2016 Denver Broncos season

2016 Denver Broncos season
Owner	The Pat Bowlen Trust
General manager	John Elway
Head coach	Gary Kubiak Joe DeCamillis (interim during Week 6 while Gary Kubiak recovered from a migraine condition)
Home field	Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Results
Record	7–4
Division place	3rd AFC West
Uniform

The 2016 Denver Broncos season is the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League, the 57th overall and the second under head coach Gary Kubiak. The Broncos enter the season as defending Super Bowl champions, and will attempt to become the first team since the 2004 New England Patriots to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships. The team underwent numerous roster changes as well as an off-season and preseason that was dominated by a quarterback controversy, following the retirement of Peyton Manning.

Coaching changes

• February 12: Brian Callahan, who had served as the Broncos' offensive quality control coach since 2010, was hired as a quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions.
• February 16: Klint Kubiak, son of Broncos' head coach Gary Kubiak, was hired as the offensive quality control coach, replacing Brian Callahan. Klint Kubiak previously served as a coaching assistant with the Minnesota Vikings from 2013–14, and was a wide receiver's coach at the University of Kansas in 2015.

Gary Kubiak misses one game

On October 9, shortly after the Broncos' Week 5 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Gary Kubiak was rushed to a Denver-area hospital, after experiencing flu-like symptoms and extreme body fatigue. According to executive vice president/general manager John Elway, Kubiak had been feeling ill prior to the loss to the Falcons, and following a precautionary MRI and CT scan, Kubiak was diagnosed with a "complex migraine." During a press conference at the team's Dove Valley headquarters on the following day (October 10), Elway announced that special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will serve as the team's interim head coach for the team's Week 6 Thursday Night game at the San Diego Chargers, while Kubiak underwent a doctor-mandated week of rest. The Broncos would wind up losing that game. This was the second time in three years in which Kubiak suffered a health scare. In November 2013, while serving as the Houston Texans' head coach, Kubiak suffered a mini-stroke after collapsing on the field during a game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Roster changes

Free agents

Position	Player	Tag	2016 Team	Notes
RB	C. J. Anderson	RFA	Denver Broncos	signed to offer sheet by the Miami Dolphins on March 10, Broncos matched offer and re-signed Anderson on March 15, placed on injured reserve on October 28
CB/RS	Omar Bolden	UFA	Chicago Bears	signed with the Bears on March 31
C	Sam Brenner	ERFA	TBD	signed tender on April 15, designated as waived/injured on August 5
S	David Bruton	UFA	Washington Redskins	signed with the Redskins on March 16
S	Josh Bush	UFA	TBD	originally an RFA
WR	Andre Caldwell	UFA	Detroit Lions	signed with the Lions on May 4
LB	Todd Davis	ERFA	Denver Broncos	originally an ERFA
TE	Vernon Davis	UFA	Washington Redskins	signed with the Redskins on March 31
WR	Bennie Fowler	ERFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender on April 15
OT	Ryan Harris	UFA	Pittsburgh Steelers	signed with the Steelers on March 15
RB	Ronnie Hillman	UFA	Minnesota Vikings	re-signed April 18, released September 3, signed with the Vikings on September 21
DE	Malik Jackson	UFA	Jacksonville Jaguars	signed with the Jaguars on March 8
S	Shiloh Keo	UFA	New Orleans Saints	re-signed April 18, suspended for the first two games, released October 25, signed with the Saints on November 9
LB	Brandon Marshall	RFA	Denver Broncos	assigned tender on March 21, re-signed June 14
G	Evan Mathis	UFA	Arizona Cardinals	signed with the Cardinals on March 16
LB	Lerentee McCray	UFA	Green Bay Packers	originally an RFA, signed with the Packers on April 18
PK	Brandon McManus	ERFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender on April 19
LB	Von Miller	FT	Denver Broncos	assigned franchise tag on March 1, re-signed July 15
WR	Jordan Norwood	UFA	Denver Broncos	re-signed March 23
QB	Brock Osweiler	UFA	Houston Texans	signed with the Texans on March 9
C	Matt Paradis	ERFA	Denver Broncos	signed tender on April 15
OT	Tyler Polumbus	UFA	None	retired April 5
DE	Antonio Smith	UFA	Houston Texans	signed with the Texans on September 28
LB	Danny Trevathan	UFA	Chicago Bears	signed with the Bears on March 9
WR	Kyle Williams	UFA	New York Jets	signed with the Jets on June 17
DE	Derek Wolfe	UFA	Denver Broncos	re-signed January 15

Signings

Position	Player	2015 Team	Notes
WR	Marlon Brown	Baltimore Ravens	signed July 27, designated as waived/injured on August 4, re-signed November 21
DE	Jared Crick	Houston Texans	signed April 6
QB	Austin Davis	Cleveland Browns	signed September 2
LS	Thomas Gafford	Chicago Bears Oakland Raiders	signed November 25
TE	Manasseh Garner	None	signed to a future contract on January 12, waived July 28, re-signed August 19, waived August 29
TE	Richard Gordon	Denver Broncos	signed February 22, waived May 4
TE	Garrett Graham	Houston Texans	signed April 25, placed on injured reserve August 30
LS	Casey Kreiter	Dallas Cowboys	signed April 7
NT	Henry Melton	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	signed August 22, released September 2
S	Ryan Murphy	Practice squad	signed August 8, waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4
OT	Russell Okung	Seattle Seahawks	signed March 17
FB	Toben Opurum	New Orleans Saints	claimed off waivers on May 10, waived May 12
TE	John Phillips	San Diego Chargers	signed July 28, released November 5
S	Brandian Ross	San Diego Chargers	signed April 18, released August 29
OT	Donald Stephenson	Kansas City Chiefs	signed March 9
NT	Phil Taylor	None	signed February 22, placed on injured reserve July 31
G	Billy Turner	Miami Dolphins	signed October 17
DE	Billy Winn	Indianapolis Colts	signed July 31
LB	Dekoda Watson	New England Patriots	signed May 16

Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2015 season.

Departures

Position	Player	Notes
DE	Kenny Anunike	waived August 8
LS	Aaron Brewer	released March 8
P	Britton Colquitt	released August 30
TE	Owen Daniels	released March 8
NT	Darius Kilgo	waived November 25
CB	Taurean Nixon	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4, re-signed November 5, waived November 21
RB	Juwan Thompson	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4, re-signed October 29
G	Louis Vasquez	released March 8
G	Darrion Weems	waived October 17

Retirement of Peyton Manning

On March 7, two days before the start of the 2016 league year, quarterback Peyton Manning retired after 18 NFL seasons. In his four seasons with the Broncos (2012–2015), Manning threw for 17,112 passing yards and 140 touchdowns, both second in franchise history behind John Elway. Manning also set numerous league records, including regular season passing yardage (71,940), regular season passing touchdowns (539), regular season wins (186 — tied with Brett Favre), single-season passing yardage (5,477) and single-season touchdown passes (55); Manning achieved the latter two feats in 2013. At the time of his retirement, Manning was the NFL's all-time leader in combined regular season and postseason wins (200), however, New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady tied that record in 2016.

Trades

• March 11: The Broncos acquired quarterback Mark Sanchez in a trade that would have sent a 2017 seventh-round selection to the Philadelphia Eagles; however, Sanchez was released on September 2, voiding the trade.
• April 9: The Broncos were involved in a trade that sent offensive tackle Ryan Clady to the New York Jets — see draft section below.
• October 25: The Broncos acquired tight end A. J. Derby in a trade that sent a 2017 fifth-round selection to the New England Patriots.

Draft

Main article: 2016 NFL Draft

2016 Denver Broncos Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes	Trades
1	26	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis	signed June 9
2	63	Adam Gotsis	DT	Georgia Tech	signed May 25
3	98 *	Justin Simmons	S	Boston College	signed May 13
4	136 *	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah	signed May 13
5	144	Connor McGovern	G	Missouri	signed May 16
6	176	Andy Janovich	FB	Nebraska	signed May 12, placed on injured reserve on December 1
	219 *	Will Parks	S	Arizona	signed May 12
7	228	Riley Dixon	P	Syracuse	signed May 11

*	Compensatory selection

Draft trades

Undrafted free agents

All undrafted free agents were signed after the 2016 NFL draft concluded on April 30, unless noted otherwise.

