The Broncos and Packers met Sunday night in a battle of two 6-0 teams in what was definitely the most anticipated game of this season. One team showed up and looked the part, and one team didn't step up to the plate. The Broncos were the team that showed up and played like a dominant 6-0 team, and they proved it by pouncing the Packers 29-10 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It was an impressive performance that was almost as close to a perfect game as you can have, and if there was any question about how good this defense is, then this game might have provided the answer. Denver's defense swarmed Aaron Rodgers, and they held the Packers and there offense to only 10 points, 77 yards passing, and 140 yards in total offense. If was a virtuoso performance considering they were going against the best QB in the NFL. Peyton Manning put in a performance that we were used to from the last few years. Manning was in complete command of the offense, and he hit deep and intermediate passes all night long. The running game really got going, and the offensive line keep Manning from getting sacked They finally scored a touchdown on the first drive, and they jumped out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back. The game was never in doubt. It was about as dominating of a win that you can get, and now the Broncos are 7-0 heading into Indy for a rematch with the Colts on Sunday afternoon. Here are my thoughts and observations about the game...
1) This game was what we wanted to see out of this offense all year long. Manning came out firing on all cylinders. There was a lot of play-action, bootlegs, and long-range passes to Demaryius Thomas to get the drive going. The Broncos scored their first touchdown in the first quarter all year, on a 1 yard touchdown run by Ronnie Hillman. That drive really set the tone for the game.
2) Give the defense credit for stepping up their game. They got after Rodgers right from the get go, and the secondary was awesome. Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, and Bradley Roby blanketed the receivers and really Rodgers had nowhere to go with the ball. Also, Demarcus Ware, Von Miller, and Shaq Barrett continued to get after Rodgers and force early throws. They pressured him and harassed him all night long.
3) The key to the second drive was when Manning hit Thomas deep down the sideline for a 47 yard gain to the Green Bay five yard line. It was one of few times Manning hit a pretty deep ball all year long. It was like a throwback to 2013. The play set up a Hillman 15 yard touchdown run and Denver expanded their lead to 14-0.
4) The Broncos offense continued to take control of the game, and on the next drive they started getting the tight ends going with some big throws to Owen Daniels and Virgil Green. Also, C.J. Anderson started to look like the player he was last year, and he burst off a 19 yard run on a crucial 3rd and 2 to set up a field goal and a commanding 17-0 lead.
5) You knew the Packers were going to get back into the game at some point, but the only way they managed to get back in this game was the aid of a pretty shaky roughing the passer call on David Bruton to extend a drive after a third down incompletion. The Pack took advantage of that call and a Eddy Lacy touchdown run made it 17-7 before the half.
6) By the way, how many cheap calls did the refs make on the Broncos? They gave the Packers a few first downs on some really shady holding calls in the secondary. I hate when the refs get themselves too involved in the game.
7) The Broncos gave up a field goal to start the third quarter and all of a sudden it was a 17-10 game, but you knew the Broncos were going to get going again on offense in the second half. After Manning carved up the Packers secondary again with big passes to Thomas and Andre Caldwell, C.J. Anderson capped off the drive with a great 28 yard run on a 3rd and 2 to give Denver a 24-10 lead. It was the perfect answer, and it seemed to take the life out of the Packers.
8) From there, the Broncos defense shut the door on Rodgers and the Packers. A big sack by Antonio Smith ended one drive, and then a swarming attack led by Ware caused a fumble by Rodgers and a safety to make it 26-10 in the 4th quarter.
9) A late field goal made it 29-10, and the Broncos put the finishing touches on one of the more impressive victories the Broncos have had in recent years. I was happy about the victory on a night that they inducted Pat Bowlen into the Ring of Fame. I should have seen this Broncos performance coming because it was a big Sunday night game, and the induction of their owner into the Ring of Fame made this a game the perfect time for this team to break out and play a complete game from start to finish. Kudos to the Broncos for stepping up to the moment.
10) The Broncos defense answered the bell and completely shut down Aaron Rodgers and this offense. The Broncos and Wade Phillips gave Rodgers a tremendous amount of different looks and pressures and they kept him off balance and off his spot all night. They shut down anything on the perimeter with the speed of their linebacking corps. The secondary was lights out as we mentioned before, and it certainly proved that this Broncos defense is not just hype.
11) Peyton Manning was awesome last night, and he was able to quiet down some of his critics. He was 21-29 for 340 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown and he threw one meaningless interception late in the game, but he was sensational all night long. He hit deep balls to Demaryius Thomas, and he constantly cut the Packers defense to shreads down the middle with deep and intermediate throws to DT and the tight ends. He spread the ball around, and he looked comfortable and confident in what the game plan was trying to do. He even did a nice job in the play action game, and he even booted a little bit and it looked good. Don't sleep on Manning. He is not out of the woods yet, but I think last night proved that he isn't done just yet. I'm happy for Manning, and if he continues to roll like this, then look out.
12) The running game finally got going in the fashion that we all expected it to look like before the season started. C.J. Anderson rushed 14 times for 101 yards and 1 touchdown, and Ronnie Hillman ran 19 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. If this can continue to get better each week, then the Broncos offense will really start to click and get going. The best part about it was Hillman and Anderson really showed their ability last night. Both hit the hole hard and ran with confidence. You felt like they were going to get a first down or a big run everytime they got the ball.
13) Give Gary Kubiak credit for last night's performance. The team looked rested and ready in all three phases of the game, and he gets credit for getting his team prepared for a game of this magnitude. The offensive game plan was really solid and he called a brilliant game. The defense continued to wreak havoc and their game plan was solid as well. That was a big game and Kubiak did a really great job getting his team ready. He completely outcoached Mike McCarthy.
14) The Broncos proved that they are in the discussion of the elite teams in the NFL after last night's game. It was nice to see them wearing the blue jersey and white pants combination that they wore when they defeated the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. It was fitting on this night that they played as well as they did. It was a signature win for this team this year, and it gets them to 7-0. The last time Denver started 7-0 was in 1998 when they won their second consecutive Super Bowl. The Broncos head to Indy next week to try and get revenge on the Colts from last year's disappointing playoff defeat. Peyton Manning also gets a chance to go back to Indy one more time and get a win against his former team.
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