ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When an offense is firing on all cylinders, it's important to find a way to fire back.

And as the Broncos are set to face their toughest challenge yet on the road against the NFL's No. 1 total offense in Week 9, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph believes this will be essential as Denver looks to get the job done and earn the team's sixth win.

"You have to take something away," Joseph said Thursday. "My preference is the running game and make them throw it. So, we'll see how that works out on Sunday. But we have a plan to get both stopped. We'll see how that comes out."

Joseph said Denver will face a unique challenge defensively on Sunday, noting that Baltimore has "playmakers everywhere" who can make things tough on a defense. Joseph specifically stressed the importance of finding a way to slow quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry, who each lead the league in carries and rushing yards at their respective positions this season.

"It's really challenging," Joseph said of facing the duo. "Obviously, this league's based on having good players [and] having a good scheme. But they've got playmakers everywhere. Their running game obviously starts with Derrick Henry — and when you have Lamar adding 60 yards a game to that, between the scrambles and the call quarterback runs, it makes it difficult to get a stop. That's why they're so high as far as the numbers."

Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who ranks second on the team with 5.5 sacks, said the Broncos know what they need to do to get after an offense that has "a whole bunch of weapons."

"You've got to be disciplined," Cooper said Wednesday. "You've got to get your eyes right. Whatever defensive call is in, you've got to execute it to a T. [You've] got to be on point with these guys, because they could hurt us in so many different ways. To really lock down the quarterback and that running back, it's all about the eyes and discipline."

While the Broncos will have their work cut out for them as they aim to disrupt both Jackson and Henry, Joseph noted that the challenge won't end there.

"[There are] multiple playmakers on this offense that can make big plays," he said. "And that's the issue. It's not just a running game. They have a number of players who can make touchdowns at every position. Both tight ends are good players, obviously they have two receivers, they have two backs [and a] good quarterback. So, it's going to be a challenge."

As several players have noted throughout the week, though, this is not a challenge that the Broncos are shying away from.

"[We're] super excited," Cooper said of the matchup. "... I just feel like putting [Denver's defense] on a national display against the top offense in the league is a great way to showcase who we are."

As Denver continues to prepare for this week's showdown, Joseph believes the team has a good plan in place to get the job done.

"This can be our biggest challenge of the year, but we're up for it," Joseph said. "It's going to be fun to see what we are."

OC JOE LOMBARDI BELIEVES QB BO NIX WILL CONTINUE TO 'GET BETTER AND BETTER'

October was a big month for rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

Over the span of four games, Nix threw for 870 yards, seven touchdowns, one interception and a 102.7 quarterback rating while completing 66.7 percent of his passes. The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month also showed his potential as a dual-threat quarterback, rushing for 149 yards and adding two touchdowns.

And as Nix has continued to show steady progress this season — in part by posting the best performance of his career in Week 8 — Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi believes this improvement will only continue.

"[He's] just getting more comfortable," Lombardi said Thursday. "I think every bit of experience you get is helpful. Some of the fundamentals become easier."

Lombardi said he has seen Nix make strides when it comes to calling plays and getting out of the huddle, and he said that with some experience now under his belt, Nix has "more bandwidth for everything else that comes with playing the position."

As the Broncos now approach the halfway point of the season, Lombardi believes there is still a lot more in store for Nix this season.

"As he gets more and more experience, he'll get better and better," Lombardi said.