Position	Player	College	Notes
WR	Bralon Addison	Oregon	waived August 30
OT	Sam Carlson	Colorado State	signed August 4, waived August 22
DE	Vontarrius Dora	Louisiana Tech	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4
G	Mathu Gibson	Wingate	signed August 5, waived August 29
WR	Mose Frazier	Memphis	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4
S	Antonio Glover	Georgia Southern	waived August 29
OT	Lars Hanson	Sacramento State	waived September 2
DT	Calvin Heurtelou	Miami (Florida)	waived August 29
DE	Shaneil Jenkins	Shepherd	waived August 2
DE	Lars Koht	Florida International	signed August 2, waived September 2
LB	Kyle Kragen	California	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4
TE	Henry Krieger-Coble	Iowa	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4
NT	David Moala	Utah State	waived August 29
G	Justin Murray	Cincinnati	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 4
WR	Durron Neal	Oklahoma	waived August 29
G	Aaron Neary	Eastern Washington	waived September 2
LB	Dwayne Norman	Duke	waived September 2
TE	Anthony Norris	Southern Utah	waived May 10
NT	Kyle Peko	Oregon State	the only undrafted rookie to make the Week 1 roster; waived September 20, assigned to the practice squad on September 22
WR	Kalif Raymond	Holy Cross	waived September 2, assigned to the practice squad on September 5, promoted to the active roster on December 2
LB	Darnell Sankey	Sacramento State	signed July 26, waived August 29
LB	Frank Shannon	Oklahoma	waived August 29
LB	Sadat Sulleyman	Portland State	waived September 2
LS	Nathan Theus	Georgia	waived July 26
CB	John Tidwell	Sioux Falls	waived September 2
DE	Eddie Yarbrough	Wyoming	waived September 2

Suspensions

On August 12, safety Shiloh Keo was suspended for the first two games of the 2016 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The suspension was a result of a DUI arrest in Idaho in February.

Injuries

• August 12: One day after the Broncos' first preseason game against the Chicago Bears, wide receiver Bennie Fowler revealed that he suffered a fractured elbow after blocking a punt. Fowler missed the first two games of the season.

• August 15: Defensive end Vance Walker suffered a ruptured ACL in his right knee during practice, and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve four days later (August 19).

• September 18: Linebacker DeMarcus Ware suffered an ulna fracture in his right forearm, during the Broncos' Week 2 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Ware collided with teammate Von Miller, with both converging on a sack attempt of Colts' quarterback Andrew Luck. Ware missed six weeks of action, before returning in Week 8.

• October 2: Quarterback Trevor Siemian suffered a sprain to his non-throwing shoulder, during the Broncos' Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, resulting in backup quarterback Paxton Lynch, the team's first-round draft selection, making his NFL debut during the Broncos' Week 5 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

• October 24: Running back C. J. Anderson suffered an injury to his right knee during the first quarter of the Broncos' Week 7 win over the Houston Texans, though he returned in the second quarter and played the remainder of the game. Two days later (October 26), media reports indicated that Anderson missed practice and sought multiple medical opinions on his knee. After an MRI revealed that he suffered meniscus damage, Anderson was placed on injured reserve, and will miss a minimum of eight weeks. Also on October 24, linebacker Brandon Marshall suffered a hamstring injury, and missed the team's Week 9 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

• November 6: Defensive tackle Derek Wolfe suffered a hairline fracture in his elbow during the team's Week 9 loss to the Oakland Raiders, and missed the team's Week 10 win over the New Orleans Saints.

• Weeks 8–10: Cornerback Aqib Talib missed three games due to a lower back injury.

• December 1: Fullback Andy Janovich, the team's sixth-round draft selection, was placed on injured reserve, after undergoing ankle surgery two days earlier.

Quarterback selection

Following the retirement of Peyton Manning, the Broncos underwent a process to select a new quarterback throughout the entire off-season and preseason. Brock Osweiler, Manning's backup quarterback from 2012–15, signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent. Mark Sanchez was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Broncos selected Paxton Lynch during the first round of the draft. Sanchez, Lynch and second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian competed for the starting quarterback position, with Siemian being named the starting quarterback for the start of the regular season and Sanchez being released on September 3. Following Sanchez's release, the Broncos signed Austin Davis.

Staff

Denver Broncos staff

	Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group Owner – Rob Walton Owner / CEO – Greg Penner Owner – Carrie Walton Penner Owner – Mellody Hobson Owner – Condoleezza Rice Owner – Lewis Hamilton Front office President – Damani Leech General manager – George Paton Assistant general manager – Darren Mougey Vice president of player personnel – Cody Rager Director of player personnel – Reed Burckhardt Director of pro personnel – A. J. Durso Executive director of football operations – Kelly Kleine Vice president of football administration – Rich Hurtado Vice president of football operation and compliance – Mark Thewes Vice president of player development – Ray Jackson Director of college scouting – Brian Stark Senior personnel executive – Roman Phifer Senior personnel executive – David Shaw Assistant director of college scouting – Nick Schiralli Head coach Head coach – Sean Payton Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Joe Lombardi Pass game coordinator – John Morton Quarterbacks – Davis Webb Running backs – Lou Ayeni Wide receivers – Keary Colbert Tight ends – Declan Doyle Offensive line – Zach Strief Assistant offensive line – Austin King Senior offensive assistant – Pete Carmichael Offensive quality control – Zack Grossi Offensive quality control – Logan Kilgore Offensive quality control – Favian Upshaw			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Vance Joseph Defensive line – Jamar Cain Outside linebackers – Michael Wilhoite Inside linebackers – Greg Manusky Defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs – Jim Leonhard Senior defensive assistant – Joe Vitt Defense quality control – Addison Lynch Defense quality control – Isaac Shewmaker Special teams coaches Assistant head coach – Mike Westhoff Special teams coordinator – Ben Kotwica Assistant special teams – Chris Banjo Assistant to the head coach – Paul Kelly Strength and conditioning Vice president of player health and performance – Beau Lowery Head strength and conditioning – Dan Dalrymple Assistant strength and conditioning – Korey Jones Assistant strength and conditioning – Shaun Snee → Coaching staff → Front office → More NFL staffs

Current roster

Denver Broncos roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Bo Nix  8 Jarrett Stidham  4 Zach Wilson Running backs (RB) 45 Nate Adkins FB 23 Audric Estimé 38 Jaleel McLaughlin 33 Javonte Williams Wide receivers (WR) 16 Troy Franklin 84 Lil'Jordan Humphrey 19 Marvin Mims 14 Courtland Sutton 17 Devaughn Vele Tight ends (TE) 80 Greg Dulcich 85 Lucas Krull 82 Adam Trautman

Offensive linemen (OL) 72 Garett Bolles LT 73 Frank Crum RT 54 Alex Forsyth C 69 Mike McGlinchey RT 77 Quinn Meinerz RG 63 Alex Palczewski RT 79 Matt Peart LT 74 Ben Powers LG 76 Calvin Throckmorton G 60 Luke Wattenberg C Defensive linemen (DL) 99 Zach Allen DE 98 John Franklin-Myers DE 94 Jordan Jackson DE 93 D. J. Jones DT 97 Malcolm Roach DT 96 Eyioma Uwazurike DE

