If history is any indicator the Cowboys game against the Broncos this year will be not fun.
When Sean Payton took over as head coach of the Denver Broncos, you expected there would be an overhaul of the franchise. Yet, no one was exactly sure of the scale of the roster makeover that Payton would eventually oversee. First was the ousting of Russell Wilson after a very disappointing season under Payton after Denver had heavily invested a lot into Wilson. Payton shocked many when he drafted Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft, with some thinking Payton reached for the Oregon quarterback.
Turns out Sean Payton still knows a thing or two, as Nix and Payton guided the Broncos to a playoff berth in Nix’s rookie season. With Nix and several other young prospects, the youth movement in Denver has taken full effect. Despite their success, Denver is one of the most overlooked playoff teams entering the season and unpredictable for what they’ll do for an encore in 2025. Here are a few X-factors who can determine the game when the Cowboys ride into Denver.
Devaughn Vele
The term “youth” can be used loosely concerning Devaughn Vele. Vele was drafted in the seventh round of last year’s draft and joined the Broncos as a 26-year-old rookie. However, he demonstrated good route running and very sticky hands in his first season in the NFL. Vele was Denver’s third-leading receiver with 475 yards and a catch rate of 74.5 percent on 55 targets. Vele is a big receiver at 6’5” and although not used as a deep threat often, runs a 4.47 40-yard dash. The majority of his snaps came from the slot, playing 61.6% of his snaps in that spot. However, Vele won’t offer much after receptions; he has only averaged 3.1 yards after the catch. Still, when you look at Denver’s other receiving options: Courtland Sutton, Evan Engram, Marvin Mims, it’s easy to overlook Vele. Dallas cannot afford to make that mistake.
RJ Harvey
One of the more unpredictable aspects about the Broncos last season was the snap distribution from their running backs. One week, the lead runner was Audric Estime, another week, Javonte Williams, who is now with the Cowboys, or a combination of both, with some Jaleel McLaughlin mixed in. This season, it seems to be clearer who the top dog is in the Broncos’ backfield. No, it’s not J.K. Dobbins, who had a very good campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers, going for over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, but rookie RJ Harvey. Harvey does so many things well that he is a terrific option on all three downs. He’s got a lot of wiggle in his game, making him hard to bring to the ground in the open field.
Although he’s only 5’8”, his low center of gravity gives defenders a small strike zone to hit him and he sheds would-be tacklers regularly. Harvey and his 4.4 speed are a threat to hit a home run, but he also won’t shy away from contact. Harvey can do enough damage to give the Cowboys fits.
Brandon Jones
Needing to replace veterans Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons, Denver hit it out of the park with signing Brandon Jones to a sizable three-year, $20M contract despite Jones being a relative unknown over his first four professional seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After his first year in Denver, Jones is looking like a steal for the Broncos. In 2024, Jones set career-highs in tackles (115), interceptions (3), and passes defended (10).
Per PFF, Jones earned an overall grade of 86.7, which ranked him fifth among 171 qualifying safeties last season. Furthermore, Jones had a coverage grade of 89.8, which ranked third in the league. Jones’ instincts allow him to excel in Vance Joseph’s defense, and he is very good at playing the single-high safety despite not being an explosive athlete at the position.
The Broncos are so loaded with defensive talent in their secondary because of names like Patrick Surtain II, Jahdae Barron and Talanoa Hufanga, but Jones holds his own. The Broncos have had Dak Prescott’s number in his two meetings against him, forcing Prescott into a pedestrian 70.9 quarterback rating and four touchdowns versus three interceptions. If Prescott is to buck that trend, it should start with accounting for where Jones is on passing downs.
