Former Broncos safety David Bruton is now a physical therapist in Denver. When he has a patient who is a Green Bay Packers fan, he sometimes pulls out a photo from a game nine years ago.
The photo shows Bruton banging helmets with then Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a play in which he was penalized 15 yards in Denver’s home game on Nov. 1, 2015. But what mattered most to Bruton was the outcome on that Sunday night.
The Broncos shut down Rodgers, holding him to 77 yards, the lowest output of his 20-year career of any game he has started and made it into the second half. He completed 14 of 22 passes with no touchdowns or interceptions as Denver won easily, 29-10.
“I’ll show it every now and then if I have a patient who’s a big Green Bay fan,’’ Bruton said of the photo. “I once sent it jokingly as a Valentine’s Day card to a couple of Green Bay fans who were heckling me.”
Bruton, who played in the NFL from 2009-16, including 2009-15 with the Broncos, has long since retired and Rodgers moved on last season to the New York Jets. And on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, the Broncos will go against Rodgers, 40, for perhaps the final time.
So does Bruton, who played 26 of the 53 defensive snaps the night the Broncos shut down Rodgers, have any advice on how Denver could at least contain him this time?
“I think the big thing is just when a play breaks down, just flash to those (receivers),’’ Bruton said. “He’s very good at innovating. He’s very good at buying time. When a guy is in your zone and that’s your guy, keep your eyes on him and just hopefully the front seven can get some pressure on him.”
In 2015, when the Broncos went on to defeat Carolina 24-10 in Super Bowl 50, they had the NFL’s top-ranked defense. It was one that featured pass rushers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware going after quarterbacks and the “No-Fly Zone” secondary that, in addition to Bruton, included cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby and safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart.
In one of the most anticipated regular-season games of 2015, both teams came in 6-0. But the Broncos, with quarterback Peyton Manning in the last of 18 NFL seasons, took a 17-0 lead and cruised to the win. Manning threw for 340 yards, the last 300-yard passing game of his career, to easily outduel Rodgers.
“He was 100% frustrated,’’ Bruton said of Rodgers. “He’s a competitor and you were absolutely demolished as a team.”
The Broncos had nine quarterback hits on Rodgers, including sacking him three times. Receivers Randall Cobb and Davante Adams were blanketed by Denver’s defensive backs.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge because they had great receivers,’’ said Harris, who played a team-high 51 of the defensive snaps that night. “But we knew we could cover those guys, and we had great pass rushers, and we made it uncomfortable for them all night. We always believed as a group we were capable of eliminating any quarterback. That was our mindset.”
Harris remembers how hard it was for Rodgers to find open receivers.
“He was trying to get guys open and scrambling and I remember covering (one receiver) for over eight seconds,’’ said Harris, who played in the NFL from 2011-22, including 2011-19 with the Broncos. “It was a long night for him.”
The Broncos (1-2) have been stingy in the first three weeks of the season, ranking No. 3 in the NFL in total defense, but they obviously don’t have as good of a unit as the 2015 team. Still, Harris offered some advice for Sunday’s matchup against the Jets (2-1) and Rodgers.
“You have to have great discipline,’’ Harris said. “Rodgers is great with doing pre-snap communication and drawing the defensive line offside. He tries to get guys to jump offsides, and then he gets a free play. So as a defense you have to be ready. You have to be ready for the no-huddle and you need to have a good pass rush against him.”
Four years after Rodgers’ rough outing in Denver, he did get some revenge in his next game against the Broncos. At Green Bay on Sept. 22, 2019, in Rodgers’ most recent game against Denver, he completed 17 of 29 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown and no interception in the Packers’ 27-16 win.
The Packers wore throwback uniforms that day. And after the game, Harris exchanged jerseys with Rodgers.
“I’ve got it framed and hanging on my wall,’’ said Harris, who has about 40 jerseys from notable NFL players at his home in the Dallas area.
As for Bruton, he said the roughing-the-passer penalty called on him in the 2015 game was correct and the proper technique would have been to “hit him lower.” But had that been the case, Bruton wouldn’t have a photo to show off to Packers fans.
What I’m hearing
--When The Associated Press added a slot cornerback last season to the official NFL All-Pro team, Denver’s Ja'Quan McMillian said he wanted one day to make the first team. McMillian, who took over that spot for the Broncos in Week 4 last season, did end up receiving one vote. Now that he is gaining more of a reputation, he said that remains a goal. “Yeah, that’s always the goal,’’ he said. “(I’m about) going out and there and doing what I need to do, doing my job and doing what they ask me to do.”
--The Broncos’ defense has improved greatly since last season. Todd Davis, a Broncos linebacker from 2014-19 who now does media work in Denver, was asked to assess why that has been the case. “They have a lot of unselfish players this year,’’ said Davis, giving one reason why. Davis said there were some selfish players on the defense last year, but he declined to name them. “I won’t say any names, but they’re no longer with the team,’’ he said.
What I’m thinking
--If Broncos running back Javonte Williams can’t get on track early against the Jets, he needs to go to the bench. Broncos coach Sean Payton might start Williams again, but he should go to Tyler Badie early if his production remains shaky. Williams is averaging 2.2 yards per carry this season. Going back to last season, he had 13 straight games of averaging less than four yards per carry and has been under three in six out of his last seven. Badie in last Sunday’s 26-7 win at Tampa Bay had nine carries for 70 yards.
--Forget how the Broncos did against the Buccaneers since they flew in two days early for that game, which is what Payton usually does for games in the Eastern Time Zone. But how effective it was for the Broncos to spend the week practicing at The Greenbrier in West Virginia will be determined by how they do against the Jets. The Broncos next season have games in the Eastern Time Zone at Philadelphia, Washington, Indianapolis and an AFC East team. We’ll see if two come in back-to-back weeks and if Denver returns to The Greenbrier for another week of practice.
What I’m seeing
--With inside linebacker Alex Singleton out for the season with a torn right ACL suffered against the Buccaneers, the Broncos elevated undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey from the practice squad for Sunday’s game. Bailey, who was on Denver’s initial 53-man roster before being waived and moved to the practice squad before Week 1, has plenty of familiarity with the system. It will be interesting to see, though, when Kwon Alexander, 30, and Zach Cunningham, 29, veteran linebackers signed to the practice squad last Wednesday, get up to speed and if either might be able to contribute soon.
--The Broncos are 1-2 but consider the three teams they have played are a combined 8-1. Seattle, which beat the Broncos 26-20 at home in Week 1, is 3-0. Pittsburgh, which won at Denver 13-6 in Week 2, is 3-0. And the Buccaneers were 2-0 until their loss to the Broncos.
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