Linebackers (LB) 56 Levelle Bailey ILB 55 Cody Barton ILB 15 Nik Bonitto OLB  0 Jonathon Cooper OLB 52 Jonah Elliss OLB 40 Justin Strnad ILB 92 Dondrea Tillman OLB Defensive backs (DB) 31 Kris Abrams-Draine CB 22 Brandon Jones FS 26 Devon Key FS  6 P. J. Locke SS 27 Damarri Mathis CB 29 Ja'Quan McMillian CB 21 Riley Moss CB 34 JL Skinner SS 43 Keidron Smith FS  1 Tremon Smith CB  2 Patrick Surtain II CB 39 Levi Wallace CB Special teams  9 Riley Dixon P 48 Mitchell Fraboni LS  3 Wil Lutz K

Practice squad 12 Kwon Alexander ILB 83 Michael Bandy WR 20 Michael Burton FB 42 Zach Cunningham ILB 53 Andrew Farmer OLB 71 Cameron Fleming LT 66 Nick Gargiulo G 91 Matt Henningsen DE 30 Tanner McCalister SS 90 Jordan Miller NT 36 Quinton Newsome CB 89 Donald Parham TE 87 A. T. Perry WR 13 David Sills WR 35 Reese Taylor CB 25 Blake Watson RB 86 Thomas Yassmin TE (IPP) Reserve 28 Tyler Badie RB (IR) 75 Quinn Bailey RT (IR) 11 Josh Reynolds WR (IR) 41 Drew Sanders ILB (PUP) 49 Alex Singleton ILB (IR) 32 Delarrin Turner-Yell FS (PUP) As of November 10, 2024. Rookies in italics. 53 active, 6 reserve, 16 practice squad (+1 exempt) Roster Depth chart Transactions

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 11	at Chicago Bears	W 22–0	1–0	Soldier Field	Recap
2	August 20	San Francisco 49ers	L 24–31	1–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
3	August 27	Los Angeles Rams	W 17–9	2–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
4	September 1	at Arizona Cardinals	L 17–38	2–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap

Regular season

As the result of winning Super Bowl 50, the Broncos earned the right to host the Week 1 kickoff game on Thursday, September 8, in a Super Bowl rematch vs. the Carolina Panthers. The Broncos' 2016 schedule was announced on April 14.

Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
1	September 8	6:30 p.m. MDT	Carolina Panthers	W 21–20	1–0	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	NBC	Recap
2	September 18	2:25 p.m. MDT	Indianapolis Colts	W 34–20	2–0	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
3	September 25	11:00 a.m. MDT	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 29–17	3–0	Paul Brown Stadium	CBS	Recap
4	October 2	2:05 p.m. MDT	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 27–7	4–0	Raymond James Stadium	CBS	Recap
5	October 9	2:05 p.m. MDT	Atlanta Falcons	L 16–23	4–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Fox	Recap
6	October 13	6:25 p.m. MDT	at San Diego Chargers	L 13–21	4–2	Qualcomm Stadium	CBS/NFLN/Twitter	Recap
7	October 24	6:30 p.m. MDT	Houston Texans	W 27–9	5–2	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	ESPN	Recap
8	October 30	2:05 p.m. MDT	San Diego Chargers	W 27–19	6–2	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS	Recap
9	November 6	6:30 p.m. MST	at Oakland Raiders	L 20–30	6–3	Oakland Alameda Coliseum	NBC	Recap
10	November 13	11:00 a.m. MST	at New Orleans Saints	W 25–23	7–3	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	CBS	Recap
11	Bye
12	November 27	6:30 p.m. MST	Kansas City Chiefs	L 27–30 (OT)	7–4	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	NBC	Recap
13	December 4	11:00 a.m. MST	at Jacksonville Jaguars			EverBank Field	CBS
14	December 11	11:00 a.m. MST	at Tennessee Titans			Nissan Stadium	CBS
15	December 18	2:25 p.m. MST	New England Patriots			Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS
16	December 25	6:30 p.m. MST	at Kansas City Chiefs			Arrowhead Stadium	NBC
17	January 1	2:25 p.m. MST	Oakland Raiders			Sports Authority Field at Mile High	CBS

Notes

• Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
• Networks and times for Weeks 15 and 17 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers

NFL Kickoff game

Week One: Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	10	0	3	20
Broncos	0	7	0	14	21

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 8
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny and clear
• Game attendance: 76,843
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – 7:13 Kelvin Benjamin 14-yard TD pass from Cam Newton + Graham Gano extra point. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:24. (CAR 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 12:16 Andy Janovich 28-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:36. (tied 7–7) CAR – 3:01 Cam Newton 2-yard TD run + Graham Gano extra point. Drive: 18 plays, 89 yards, 9:15. (CAR 14–7) CAR – 0:03 Graham Gano 44-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:42. (CAR 17–7) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter DEN – 14:50 C. J. Anderson 25-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:08. (CAR 17–14) DEN – 9:26 C. J. Anderson 1-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 10 plays, 23 yards, 4:41. (DEN 21–17) CAR – 4:21 Graham Gano 36-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:05. (DEN 21–20) Top passers CAR – Cam Newton: 18/33, 194 yards, 1 TD (1 rushing), 1 INT DEN – Trevor Siemian: 18/26, 178 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT Top rushers CAR – Jonathan Stewart: 15 rushes, 64 yards DEN – C. J. Anderson: 20 rushes, 92 yards, 1 TD (1 receiving) Top receivers CAR – Kelvin Benjamin: 6 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD DEN – Emmanuel Sanders: 5 receptions, 49 yards Top tacklers CAR – Luke Kuechly: 10 tackles DEN – Todd Davis and Brandon Marshall: 6 tackles each (1 assist and 0.5 sacks by Davis)

In a rematch of Super Bowl 50, the defending champion Broncos played host to the Carolina Panthers, in the opening kickoff game. This was the Panthers' their first visit to Denver since 2004. Following a fumble on the Broncos' initial possession, the Panthers grabbed the early lead, with a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Newton to wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. The Broncos responded early in the second quarter, with a 28-yard touchdown by fullback Andy Janovich on his first rushing attempt. The Panthers then re-claimed the lead, with Newton rushing for a 2-yard touchdown, in an 18-play, 89-yard drive that took nine minutes off the clock. After the Broncos' offense went three-and-out, the Panthers added to their lead just before halftime, with a 44-yard field goal by placekicker Graham Gano.

Following a scoreless third quarter, the Broncos pulled to within a 17–14 deficit on the first play of the fourth quarter, with quarterback Trevor Siemian connecting on a 25-yard touchdown pass to running back C. J. Anderson. On the second play of the Panthers' next drive, Newton was intercepted by cornerback Chris Harris Jr. at the Panthers' 38-yard line, giving the Broncos excellent field position. Ten plays later, the Broncos grabbed their first lead of the game, with Anderson rushing up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown at the 9:30 mark of the fourth quarter. The Panthers methodically marched down the field, hoping to re-claim the lead, but had to settle for a 36-yard field goal by Gano to pull to within a 21–20 deficit with 4:25 remaining.

After the Broncos' went three-and-out, the Panthers had one last offensive possession. On the first play after the two-minute warning, the Panthers were facing a 4th-and-21 at their own 29-yard line, and a pass from Newton intended for Benjamin was incomplete, however, Harris was flagged for an illegal hands to the face penalty, giving a Panthers an automatic first down. With 47 seconds remaining, Newton was penalized for intentional grounding with the Panthers' at their own 47-yard line, however, Broncos' cornerback Darian Stewart was penalized for roughing the passer, with a helmet hit on Newton, resulting in both penalties offsetting. With only 14 seconds remaining, Newton completed a crucial pass to wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. at the Broncos' 32-yard line, setting up Gano for a potential game-winning field goal. After the Broncos called a timeout in order to ice the kicker, Gano's 50-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left, sealing the win for the Broncos.

Notes

Andy Janovich became only the third player in Broncos' franchise history to score on his first rushing attempt — the other two are fullback Kyle Johnson and quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt, both of which occurred in 2005.

