The Denver Broncos are a defensive team. We know that. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy road to travel.

This team isn’t just falling back on their defense; they’re relying on it, entirely.

If the defense doesn’t play a perfect game, if they don’t hold the quarterback to fewer than 200 yards passing, if they don’t stop the rushing attack, then the game is over. The offense can’t keep up.

They’re walking a fine line, and the defense understands the responsibility.

“To be honest, yes,” Bradley Roby told Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro of Afternoon Drive on if the defense knows they have to be perfect. “It’s not really my space to talk about the offense, but … for us to be tight in games, we know we have to play our best. If we come out flat, then it’s not going to be that great of a chance. Just right now, just how it’s looking — I’m not trying to say anything good or bad, but just speaking facts.”

Last year, the Broncos made it work. This season, we’ll see.

Denver may be following the same formula, but their competition is stiffer. They’re not running away with the AFC West anymore. In fact, they’re currently sitting at third place in the division.

That makes a Week 10 game against the New Orleans Saints a crucial matchup.

“This is definitely a game that we’re trying to get back on track,” Roby said. “Obviously, last week we didn’t do well, especially in the run game — missing tackles, things like that. We know that they’re going to come in and try to run the ball on us, and we want to stop that early and make them pass the ball.”

To listen to the rest of the podcast, including what Roby things of Derek Carr, check out the podcast below …

Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro Monday-Friday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.