WOODLAND HILLS, Calif — After a dominant 28-6 win over the Giants on Monday Night Football, the Rams have turned the page to their third-consecutive primetime game: Sunday Night Football against the Broncos. Head coach Sean McVay has plenty of respect for a Denver team that made it as far in its respective conference a season ago as his own team.
McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Davante Adams preview the challenging defense they're anticipating to face when they head to Empower Field at Mile High.
"(Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph) does a great job. He's aggressive. He's got a good understanding of what he's trying to do to create problems for the offenses. He'll mix some different personnel groupings, and he's always been a pain in a positive way if you're just saying out of respect to go against." - McVay
McVay holds Joseph in very high regard, especially considering he faced Joseph two times per year when he was the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals from 2019-2022. The Broncos were the third-best defense a season ago in points per game allowed (18.3) and second-best in total yards allowed per game (278.2), largely due to how Joseph utilizes his players.
"Good coaches put their players in situations to accentuate their skill sets. That's what's on display all over the tape," McVay said.
"It'll be a big challenge for us. (Joseph) does a great job of putting those guys in position to succeed, and then those guys go out there and play hard for him." - Stafford
Echoing the sentiments of his head coach, Stafford recognizes the power of putting your players in the right position to succeed. With all the experience Joseph has, and now entering his fourth season as the defensive coordinator in Denver, that ability to utilize his players to the fullest only gets stronger.
Stafford mentioned how the Broncos' front seven is "really talented in both just disruption and getting after the passer," and how the secondary "is as good a one as we'll play all year, just from a versatility and talent standpoint."
"I got a lot of respect for a lot of guys, but (cornerback Pat Surtain II) is definitely up there as far as one of the guys I have the most respect for." - Adams
Among the secondary that Stafford notes is "as good as one" the Rams will face all year is Surtain, who is now in his sixth season and has four Pro Bowls, two First-Team All Pros and a Defensive Player of the Year award to his name. Surtain and Adams have faced each other numerous times, most notably when Adams had a game-winning touchdown in overtime with the Raiders against the Broncos in 2022, and when Surtain had three pass breakups in their 2023 matchup.
The connection between Adams and Stafford has only grown stronger in the first two weeks of the 2026 season. With Adams coming off a 195-yard, two-touchdown performance, he's "definitely sore" but notes it as a "good sore, had a chance to work." With Nacua's status unknown for Sunday against the Broncos, the Rams will need Adams to be on his A game against a strong Denver secondary.