Week 2: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Two: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	3	3	7	7	20
Broncos	3	10	3	18	34

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 2:25 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 76,379
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter IND – 8:17 Adam Vinatieri 48-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:24. (IND 3–0) DEN – 5:30 Brandon McManus 23-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 2:47. (tied 3–3) Second quarter DEN – 11:41 C. J. Anderson 4-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:19. (DEN 10–3) IND – 2:43 Adam Vinatieri 52-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 21 yards, 3:36. (DEN 10–6) DEN – 0:05 Brandon McManus 43-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 2:38. (DEN 13–6) Third quarter IND – 8:06 Robert Turbin 5-yard TD run + Adam Vinatieri extra point. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:54. (tied 13–13) DEN – 1:09 Brandon McManus 33-yard FG. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 6:57. (DEN 16–13) Fourth quarter DEN – 13:52 Aqib Talib 46-yard interception return for a TD + Brandon McManus extra point. (DEN 23–13) IND – 4:02 Frank Gore 7-yard TD pass from Andrew Luck + Adam Vinatieri extra point. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:28. (DEN 23–20) DEN – 1:51 Brandon McManus 35-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 2:11. (DEN 26–20) DEN – 1:42 Shane Ray 15-yard fumble return for a TD + Trevor Siemian pass to Demaryius Thomas for a two-point conversion. (DEN 34–20) Top passers IND – Andrew Luck: 21/40, 197 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT DEN – Trevor Siemian: 22/33, 266 yards, 1 INT Top rushers IND – Frank Gore: 13 rushes, 44 yards, 1 receiving TD DEN – C. J. Anderson: 20 rushes, 74 yards, 1 TD Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton: 4 receptions, 41 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 5 receptions, 90 yards Top tacklers IND – Antonio Cromartie: 6 tackles DEN – T. J. Ward: 8 tackles

The two teams exchanged field goals in the first quarter, with a 48-yarder by Colts' placekicker Adam Vinatieri and a 23-yarder by Broncos' placekicker Brandon McManus. A 4-yard touchdown run by running back C. J. Anderson gave the Broncos the lead early in the second quarter. Vinatieri and McManus once again exchanged field goals late in the first half, with a 52-yarder by Vinatieri and a 43-yarder by McManus just before halftime. The Colts took the initial possession of the second half and tied the game at 13–13 midway through the third quarter, with running back Robert Turbin rushing for a 5-yard touchdown. However, the Broncos took the lead for good later in the third quarter, with a 33-yard field goal by McManus. On the Colts' next possession, quarterback Andrew Luck was intercepted by Broncos' cornerback Aqib Talib, who scampered 46 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to give the Broncos a 23–13 lead early in the fourth quarter. Following an exchange of punts, the Colts narrowed the Broncos' lead, with Luck connecting with running back Frank Gore on a 7-yard touchdown pass with four minutes remaining in the game. The Broncos then increased their lead to 26–20 on the first play after the two-minute warning, with McManus' fourth field goal of the game — a 35-yarder, and in the process, forcing the Colts to burn all three of their team timeouts. The Colts had one last offensive possession, hoping for a game-winning drive, however, on the very first play from scrimmage, Luck was strip-sacked by Broncos' linebacker Von Miller, and linebacker Shane Ray returned the fumble 15 yards for a game-clinching touchdown (with a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas).

Notes

Demaryius Thomas passed Ed McCaffrey for fourth-place on the Broncos' all-time career receptions list — Thomas only trails Lionel Taylor, Shannon Sharpe and Rod Smith.

Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Three: Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	3	13	0	13	29
Bengals	7	7	0	3	17

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. MDT
• Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 63,850
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CIN – Jeremy Hill 3-yard TD run + Mike Nugent extra point. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:50. (CIN 7–0) DEN – 4:05 Brandon McManus 20-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 7:02. (CIN 7–3) Second quarter DEN – 13:57 Emmanuel Sanders 41-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 3 plays, 46 yards, 1:03. (DEN 10–7) CIN – 4:57 Jeremy Hill 4-yard TD run + Mike Nugent extra point. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:36. (CIN 14–10) DEN – 0:28 Emmanuel Sanders 7-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian, extra point attempt blocked. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:29. (DEN 16–14) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter CIN – 14:52 Mike Nugent 34-yard FG. Drive: 15 plays, 60 yards, 8:18. (CIN 17–16) DEN – 6:56 John Phillips 1-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian, two-point run failed. Drive: 13 plays, 82 yards, 7:56. (DEN 22–17) DEN – 4:24 Demaryius Thomas 55-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 4 plays, 83 yards, 1:39. (DEN 29–17) Top passers DEN – Trevor Siemian: 23/35, 312 yards, 4 TD CIN – Andy Dalton: 21/31, 206 yards, 1 INT Top rushers DEN – C. J. Anderson: 14 rushes, 37 yards CIN – Jeremy Hill: 17 rushes, 97 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DEN – Emmanuel Sanders: 9 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TD CIN – A. J. Green: 8 receptions, 77 yards Top tacklers DEN – Brandon Marshall and Darian Stewart: 4 tackles each (5 assists by Marshall, 2 assists by Stewart) CIN – Adam Jones and Vincent Rey: 5 tackles and 2 assists each (1 forced fumble by Jones)

The Bengals grabbed the lead on their opening possession, with running back Jeremy Hill rushing for a 3-yard touchdown. The Broncos drove down to near the goal line on their second possession, which was aided by two Bengals' defensive penalties, however, the Broncos were forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus. Following a Bengals' fumble on a punt return near midfield, the Broncos took the lead, with quarterback Trevor Siemian connecting on a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Following an exchange of punts, the Bengals went back ahead, with Hill rushing for his second touchdown — from 4 yards out. The Broncos responded, with Siemian throwing another touchdown pass to Sanders — from 7 yards out. However, the extra point attempt was blocked. Following a scoreless third quarter, a 34-yard field goal by placekicker Mike Nugent gave the Bengals a 17–16 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Broncos then assembled a 13-play, 82-yard drive, culminating with Siemian firing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Phillips (with an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt). After the Bengals went three-and-out on their next possession, in which wide receiver A. J. Green dropped a critical third-down pass play, the Broncos added to their lead, with Siemian throwing his fourth touchdown of the game — a 55-yarder to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas with 4:32 remaining in the game. The Broncos' defense stood their ground on the Bengals' last two possessions.

Notes

Trevor Siemian became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in a first career road start. With linebacker Shane Ray recording three sacks, this was the first time in franchise history in which the Broncos had two different players record 3+ sacks in a single game — linebacker Von Miller achieved three sacks vs. the Indianapolis Colts during the previous week.

Week 4: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Four: Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	10	3	7	27
Buccaneers	7	0	0	0	7

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: October 2
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/2:05 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 60,375
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 13:26 Demaryius Thomas 11-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 1 play, 11 yards, 0:05. (DEN 7–0) TB – 6:40 Jameis Winston 7-yard TD run + Roberto Aguayo extra point. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:46. (tied 7–7) Second quarter DEN – 12:14 C. J. Anderson 1-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:56. (DEN 14–7) DEN – 0:05 Brandon McManus 38-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 1:14. (DEN 17–7) Third quarter DEN – 7:04 Brandon McManus 24-yard FG. Drive: 16 plays, 69 yards, 7:57. (DEN 20–7) Fourth quarter DEN – 8:55 Emmanuel Sanders 5-yard TD pass from Paxton Lynch + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:39. (DEN 27–7) Top passers DEN – Paxton Lynch: 14/24, 170 yards, 1 TD TB – Jameis Winston: 17/35, 179 yards, 1 rushing TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – C. J. Anderson: 19 rushes, 49 yards, 1 TD TB – Charles Sims: 15 rushes, 28 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 6 receptions, 94 yards, 1 TD TB – Cameron Brate: 5 receptions, 67 yards Top tacklers DEN – Derek Wolfe and Brandon Marshall: 5 tackles and 1 assist each (2.5 sacks by Wolfe) TB – Kwon Alexander and Bradley McDougald: 7 tackles each (1 sack by Alexander)

The Broncos made their first visit to Tampa Bay since 2004. Cornerback Aqib Talib, who made his return to Tampa Bay where he played for the Buccaneers from 2018–2012, intercepted Buccaneers' quarterback Jameis Winston on the third play of the opening drive. The Broncos immediately capitalized, with quarterback Trevor Siemian throwing an 11-yard touchdown to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On the Buccaneers' next drive, a 7-yard touchdown run by Winston tied the game, which would be the Buccaneers' only scoring play of the game. Following another interception of Winston by Talib, the Broncos re-claimed the lead, with a 1-yard touchdown run by running back C. J. Anderson. With 3:25 remaining in the first half, Siemian injured his non-throwing shoulder when he was sacked by defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, and backup quarterback Paxton Lynch, the team's first-round draft selection, took over in his NFL debut. Placekicker Brandon McManus added two field goals — a 38-yarder just before halftime and a 24-yarder midway through the third quarter. Lynch later threw his first touchdown pass — a 5-yarder to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, which put the game out of reach. At the 6:52 mark of the fourth quarter, the game was delayed for an hour and a half due to a severe weather threat in the Tampa area.

