Getty Denver Broncos players kneel during the national anthem before playing against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 27, 2020.
All-Pro Safety Justin Simmons is ready for action. After a chaotic offseason for the Denver Broncos, its defense has built quietly, lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce on the New York Giants on September 12.
The comeback of all-time sack leader Von Miller ensures Denver will have a fearsome pass rush to go with a stout, highly-skilled secondary. With an embarrassment of riches at the cornerback position, many within Broncos Country have compared the contemporary backend to the famous ‘No Fly Zone’ which — along with Miller — led Denver to its third Super Bowl win in 2016.
2021 Broncos ‘Fly’ Under the Radar
So, how do the two compare? None are better placed to answer than 27-year-old Simmons who was part of the rambunctious secondary headed by former Broncos cornerb Aqib Talib.
“Aqib — the whole ‘No-Fly Zone’ was kind of loud and boisterous,” Simmons said before practice on September 6.
“They let you know they make a play. My personal game style is not it’s not that way. Obviously in the moment, you get hyped up and you make plays, but you’re talking about TJ [Ward], ‘Stew’ (Darian Stewart), Aqib, [Bradley] Roby, Chris [Harris Jr.]. Those guys — always, no matter what— were going to let you know they made a play and that was their MO. That’s who they were, and they did it.
My Breakdown of the Raiders and Broncos fight :
– Aqib Talib is bout that Life
– Michael Crabtree stop wearing that chain
– And everybody is Marshawn Lynch Cousin
Aqib Talib: “I told him if he wears that chain in front of me I’m gonna snatched it off him.” #Broncos
“I think this group carries that same type of confidence, but probably just isn’t as loud or as boisterous as that. It’s cool man — finding your own groove as a secondary. I think we’re jelling together really well, and the biggest thing that’s going to be important is making sure that shows up on Sundays when we’re out there trying to execute on the back end.”
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Slippery September Opener
Now is the optimal time for the secondary to be meshing given the offensive weaponry Simmons and company will face in the Meadowlands on Sunday. New York’s offseason additions have not been lost on the No. 1 safety in pro football — according to PFF. The Broncos will need to be inspired to avoid another slow September start.
“They have a great group,” Simmons remarked. “I know the talk of last year has been some of the things that have happened offensively to them, but they’re a great group. I think (Giants QB) Daniel Jones is a really good quarterback. I think he’s a good quarterback for this league, and they have a lot of weapons that he can utilize on the offensive side of the ball.
“As you said—[Saquon] Barkley. They got [Kenny] Golladay as an addition. They’ve got Sterling Shephard, Evan Ingram. They got Kyle Rudolph in the offseason, and some great tight ends that they have over there. They’ve got a great running back room, receiver room.
“I mean, they’ve got it all. Defensively, we have our work cut out for us Week 1. All this offseason we talked about how we wanted to be the best and we’re going to have to go out there and prove it Week 1 against New York.”
With so many new pieces on the Giants offense, studying their tendencies within the offense has proven more complex than usual for the Broncos defense. Simmons and his unit have their work cut out for them but are as ready as they can be for whatever comes their way.
“There are always surprises Week 1, especially when you’ve got so many different weapons,” Simmons admitted.
“They’ve got Golladay. [Darius] Slayton was a big guy that they went to last year a lot. You never know truly going into the game how things are going to go, what they’re looking for, and what the flow is going to look like. As a defensive unit, you’ve got to be able to adjust. I mean, that’s the biggest thing.
“You may do well in the first half, and they’re going to have some things that they change in the second half. You got to be able to adjust to it. You don’t do as well in the first half, and you have to make adjustments at halftime and come out the second half and be able to execute your adjustments. That’s really what the first game is about. Going in with that solid game plan and adjusting from there.”
Head coach Vic Fangio will be hoping the only adjustment made in New Jersey is to the Broncos’ win column.
They may not be as loud, but this current Broncos secondary will keep inviting comparisons to glories of old if they can emphatically shut down defenses, starting September 12.
Follow Patrick Djordjevic on Twitter: @Patdjordjevic