#PHIvsDEN's Burning Questions: Can Teddy Bridgewater help lead the Broncos to a third consecutive win? - DenverBroncos.com

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WILL THE BRONCOS' OFFENSIVE LINE HOLD UP?

If there's one cause for concern, it may be the Broncos' offensive line. Both starting tackles in Garett Bolles and Bobby Massie have been ruled out, and starting right guard Graham Glasgow was placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

Calvin Anderson performed admirably at left tackle against the Cowboys, but Denver will need a repeat performance from him and a solid start from Cam Fleming at right tackle. In the interior of the offensive line, rookie Quinn Meinerz will make his second career start.

"He's had two games now where he's had to play a significant amount of snaps — one was a start, obviously, and then last week," Fangio said of Meinerz. "He's done well. He's a good player, and he's going to continue to develop."

Denver's offensive line will be tasked with facing an impressive Eagles front seven that's led by six-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and former first-round pick Derek Barnett. The Eagles' defense doesn't necessarily have overwhelming stats — they're 20th in scoring defense and in the bottom six in the league in red-zone and third-down defense — but they may have the talent to challenge a beat-up offensive line.

Despite the talent on the other side of the ball, the Broncos will try to continue their success in the run game; A week ago, Denver posted a season-high 190 rushing yards in the win over the Cowboys.

The bigger test may be in the passing game, as the Broncos have allowed the second-most sacks in the league. To find success, they'll need to keep Bridgewater upright.

WILL DENVER'S DEFENSE SLOW AN IMPROVING PHILADELPHIA OFFENSE?

The Eagles' record doesn't do the team's offense justice, as the unit has been highly effective in recent weeks.

The Eagles ranked 11th in scoring offense entering Week 10, and their sixth-ranked rushing attack is keyed by quarterback and leading rusher Jalen Hurts. The volume of passing yards isn't overwhelming — the Eagles rank 28th — but Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith is a deep-play threat. The Broncos must be careful not to allow the game-changing plays that plagued the unit earlier in the season.

Philadelphia has also been effective in situational football. They have the third-fewest giveaways, the ninth-best third-down offense and the third-best red-zone unit. Quite simply, they're good at the things that help teams win football games.

Denver may be able to tweak its Week 4 blueprint for Lamar Jackson to try to slow Hurts and Co., but the second-year quarterback remains a dangerous threat.

"[He's a] good quarterback," Head Coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday. "It's the first time I've watched him and prepared to play against him. I've been very impressed. He has a really good arm. He can be accurate. He obviously runs their zone-read stuff where he's in the [shot]gun and can pull it and run it — the RPO game. He's very adept at both of those. He did it in college, and they're doing it now. Great scrambler. Big arm. I think they have their quarterback. I've been impressed by him."

HOW WILL THE BRONCOS ADJUST WITHOUT PAT SHURMUR?

This question may be the biggest unknown. The Broncos hit their stride against the Cowboys, but they likely won't have Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur available to call plays on Sunday after he tested positive for COVID-19.

The team announced that Quarterbacks Coach Mike Shula would call plays with input from the rest of the offensive staff in Shurmur's stead. Shula has 11 years of experience as an offensive coordinator, and he most recently called plays in Carolina. During that stint, he directed the league's most dynamic offense in 2015 en route to an appearance against the Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

There's no reason to suggest the team's game plan or opening script will change, but there will likely be some variation in how Shula and the rest of the staff calls the play. How quickly Shula, Bridgewater and the offense can fall into a rhythm bears watching.

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