Week 5: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Five: Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	10	3	7	3	23
Broncos	0	3	0	13	16

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 9
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,802
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – 11:18 Devonta Freeman 1-yard TD run + Matt Bryant extra point. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:42. (ATL 7–0) ATL – 4:23 Matt Bryant 46-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:23. (ATL 10–0) Second quarter DEN – 11:39 Brandon McManus 35-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 3:54. (ATL 10–3) ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard FG. Drive: 17 plays, 77 yards, 7:00. (ATL 13–3) Third quarter ATL – Tevin Coleman 31-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan + Matt Bryant extra point. Drive: 3 plays, 42 yards, 2:01. (ATL 20–3) Fourth quarter DEN – 11:01 Brandon McManus 46-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 22 yards, 3:59. (ATL 20–6) ATL – 8:20 Matt Bryant 25-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:41. (ATL 23–6) DEN – 2:38 Demaryius Thomas 3-yard TD pass from Paxton Lynch + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 16 plays, 78 yards, 5:42. (ATL 23–13) DEN – 0:14 Brandon McManus 45-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 1:42. (ATL 23–16) Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan: 15/28, 267 yards, 1 TD DEN – Paxton Lynch: 23/35, 223 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers ATL – Devonta Freeman: 23 rushes, 88 yards, 1 TD DEN – C. J. Anderson: 11 rushes, 41 yards Top receivers ATL – Tevin Coleman: 4 receptions, 132 yards, 1 TD DEN – Emmanuel Sanders: 7 receptions, 80 yards Top tacklers ATL – Vic Beasley: 7 tackles, 1 assist, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles DEN – Shane Ray: 7 tackles, 1 sack

The Falcons, making their first visit to Denver since 2004, took a 10–0 lead in the first quarter, with running back Devonta Freeman rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, followed by a 46-yard field goal by placekicker Matt Bryant. The Broncos, with quarterback Paxton Lynch, playing in place of the injured Trevor Siemian, punted on their first two possessions, and got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter, with a 35-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus. Following an exchange of punts, a 33-yard field goal by Bryant just after the two-minute warning extended the Falcons' lead, in a drive that took seven minutes off the clock. In the third quarter, Lynch was intercepted by Falcons' safety Ricardo Allen at the Broncos' 42-yard line, and the Falcons capitalized, with quarterback Matt Ryan connecting on a 31-yard touchdown pass to running back Tevin Coleman to extend to a 20–3 lead. On the Falcons' next drive, Broncos' safety T. J. Ward forced a fumble off wide receiver Mohamed Sanu at midfield, though the Broncos had to settle for a 46-yard field goal by McManus early in the fourth quarter. The Falcons responded, with a 25-yard field goal by McManus to extend to a 23–6 lead with 8:24 remaining in the game. Hoping for a rally, the Broncos went on a 16-play, 78-yard drive, culminating in a 3-yard touchdown pass from Lynch to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas with 2:43 remaining. After an unsuccessful onside kick attempt, the Broncos' defense forced a three-and-out, but were forced to use all of their team timeouts prior to the two-minute warning. The Broncos advanced 44 yards in 7 plays, and pulled to within a 23–16 deficit, with a 45-yard field goal by McManus with only 19 seconds remaining. However, another onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, sealing the win for the Falcons.

Notes

Demaryius Thomas became the third player in Broncos' franchise history to achieve 50 career touchdowns — the other two are Shannon Sharpe (55) and Rod Smith (68).

Week 6: at San Diego Chargers

Week Six: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	3	0	10	13
Chargers	7	3	9	2	21

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: October 13
• Game time: 6:25 p.m. MDT/5:25 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), fair
• Game attendance: 58,904
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN/Twitter): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SD – 8:00 Hunter Henry 5-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers + Josh Lambo extra point. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:00. (SD 7–0) Second quarter SD – 10:35 Josh Lambo 37-yard FG. Drive: 18 plays, 75 yards, 10:03. (SD 10–0) DEN – 5:40 Brandon McManus 29-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 2:08. (SD 10–3) Third quarter SD – 10.41 Josh Lambo 21-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:10. (SD 13–3) SD – 7:15 Josh Lambo 31-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:00. (SD 16–3) SD – 3:31 Josh Lambo 32-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:51. (SD 19–3) Fourth quarter SD – 11:59 Broncos' offensive tackle Russell Okung penalized for holding in the end zone for a safety. (SD 21–3) DEN – 8:08 Bennie Fowler 5-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 3:51. (SD 21–10) DEN – 0:27 Brandon McManus 46-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:36. (SD 21–13) Top passers DEN – Trevor Siemian: 30/50, 230 yards, 1 TD SD – Philip Rivers: 18/29, 178 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DEN – Devontae Booker: 5 rushes, 46 yards SD – Melvin Gordon: 27 rushes, 94 yards Top receivers DEN – Emmanuel Sanders: 4 receptions, 40 yards SD – Hunter Henry: 6 receptions, 83 yards Top tacklers DEN – T. J. Ward: 7 tackles SD – Jatavis Brown: 13 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

The Chargers scored took a 10–0 lead, with quarterback Philip Rivers connecting on a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Henry, followed in the second quarter by a 37-yard field goal by placekicker Josh Lambo. Chargers' return specialist Travis Benjamin fumbled a punt return at the Chargers' 11-yard line, however, the Broncos did not gain any yardage, and were forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus. Three third-quarter field goals by Lambo — from 21, 31 and 32 yards out, added to the Chargers' lead. The middle score occurred after a fumble by Broncos' wide receiver Jordan Taylor. McManus missed wide-right on a 56-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos' defense forced a Chargers' punt that backed up the Broncos to their own 3-yard line. On the next play from scrimmage, Broncos' offensive tackle Russell Okung was penalized for holding in the end zone that resulted in a safety, extending the Chargers' lead to 21–3. On the ensuing free kick, the Chargers committed another special teams turnover, with guard Kenny Wiggins fumbling the kick near midfield. The Broncos capitalized on this turnover, with a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian to wide receiver Bennie Fowler. The Broncos' defense forced a three-and-out on the Chargers' next possession with six minutes remaining in the game. On the sixth play of the Broncos' next drive, Siemian connected with running back C. J. Anderson on a 20-yard touchdown, however, another costly holding penalty on Okung negated the scoring play. Two plays later, Siemian connected on a pass completion to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to the Chargers' 13-yard line, however, Chargers' linebacker Jatavis Brown forced a fumble off Thomas, which was recovered by cornerback Craig Mager, ending the drive with 3:35 remaining. The Broncos' defense forced another three-and-out, but used all three of their team timeouts in the process. A 46-yard field goal by McManus with 32 seconds remaining pulled the Broncos to within a 21–13 deficit. The Broncos recovered the onside kick at their own 46-yard line, however, four plays later, a desperation hail mary pass by Siemian fell short of the end zone.

