TAMPA — Do good, better.
Wide receiver Courtland Sutton's message ahead of the Broncos' Week 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) was simple and direct.
"Good just isn't enough for where we are right now," Sutton said Wednesday.
Sutton's quote was specific to the Broncos' efforts in the red zone, but the Denver will aim to "do good, better" in a number of areas to earn the team's first win of the 2024 campaign.
As the Broncos look to make those strides, Denver's matchup with the Buccaneers kicks off a two-game road trip that will offer a key look at this year's team.
"It's not a make or break, but we're going to have a better idea of where this team is going to be after these next two weeks," Head Coach Sean Payton said Monday.
For the Broncos to hand the Bucs their first loss of 2024, they must meet the challenge of their 0-2 start head on.
"There's still no way around it," Payton said. "We've got to look right into the teeth of this and get better quickly."
Here, then, are a look at a pair of questions that will determine if Denver can earn a win in Tampa:
CAN THE BRONCOS MAKE STRIDES IN THE RED ZONE?
If the Broncos are to earn the upset win at Raymond James Stadium, they'll need to take advantage of their red-zone trips.
Through two weeks, the Broncos are 1-of-7 in scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line, and they've also turned the ball over twice.
"I think like anything else, that's a work in progress," quarterback Bo Nix said Wednesday. "We've got to continue to find ways to move the ball and gain just subtle yards to where we can put the ball close enough to get in some goal-line situations and put the ball in the box. Red zone is always hard, no matter what level you're on, because the field shrinks. The defense doesn't have as much ground to cover. We've just got to do a good job of being efficient in the red zone and continue to move forward."
Nix, who joins fellow rookie quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels in searching for their first touchdown pass of the season, scored the Broncos' lone red-zone touchdown by rushing in for a score against Seattle.
Improving won't be easy against head coach Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers, who held the Lions to 1-of-7 in the red zone in a Week 2 win.
"We went through the red-zone report with them," Payton said Friday. "We have a two-week study, but then we have a whole year's study. They were one of the top five red-zone defenses. Todd does a good job of mixing it up. There is a heavy front. It's one of those first statistics defensively that I think is really important. If you try to do some studies with playoff teams and then look at red-zone defense, generally they are pretty good."
The Bucs, notably, will be without safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, and former Pro Bowler Vita Vea is listed as questionable. Those injuries, perhaps, could help the Broncos turn the tide on their start to the season in the red zone. If the Broncos can turn even a couple of trips from field goals to touchdowns, it could be enough to put Denver in position to earn a win.
CAN DENVER LIMIT THE BUCS' TWO-HEADED ATTACK?
Another week, another team with multiple dynamic receivers.
The Buccaneers feature five-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans as their No. 1 receiver, and the 6-foot-5, 231-pound player has posted 10 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start his career.
Chris Godwin, meanwhile, leads the team in receiving to start the season and has at least 80 yards and a touchdown in each of his first two games. In a Week 2 win over Detroit, Godwin caught seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.
"Mike Evans is one of the best," Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said. "He's had the yards, the reception and the consistency over the years that you look for [in] a [Pro Football] Hall of Fame player, and so he's that. Along with Godwin and [Buccaneers WR Jalen] McMillan, they've got three targets. So we're back to Week 1 again where they have three pass catchers, an experienced quarterback who's playing well, a good runner and good [offensive] line. So it's going to be a challenge, but that's the league now. Everyone has pass catchers, everyone has quarterbacks who play at a high level, and it's a passing game for the most part. That's the challenge every weekend in this league."
The Broncos' cornerback crew — including Ja'Quan McMillian in the slot, presumably working against Godwin — will be tested. Payton said this week, though, that cornerback Riley Moss is playing "really well" while facing a slew targets through the first two weeks.
Star cornerback Pat Surtain II, meanwhile, will continue to play his physical brand of football in Sunday's matchup despite a couple of penalties vs. Pittsburgh.
"I have no problem with Patrick competing," Joseph said. "Obviously, you want him to play cleaner all the time, and you're always talking about 'hands off, win with your feet, win with your eyes [and] attack the ball.' That's always being coached and talked about, but you want guys to be close. And corners that are close will make more plays than corners who are not. So, I'm OK with Patrick being aggressive. He's covering the best guys in football and doing a good job on those guys. So, some of that stuff we'll live with. We don't want that, but I'll live with some of it."
Evans has caught the most career touchdown passes from Baker Mayfield of any player, and Mayfield said this week he'll continue to look for Evans despite the respect they have for Surtain.
In Week 1, Surtain followed DK Metcalf on 88.9 percent of coverage snaps before trailing George Pickens for 50 percent of the Week 2 snaps. We'll soon see if Surtain follows Evans and takes on another one of the top receivers.
