Old friend Vance Joseph, the Broncos defensive coordinator who led the Bengals secondary during the 2014-15 playoff runs, told the Denver press Friday he thought his unit held up pretty well last season since it was 17-17 until 1:29 left in regulation.

“Joe (Burrow) is not there this year, but the team’s not different as far as the skill people. They have great skill,” Joseph said. “They have two receivers that are Top 10 or 12 in the league. The tight end, (No.) 88 (tight end Mike Gesicki) is a special player. (Running back Chase) Brown is a special player at the halfback position. That challenge is still there.

“The guy that’s playing for them, (Jake Browning) has played in NFL games. He’s a veteran player. He can operate at a high level. He’s not Joe Burrow, but the offense is still intact. Those skill guys who can make explosive plays are still intact. Our focus is to keep the explosive players from hurting us, and to play cleaner and smarter.”

From what Higgins saw last year, VJ played primarily man, mixed in some zone, and he thinks that’s part of the reason he and Chase went off. He says he has no idea what they’ll do Monday night, except that they seemed to be doing the same stuff in the first three weeks.

Last week, Denver let one get away when Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 93 yards and put up ten points in the last 4:12.

“A lot of man. Pat followed me the whole game,” Chase said. “Threw a little double-teams at me with man. Didn’t really see too much cloud, played a little two-man, played a little six (defensive backs) strong when I was (in the slot). Cloud toward Tee’s side.”

Translation: They’ll no doubt mix it up again.

“Their guy made a play, and we didn’t make the play. We had him (Herbert) in the backfield. We have to finish the sack and make the play obviously on the scramble,” Joseph said of his own angst against the Chargers.

“I think those plays are going to happen in NFL games as far as their best players making plays. My focus is us playing better and cleaner football for four quarters so these games don’t come down to one play. It’s never one play. Right now, the penalties are killing us, and it’s been two weeks of that. I have to coach that out of our players.”

Chase and Higgins hope they keep the Broncos talking about the best players making plays.