Notes

Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis served as interim head coach, while Gary Kubiak recovered from a migraine condition that he suffered during the previous week. As part of the NFL Color Rush program, the Broncos wore all-orange throwback uniforms. With the loss, the Broncos NFL-record 15-game road winning streak against division opponents came to an end.

Week 7: vs. Houston Texans

Week Seven: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	6	0	3	0	9
Broncos	0	14	7	6	27

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 24
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,865
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter HOU – 7:11 Nick Novak 43-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 2:16. (HOU 3–0) HOU – 0:21 Nick Novak 43-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 5:05. (HOU 6–0) Second quarter DEN – 9:10 C. J. Anderson 7-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:11. (DEN 7–6) DEN – 4:04 Demaryius Thomas 4-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:25. (DEN 14–6) Third quarter HOU – 9:09 Nick Novak 29-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:50. (DEN 14–9) DEN – 0:40 Devontae Booker 1-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:57. (DEN 21–9) Fourth quarter DEN – 11:36 Brandon McManus 22-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:20. (DEN 24–9) DEN – 1:57 Brandon McManus 32-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 2:43. (DEN 27–9) Top passers HOU – Brock Osweiler: 22/41, 131 yards DEN – Trevor Siemian: 14/25, 157 yards, 1 TD Top rushers HOU – Alfred Blue: 11 rushes, 63 yards DEN – C. J. Anderson: 16 rushes, 107 yards, 1 TD Top receivers HOU – DeAndre Hopkins: 5 receptions, 36 yards DEN – Emmanuel Sanders: 4 receptions, 86 yards Top tacklers HOU – A. J. Bouye: 9 tackles, 2 assists DEN – Chris Harris, Jr.: 6 tackles, 1 assist, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

The Broncos' defense surrendered only three field goals by Texans' placekicker Nick Novak, and spoiled quarterback Brock Osweiler's return to Denver, allowing only 131 passing yards. Osweiler spent the previous four seasons (2012–2015) as Peyton Manning's backup quarterback, and started seven games in 2015 while Manning was injured. The Broncos scored three offensive touchdowns — a 4-yard pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian to Demaryius Thomas, plus two rushing touchdowns, one from C. J. Anderson, and the other from rookie Devontae Booker. Placekicker Brandon McManus also added two field goals.

Notes

The Broncos wore wear their alternate navy blue uniforms for this game. This was Broncos' head coach Gary Kubiak's first victory against the Texans, for whom he coached from 2006–2013, as well as Kubiak's return to the sideline following a health scare that forced him to miss the team's Week 6 loss to the San Diego Chargers.

During halftime, three former Broncos were inducted into the Ring of Fame: Placekicker Jason Elam, who played with the Broncos from 1993–2007 and is the franchise's all-time leader in field goals (395) and points scored (1,786); defensive lineman Simon Fletcher, who played with the Broncos from 1985–1995 and is the franchise's all-time leader in sacks (97.5) and consecutive games played (172); safety John Lynch, who played four seasons with the Broncos from 2004–2007.

Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Eight: San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	7	0	6	6	19
Broncos	3	7	7	10	27

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 2:05 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,756
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 11:05 Brandon McManus 28-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:55. (DEN 3–0) SD – 7:24 Antonio Gates 7-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers + Josh Lambo extra point. Drive: 7 plays, 85 yards, 3:41. (SD 7–3) Second quarter DEN – 9:10 Bradley Roby 49-yard interception return for a TD + Brandon McManus extra point. (DEN 10–7) Third quarter DEN – 12:45 Devontae Booker 3-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:45. (DEN 17–7) SD – 4:02 Travis Benjamin 14-yard TD pass from Philip Rivers, extra point attempt blocked. Drive: 13 plays, 98 yards, 7:42. (DEN 17–13) Fourth quarter DEN – 12:32 Juwan Thompson 1-yard TD run + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:30. (DEN 24–13) SD – 8:02 Casey Hayward 24-yard interception return for a TD, two-point pass failed. (DEN 24–19) DEN – 5:19 Brandon McManus 22-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:43. (DEN 27–19) Top passers SD – Philip Rivers: 20/47, 267 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT DEN – Trevor Siemian: 20/38, 276 yards, 1 INT Top rushers SD – Melvin Gordon: 23 rushes, 111 yards DEN – Devontae Booker: 19 rushes, 54 yards, 1 TD Top receivers SD – Dontrelle Inman: 4 receptions, 72 yards DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 5 receptions, 79 yards Top tacklers SD – Jatavis Brown and Dwight Lowery: 6 tackles each (3 assists and 1 fumble recovery by Brown, 2 assists by Lowery) DEN – T. J. Ward: 7 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack, 1 interception

For the second time in a three-week span, the Broncos faced their AFC West rivals, the San Diego Chargers. Following a 28-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus on the Broncos' opening possession, a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Philip Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates gave the Chargers their only lead of the game. The Broncos' defense then proceeded to frustrate the Chargers' offense, including three interceptions of Rivers. In the second quarter, Broncos' cornerback Bradley Roby returned a interception 49 yards for a touchdown, and Chargers' placekicker Josh Lambo later missed on a 44-yard field goal attempt. On the Chargers' opening possession of the second half, the Broncos took advantage of a Rivers' interception deep in Chargers' territory, and added to their lead, with running back Devontae Booker rushing for a 3-yard touchdown. Rivers subsequently threw another interception deep in Chargers' territory — his third of the game, however, a fumble by Booker gave the football back to the Chargers. Thirteen plays and 98 yards later, the Chargers narrowed the Broncos' lead, with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to wide receiver Travis Benjamin. Broncos' linebacker Shaquil Barrett blocked the extra point attempt, keeping the score at 17–13.

The Broncos responded early in the fourth quarter, with running back Juwan Thompson rushing for a 1-yard touchdown. On the Broncos' next possession, quarterback Trevor Siemian was intercepted by Chargers' cornerback Casey Hayward, who returned the football 16 yards for a touchdown. The initial two-point conversion pass from Rivers to Gates was successful, however, it was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty on Gates. Rivers' second attempt intended for tight end Hunter Henry was incomplete, keeping the score at 24–19 with 8:10 remaining in the game. Two long pass plays from Siemian — one to tight end Virgil Green for 31 yards and another to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for 40 yards — gave the Broncos a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. However, the Chargers' defense forced the Broncos to settle for a 22-yard field goal by McManus. The Chargers attempted a rally, and with 2:54 remaining, the Chargers had a first-and-goal at the 2-yard line, but Rivers threw four consecutive incompletions, the last of which was knocked away by Broncos' cornerback Lorenzo Doss at the goal line. While backed up deep in their own territory, the Broncos' offense went three-and-out, and were forced to punt, giving the Chargers one last possession. The Broncos' defense stood their ground, not allowing the Chargers to advance past midfield.

Notes

Broncos' defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was rushed to a Denver-area hospital, following a second-quarter sideline collision after Chargers' running back Melvin Gordon was blocked into him. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring filled in for Phillips for the remainder of the game.

