Broncos Get Back to Basics in MNF Win, Set Blueprint for AFC West Title Run

There were no secrets Monday night in Denver.

The Broncos knew what to expect from Denver-turned-Houston quarterback Brock Osweiler, and Osweiler knew what to expect from the defense he faced in practice between 2012 and 2015. Osweiler had certainly prepared his teammates for Denver’s offensive attack, and Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips must have had a pretty good feel for a Texans defense which they oversaw just three years ago. 

So this was always going to be about who could play better football, period.

And it says a lot about Broncos that with all the cards on the table, they won both battles in a 27-9 victory.

Denver’s world-famous D dominated Osweiler and the Houston offense, while Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison were smart to go heavy on the ground against a defense that without superstar defensive end J.J. Watt has been particularly vulnerable stopping the run. 

Osweiler attempted 41 passes, but only 22 of those were completed and only three produced more than nine yards. The coverage was stout enough to force him to go shallow all night, which was problematic for a Texans team that fell behind in the second quarter and was never able to climb back. 

With a combined 124 rushing yards, backs Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue weren’t bad for the Texans on the ground. But they carried the ball only 22 times. It was obvious they were the only players that were going to beat the Broncos in this game, and Denver was cool with that. 

The approach paid off, and not just because Broncos safety Darian Stewart forced Blue to fumble in Denver territory in the third quarter. Broadly, it paid off because Denver’s meat-and-potatoes approach on offense complemented that bend-but-don’t-break, coverage-focused strategy on defense. 

Quarterback Trevor Siemian was just 3-for-7 for 15 yards over the course of a trio of first-quarter three-and-outs, but that’s when Kubiak and Dennison went ground-and-pound despite trailing 6-0. Backs C.J. Anderson and Devontae …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com