Wade Phillips' crew. And with a Broncos offense that keeps improving every week, the Falcons have no chance. - Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann
Broncos 24, Falcons 17
Some wondered how the Broncos defense would remain motivated after such a historic 2015. "How could they possibly match what they did? They'll drop off ... even if it's a little." These are the games that keep this Phillips-coached defense driven. The challenges of facing another high-powered offense some think won't and can't be controlled. Over the last nine games we've seen how the Denver defense responds to these moments, though I think there's a little more for this one. Add to it the game is at home and Paxton Lynch could make his first career start. Everyone at Mile High will have an extra pep in their step for this one. - Ian St. Clair
Broncos 31, Falcons 27
This game is the real "game of the week". The Falcons have a tremendously balanced and effective offense. The Broncos have an all time defense with a very serviceable offense. Here's the monkey wrench in this game: Who is the Broncos QB? If it's Siemian, I just don't know. He should be fine, but man, even though it's a non-throwing shoulder injury, that will 100% impact his throwing motion and we might see him duck while throwing if he's under duress to preserve his body. That in my book is called "playing scared" and I don't like it. But then you have Paxton Lynch. Who knows how he'll fair. He looked decent last week, but can he do that the entire game? The good news is that the Falcons don't exactly put up much resistance to opposing offenses, so we're probably fine either way, but we will likely need more than the normal allotment of points to win. So which QB can get that done? The rookie? Or the injured starter? - Pete Baron
Broncos 34, Falcons 23
At the end of the day, the score is going to end up belying a close, hard fought game. With a four point lead, the Broncos defense will come up with a defensive touchdown to seal victory over Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The march to homefield advantage begins this week. - Tim Lynch