Week 9: at Oakland Raiders

Week Nine: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	10	0	10	20
Raiders	6	14	0	10	30

at Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: November 6
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. MST/5:30 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 54,957
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter OAK – 10:21 Sebastian Janikowski 24-yard FG. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:12. (OAK 3–0) OAK – 4:52 Sebastian Janikowski 29-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:27. (OAK 6–0) Second quarter OAK – 14:07 Latavius Murray 1-yard TD run + Sebastian Janikowski extra point. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:28. (OAK 13–0) DEN – 8:22 Jordan Norwood 36-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:31. (OAK 13–7) OAK – 1:25 Latavius Murray 1-yard TD run + Sebastian Janikowski extra point. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:39. (OAK 20–7) DEN – 0:00 Brandon McManus 55-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 1:25. (OAK 20–10) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter DEN – 14:56 Brandon McManus 44-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 4:38. (OAK 20–13) OAK – 8:19 Sebastian Janikowski 35-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 6:37. (OAK 23–13) OAK – 6:09 Latavius Murray 1-yard TD run + Sebastian Janikowski extra point. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:04. (OAK 30–13) DEN – 5:18 Kapri Bibbs 69-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:51. (OAK 30–20) Top passers DEN – Trevor Siemian: 18/37, 283 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT OAK – Derek Carr: 20/31, 184 yards Top rushers DEN – Devontae Booker: 10 rushes, 22 yards OAK – Latavius Murray: 20 rushes, 114 yards, 3 TD Top receivers DEN – Kapri Bibbs: 1 reception, 69 yards, TD OAK – Amari Cooper: 6 receptions, 56 yards Top tacklers DEN – Bradley Roby, T. J. Ward and Darian Stewart: 8 tackles each (1 assist and 1 sack by Roby) OAK – Malcolm Smith: 8 tackles

The Raiders dominated the time of possession by a 2–1 margin, and though the Broncos' defense limited Raiders' quarterback Derek Carr to 184 yards rushing, running back Latavius Murray amassed 114 rushing yards as well as three touchdowns. The Broncos rushed for only 33 yards, the lowest output of the season. The Broncos trailed 23–13 with eight minutes remaining in the game, and attempted a rally, however, quarterback Trevor Siemian was strip-sacked by Raiders' linebacker Khalil Mack, giving the Raiders a short field. A 1-yard touchdown by Murray extended the lead — a drive that was kept alive by one defensive holding and two pass interference penalties on Broncos' cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. On the Broncos' next drive, Siemian connected with running back Kapri Bibbs on a 69-yard touchdown pass to pull to within a 30–20 deficit, but the Broncos got no closer.

Week 10: at New Orleans Saints

Week Ten: Denver Broncos at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	3	0	15	25
Saints	0	3	14	6	23

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,138
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – 5:45 Jordan Taylor 14-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 7:15. (DEN 7–0) Second quarter DEN – 13:42 Brandon McManus 50-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:11. (DEN 10–0) NO – 0:00 Will Lutz 30-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 0:29. (DEN 10–3) Third quarter NO – 8:30 Willie Snead 3-yard TD pass from Drew Brees + Will Lutz extra point. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 3:50. (tied 10–10) NO – 3:59 Willie Snead 5-yard TD pass from Drew Brees + Will Lutz extra point. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 1:36. (NO 17–10) Fourth quarter DEN – 9:37 Demaryius Thomas 2-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:52. (tied 17–17) DEN – 3:23 Brandon McManus 28-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:18. (DEN 20–17) DEN – 2:50 Brandon McManus 37-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:18. (DEN 23–17) NO – 1:22 Brandin Cooks 32-yard pass from Drew Brees, extra point attempt blocked. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:28. (tied 25–25) DEN – 1:22 Will Parks defensive two-point conversion return of a blocked extra point. (DEN 25–23) Top passers DEN – Trevor Siemian: 25/40, 258 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT NO – Drew Brees: 21/29, 303 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DEN – Devontae Booker: 24 rushes, 76 yards NO – Mark Ingram: 11 plays, 50 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 8 receptions, 87 yards, 1 TD NO – Brandin Cooks: 3 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DEN – Todd Davis: 5 tackles, 1 assist NO – Cameron Jordan: 8 tackles, 1 assist

The Broncos, making their first visit to New Orleans since 2004, jumped out to a 10–0 lead. First, quarterback Trevor Siemian connected with wide receiver Jordan Taylor on a 14-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown was initially ruled as an incomplete pass, but overturned by a replay challenge. Following an interception of Saints' quarterback Drew Brees by cornerback Darian Stewart, placekicker Brandon McManus added a 50-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Broncos were attempting to add to their lead just before halftime, however Siemian was intercepted by cornerback Sterling Moore, and the Saints quickly advanced 50 yards in only 29 seconds, culminating in a 30-yard field goal by placekicker Will Lutz. Early in the third quarter, the Saints tied the game, with Brees connecting with wide receiver Willie Snead on a 3-yard touchdown pass. On the Broncos' second possession of the second half, Siemian was intercepted by safety Kenny Vaccaro, and four plays later, another touchdown pass from Brees to Snead — from 5 yards out — gave the Saints a 17–10 lead.

On the Broncos next drive, McManus missed wide left on a 42-yard field attempt early in the fourth quarter. Two plays into the Saints' next possession, Broncos' cornerback Bradley Roby forced a fumble off wide receiver Michael Thomas, which was recovered by Stewart at the Saints' 27-yard line. Seven plays later, the Broncos tied the game, with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Siemian to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. After forcing the Saints to go three-and-out, the Broncos drove down the field, but had to settle on a 28-yard field goal by McManus. The Broncos' defense forced another fumble deep in Saints' territory, but had to settle on a 37-yard field goal by McManus with 2:50 remaining in the game, while forcing the Saints to burn the last two of their three team timeouts. The Saints then drove 75 yards in only six plays, culminating in Brees throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks to tie the game at 23–23 with 1:30 remaining in the game. However, Lutz's extra point attempt was blocked by Justin Simmons, and Will Parks scooped up the football and ran to the end zone for a defensive two-point conversion. The Saints claimed that Parks may have stepped out of bounds, but the initial ruling on the field was upheld after an instant replay review. The Saints' onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, sealing the win for the Broncos.

Notes

Darian Stewart became the Broncos' first defensive player since Deltha O'Neal in 2001 to record three takeaways in one game.

Week 12: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Twelve: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Chiefs	0	9	7	8	6	30
Broncos	0	3	7	14	3	27

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 76,819
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter KC – 6:16 Broncos' offensive tackle Russell Okung tackled in the end zone for a safety. (KC 2–0) KC – 6:04 Tyreek Hill 86-yard kickoff return for a TD + Cairo Santos extra point. Drive: 0:12. (KC 9–0) DEN – 1:47 Brandon McManus 33-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:17. (KC 9–3) Third quarter DEN – 8:37 Jordan Taylor 6-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:20. (DEN 10–9) KC – 0:30 Tyreek Hill 3-yard TD run + Cairo Santos extra point. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:07. (KC 16–10) Fourth quarter DEN – 7:47 Emmanuel Sanders 35-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 4 plays, 88 yards, 1:37. (DEN 17–16) DEN – 3:00 Bennie Fowler 76-yard TD pass from Trevor Siemian + Brandon McManus extra point. Drive: 6 plays, 96 yards, 2:37. (DEN 24–16) KC – 0:12 Tyreek Hill 3-yard TD pass from Alex Smith + Alex Smith pass to Demetrius Harris for a two-point conversion. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 2:48. (tied 24–24) Overtime DEN - 8:51 Brandon McManus 44-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 6:09. (DEN 27–24) KC – 4:19 Cairo Santos 37-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:32. (tied 27–27) KC – 0:02 Cairo Santos 34-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 1:01. (KC 30–27) Top passers KC – Alex Smith: 26/44, 220 yards, 1 TD DEN – Trevor Siemian: 20/34, 368 yards, 3 TD Top rushers KC – Spencer Ware: 17 rushes, 64 yards DEN – Devontae Booker: 24 rushes, 79 yards Top receivers KC – Travis Kelce: 8 receptions, 101 yards DEN – Emmanuel Sanders: 7 receptions, 162 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers KC – Justin Houston: 10 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble DEN – Von Miller: 9 tackles, 1 assist, 3 sacks

After a scoreless first quarter, the Chiefs took a 9–0 lead midway through the second quarter. Running back Tyreek Hill returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. This was preceded by a safety, after Broncos' quarterback Trevor Siemian was strip-sacked near the goal line and offensive tackle Russell Okung was tackled in the end zone trying to recover the fumble. A 33-yard field goal by placekicker Brandon McManus just after the two-minute warning put the Broncos on the scoreboard. The Broncos grabbed the lead midway through the third quarter, with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Siemian to wide receiver Jordan Taylor. The Chiefs responded on their next possession, with Hill rushing for a 3-yard touchdown. The drive was extended after the Chiefs accepted an illegal formation penalty on the Broncos that nullified a 35-yard field goal by placekicker Cairo Santos. The Broncos re-claimed the lead midway through the fourth quarter, with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Siemian to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. After forcing a Chiefs' punt, the Broncos were attempting to run out the clock after earning a first down with 3:31 remaining in the game. Two plays later, and after the Chiefs had used all of their team timeouts, the Broncos extended their lead to 24–16, with a 76-yard touchdown pass from Siemian to wide receiver Bennie Fowler.

