ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Throughout training camp and preseason, the Broncos emphasized the importance of having a quicker start on defense in 2024.

And during the first half of Week 1, that fast start seemed to be on full display as the unit recorded an interception and two safeties all before the end of the first 30 minutes.

As the team now prepares for Week 2, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said it will be important for the defense to continue to build momentum in what he believes will be a tough and physical matchup with the Steelers.

"It's going to be a dark, tough game on Sunday," Joseph said Thursday. "It's not going to be fancy. It's going to be the tough team who's going to win."

In order to get that win, several players said it will be essential for Denver's defense to remain more consistent throughout the game. After making some key plays early on during last week's matchup, Seattle scored 17 unanswered points beginning in the third quarter and the team felt the momentum shift. Cornerback Riley Moss said he believes Denver could have come out for the second half with "a little bit more fire," and the team will now focus on bringing that fire and energy to every play in Week 2.

Along with bringing this consistent energy, successfully defending the run could also play a key role in this week's battle. Joseph said "Pittsburgh's formula to win" will be running the football, and the Broncos will need to be ready to respond.

Although Joseph said stopping the run is "always a must," outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper noted that it has been even more of a point of emphasis throughout practice this week. Steelers quarterback Justin Fields, who is currently expected to start, averages the second most rush yards per game by a quarterback in NFL history, while running back Najee Harris has the most touches of any player over the last four seasons.

"We definitely got to continue to emphasize that all week and get better at that, practice hard at that [and] make sure we're focusing on the details when it comes to that," Cooper said Wednesday. "Because that's the name of the game right now and that's the name of our defense right now, stopping that run."

After leading Denver's defense with two sacks, both of which came during the first half of the game, Cooper said he will also look for more consistency in his play during this week's matchup.

"I see the things that I got to do better," he said. "Just [being] more consistent even throughout the whole entire game in terms of pass rush [and] stopping the run."

In a game that Joseph said will be "rock 'em, sock 'em, tough football," it will be important for the Broncos to keep the momentum on their side. And Moss believes that preventing big plays can allow the team to do just that.

"I think the importance of not giving up big plays is huge this week," Moss said. "[We've] got to make them earn it."

OC JOE LOMBARDI ENCOURAGED BY QB BO NIX'S GROWTH MINDSET

Making mistakes as a rookie is often inevitable, but how a player responds can be the difference-maker when it comes to finding success.

And as quarterback Bo Nix stepped into the film room on Monday, it didn't take long for Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi to realize that Nix was ready to learn from last week's mistakes and continue to grow.

"The thing I like the most is when we came in on Monday and watched the film, before anything was said, he knew," Lombardi said of Nix. "He had answers for everything. You could see that there's going to be growth from when he makes mistakes."

While Lombardi noted that there were a few plays where Nix could have made better decisions, he also emphasized that the entire offense, coaching staff included, has room to improve heading into Week 2.

"I would say that nobody on offense, including the coaches, had a great day on Sunday," he said. "I think everyone getting a little bit better is going to help him the most."

LT GARETT BOLLES REFLECTS ON 100TH CAREER START AS A BRONCO

Left tackle Garett Bolles reached a milestone in his Broncos career last week as he started his 100th game at left tackle for Denver.

The moment was significant for the eighth-year player who has spent his entire career in Denver after being selected 20th overall by the Broncos in the 2017 NFL Draft.

"It was awesome," Bolles said of his 100th career start. "I've been a Bronco for a long time. I love being here."

In 2017, Bolles became the fifth rookie to start every game at left tackle in Broncos history since starting lineup tracking began in 1968. Bolles also started every game for the Broncos during the 2018, 2019 and 2023 seasons, and he hasn't missed many games throughout the rest of his career in Denver.

"Availability is very important to me," Bolles said. "... I pride myself on that. … I try to play every single snap every single day and give this team my all."

Appreciating the significance of the milestone, Bolles said he is continuing to look forward to the future as he feels "great" and believes he can "play for a lot more years."

"I think that 100-game mark is a big mark," he said. "Not too many people can say that they've hit that. I'm beyond grateful that I have a healthy body [and] healthy mind that I can just continue to play the game I love."