The Denver Broncos are running out of tickets to sell on the hype train heading into the 2025 season. After a successful campaign in 2024 that saw Sean Payton and company lead the orange and blue to the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50, the Broncos have fixed some of the holes on the roster that held them back and are poised to take another step towards the mountaintop this year.
While the front office has made plenty of good moves this offseason there are still some questions on Denver’s roster. Will the wide receivers actually make the leap that everyone has been predicting? Will new additions Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga stay healthy enough to make an impact? Will Bo Nix avoid the sophomore slump?
Another one of those questions is on the opposite side of the player who has zero questions surrounding him this season, Pat Surtain II. While he will be busy locking down one side of the field, opposing quarterbacks will likely turn to the other side where Riley Moss will be in coverage. Is he going to hold his own on the other side, or is he going to be a liability that teams attack early and often?
ESPN marked Moss as the Broncos’ X-factor heading into the season.
“Moss’ first season as a starter was encouraging, but he’ll need to take another step for the Broncos to remain atop the defensive charts,” Ben Solak said in the article.
Among corners with at least 200 defensive snaps last year, Moss was targeted the fourth-most. There were some games he shined, and some that he was more of a liability, partly due to the MCL sprain he returned from late in the season. On the bright side, he allowed just an average of 2.2 yards of separation between himself and the opposing receiver, the third-best mark in the league among corners that played at least 375 snaps, according to Next Gen Stats.
Nonetheless, he said that he’s ready for the challenge of lining up opposite of Surtain once again this season.
“As long as I’m across from, you know, D-P-O-Y, it’s going to be like that, and I love the challenge. It makes it fun, you know? It makes it fun to come into work knowing, ‘It’s on me, I’m going to be on an island, and what can I do?’ And that’s what I think makes this game so beautiful, and why I love the position that I’m in,” Moss said back in training camp.
If Moss can hold his own and be a solid corner opposite of Surtain, the Broncos have a chance to have the best defense in the league. If not, their numbers will dip against the pass-heavy teams, which will put a lot of pressure on Nix and the offense to keep up.
The first true test for Moss will come on Monday Night Football in Week 4 when the Bengals come to town. Moss struggled mightily in that matchup last season, as Tee Higgins had seven catches, 101 yards and two touchdowns with Moss guarding him. If he shows up for that matchup, it will be a good sign for all of Broncos Country.