However, the Broncos' defense was unable to keep the Chiefs out of the end zone. Quarterback Alex Smith methodically engineered a game-tying 13-play, 75-yard drive, with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Hill, coupled with a two-point conversion pass to tight end Demetrius Harris. The play was initially ruled down at the 1-yard line with 15 seconds remaining, but overturned by instant replay, sending the game to overtime. The Broncos won the overtime coin toss, and each team exchanged field goals on their initial possessions — a 44-yarder by Brandon McManus followed by a 37-yarder by Santos. The Broncos' next overtime possession commenced with 4:19 remaining, and drove to as far as the Chiefs' 44-yard line. Instead of a short punt, Broncos' head coach Gary Kubiak elected to send McManus onto the field for a potential game-winning 62-yard field goal, however, McManus attempt was both short and wide left, giving the Chiefs possession at the Broncos' 48-yard line with 1:08 remaining. Four plays later, and with five seconds remaining, Santos kicked the game-winning 34-yard field goal for the Chiefs, which initially caromed off the left upright.

Week 13: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Thirteen: Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	0	0	0	0
Jaguars	0	0	0	0	0

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: December 4
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/11:00 a.m. MST
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Preview

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers DEN – JAX – Top rushers DEN – JAX – Top receivers DEN – JAX – Top tacklers DEN – JAX –

Trying to rebound from their loss, the Broncos will head to Jacksonville to take on the struggling Jaguars.

Standings

Division

AFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) Kansas City Chiefs	12	4	0	.750	6–0	9–3	389	311	W2
(5) Oakland Raiders	12	4	0	.750	3–3	9–3	416	385	L1
Denver Broncos	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	333	297	W1
San Diego Chargers	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	410	423	L5

Conference

AFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	New England Patriots	East	14	2	0	.875	5–1	11–1	.439	.424	W7
2	Kansas City Chiefs	West	12	4	0	.750	6–0	9–3	.508	.479	W2
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	11	5	0	.688	5–1	9–3	.494	.423	W7
4	Houston Texans	South	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	.502	.427	L1
Wild Cards
5	Oakland Raiders	West	12	4	0	.750	3–3	9–3	.504	.443	L1
6	Miami Dolphins	East	10	6	0	.625	4–2	7–5	.455	.341	L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7	Tennessee Titans	South	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	.465	.458	W1
8	Denver Broncos	West	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	.549	.455	W1
9	Baltimore Ravens	North	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	.498	.363	L2
10	Indianapolis Colts	South	8	8	0	.500	3–3	5–7	.492	.406	W1
11	Buffalo Bills	East	7	9	0	.438	1–5	4–8	.482	.339	L2
12	Cincinnati Bengals	North	6	9	1	.406	3–3	5–7	.521	.333	W1
13	New York Jets	East	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	.518	.313	W1
14	San Diego Chargers	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.543	.513	L5
15	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	3	13	0	.188	2–4	2–10	.527	.417	L1
16	Cleveland Browns	North	1	15	0	.063	0–6	1–11	.549	.313	L1
Tiebreakers

Statistics

Team leaders

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Trevor Siemian	2,396
Passing touchdowns	Trevor Siemian	15
Rushing yards	Devontae Booker	475
Rushing touchdowns	C. J. Anderson	4
Receptions	Emmanuel Sanders	61
Receiving yards	Emmanuel Sanders	830
Receiving touchdowns	Demaryius Thomas	5
Points	Brandon McManus	94
Kickoff return yards	Cody Latimer	148
Punt return yards	Jordan Norwood	199
Tackles	T. J. Ward	69
Sacks	Von Miller	12.5
Forced fumbles	T. J. Ward	3
Interceptions	Aqib Talib Darian Stewart	3

Team statistics updated through Week 12.
Source for this section: Denver Broncos' official website.

League rankings

Offense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 337.4 YPG 19th Yards per play 5.2 25th Rushing yards 99.8 YPG 19th Yards per rush 3.6 28th Passing yards 237.5 YPG 22nd Yards per pass 7.3 14th Total touchdowns 28 T–17th Rushing touchdowns 8 T–17th Receiving touchdowns 17 T–16th Scoring 24.2 PPG T–13th Pass completions 232/384 (.604) 25th Third downs 60/153 (.392) 16th First downs per game 19.5 20th Possession average 29:49 22nd Fewest sacks allowed 31 T–27th Turnover differential +4 T–6th Fewest penalties 87 T–26th Fewest penalty yardage 704 22nd

Defense Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Total yards 313.9 YPG 4th Yards per play 4.7 2nd Rushing yards 120 YPG 27th Yards per rush 4.3 21st Passing yards 193.9 YPG 1st Yards per pass 6 1st Total touchdowns 22 T–4th Rushing touchdowns 10 T–21st Receiving touchdowns 10 T–2nd Scoring 19.9 PPG 9th Pass completions 219/388 (.564) 1st Third downs 58/157 (.369) 5th First downs per game 19.7 9th Sacks 35 1st Forced fumbles 8 T–25th Fumble recoveries 10 T–3rd Interceptions 10 T–8th Fewest penalties 74 T–10th Fewest penalty yardage 650 15th

Special Teams Category Value NFL rank (out of 32) Kickoff returns 22.5 YPR 12th Punt returns 8.3 YPR 20th Gross punting 45.9 YPP 15th Net punting 42.6 YPP 9th Kickoff coverage 21.4 YPR 12th Punt coverage 6.8 YPR 8th

League statistics updated through Week 12.
Source for this section: NFL.com.

Awards and honors

Recipient	Award(s)
Von Miller	Week 2: AFC Defensive Player of the Week September: AFC Defensive Player of the Month
Bradley Roby	Week 8: AFC Defensive Player of the Week
Trevor Siemian	Week 3: AFC Offensive Player of the Week
Justin Simmons	Week 10: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Other news and notes

• On March 12, linebacker DeMarcus Ware agreed to a re-structured contract with the Broncos. Ware, who signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Broncos in 2014, had his 2016 salary reduced from $7 million to $6.5 million, but can earn back money with incentives.
• On August 25, executive vice president/general manager John Elway was added to the NFL's competition committee.
• On September 7, the Broncos and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders agreed on a three-year contract extension that will keep Sanders in Denver through the 2019 season. The initial three-year contract that Sanders signed with the Broncos in 2014 was set to expire after the 2016 season.
• On September 13, the Broncos' Color Rush uniforms were unveiled, which the team wore during their Week 6 Thursday Night loss at the San Diego Chargers. The uniform kit contained the following features: orange pants, which the team wore for the first time since 1979, orange socks and shoes, as well as block-style numerals trimmed in navy blue that mirrored the team's 1968–96 uniform style. Due to the NFL's one-helmet rule implemented in 2013, the helmets remained the same, with the team temporarily replacing the modern primary logo with the throwback "D" horse logo.
• On November 26, the Broncos and safety Darian Stewart agreed on a four-year contract extension that will keep Stewart in Denver through the 2020 season. The initial two-year contract that Stewart signed with the Broncos in 2015 was set to expire after the 2016 season.
• As the result of a negative differential of free agent signings and departures that the Broncos experienced during the 2016 free agency period, the team is expected to receive three compensatory selections for the 2017 draft. Free agent transactions that occur after May 12, 2016 will not impact the team's formula for determining compensatory selections for the 2017 draft.

External links

• Official website
• The Denver Post – Complete Broncos Coverage
• 2016 Season page on Pro Football Reference
• NFL Nation Blog – ESPN