Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was “happy” his team beat the Tennessee Titans last Sunday.
That’s what Joseph told reporters on Thursday. And he probably understated it a bit.
The Denver defense was the biggest reason why, by a mile, the Broncos were victorious. They had six sacks of Titans rookie QB Cam Ward and also forced a pair of fumbles.
It was an ugly effort from Denver’s offense, and the defense propelled the team to a 1-0 start with a 20-12 triumph.
Vance Joseph was asked about if this week against the Indianapolis Colts will be a tougher challenge, considering they have a more experienced QB in Daniel Jones, but he wasn’t taking the bait.
“I think every week in this league is a challenge. I thought last week they had great personnel,” Joseph said. “It wasn’t like it was a JV team last week.”
He’s right, the Titans still have NFL level players, even if they’re projected to be one of the worst teams in the league. Still, the Colts smacked the Dolphins 33-8, and Jones looked like a better quarterback than he was with the New York Giants.
“This week it’s a different, but it’s the same, NFL challenge. I thought Daniel Jones played very well for them last week. I mean, obviously, he scored every possession. The back is the key with the Colts, he’s a special player,” Vance Joseph said.
Jones and the Colts got a field goal or touchdown every time the offense touched the ball and didn’t punt once to Miami.
Joseph mentioned the running back, who of course is Jonathan Taylor. When healthy, he’s one of the most feared in the NFL. He also mentioned No. 1 wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie tight end Tyler Warren as players the Broncos need to be aware of.
On paper, Indianapolis looks better than Tennessee, but Vance Joseph is treating them all the same.
If Denver wants to get to 2-0, it’ll likely be on the backs of another strong defensive performance.