DENVER — By Week 4, it was evident that the Broncos would not get all that they wanted for Christmas. At 0-4 and with an 8-24 record in their last 32 games, their list was itemized and longer than the grocery bill for a family of 12.
But Santa Claus still came to Denver this month.
Under the Broncos’ orange-and-blue tree sit a gaggle of gifts. Most notable is the big box that sits front and center. That’s the present the Broncos wanted most, and the Broncos opened it Dec. 1: a new, young quarterback in Drew Lock. They’ve only begun to figure out just how they can use that coveted item.
It’s not what they wanted when the season started, of course. But sometimes Santa has a way of bringing you what you need.
“Our record isn’t what anybody wants it to be and we’re not proud of our record,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said, “but we are proud of this team.”
What isn’t under the tree is obvious. There’s no return to the playoffs after what is now a four-year absence. Not even a break-even season. Once again, the box marked “record” has a lump of coal, no better than 7-9.
But what’s there is plenty of what the Broncos need.
They already unwrapped a No. 1 wide receiver in Courtland Sutton, a potentially elite pass-catching tight end in Noah Fant and an emerging secondary star in Justin Simmons. Two-thirds of their interior offensive line could be set for years if they re-sign Connor McGovern to play near rookie Dalton Risner, who missed the second half of Sunday’s game because of the flu.
They wanted to find a young defensive lineman who could rush the passer and be stout against the run. So under one side of the tree the Broncos unwrapped Dre’Mont Jones, who despite an ankle injury recorded two sacks Sunday, becoming the first rookie defensive lineman since Tim Crowder in 2007 to post a multi-sack game in a Broncos uniform.
“He was a guy that came off the mat,” Fangio said. “We weren’t really sure if he was going to be able to play today. He worked out before the game — really didn’t practice much all week, but the one thing that kept coming up with him throughout our discussion with him from Tuesday all the way until today is he really wanted to play.
“To me that kind of illustrates the resolve and the mentally of the team. It’d have been very easy for him not to play because he has a sprained ankle — a pretty good one, but he found a way to play.”
At outside linebacker, the Broncos unwrapped Malik Reed and Jerry Attaochu. Both had sacks Sunday, and Attaochu has been a revelation in recent weeks, with three sacks in the last three games after posting two in his previous 26. Neither project as first-teamers for 2020 once Bradley Chubb returns from a torn ACL, but now the Broncos don’t have to worry about depth at outside linebacker.
The Broncos might have a question at the No. 1 cornerback spot if they lose Chris Harris Jr. in free agency, but they appear to have promising depth there, unwrapping improved performance from Isaac Yiadom since putting him back into the starting lineup. With De’Vante Bausby and Bryce Callahan expected back next year after their season-ending injuries, the Broncos’ cornerback depth looks secure, too.
But Sunday, there was an extra-special gift tucked behind some other packages. Hidden. Hard to find. Not prominent on the list. But something that every team needs.
THE SWISS-ARMY KNIFE
Andrew Beck was an afterthought when he joined the Broncos as a waiver claim from New England following the 53-man roster deadline. Listed as a tight end, his first job was to work at fullback in place of the injured Andy Janovich, and there were early struggles as he tried to learn a position that can take years to perfect as a pro.
But now the rookie seems to be everywhere. Sunday against the Lions, he provided lead blocks on both of the Broncos’ touchdown runs, looking a little bit like Janovich, the four-year veteran who has helped show Beck the ropes.
“Obviously, there are still things I can learn. I came to the sideline a couple of times and I was like, ‘Ah, I messed that up; that could have been a big run,'” Beck said. “But I felt good on those runs, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot. Andy’s been a huge help kind of coming in and coaching me up, and Coach [Curtis] Modkins has done a really great job to help me feel more comfortable in the backfield.”
But blocking was just the beginning. He caught a pass. He ran for 3 yards and a first down on third-and-1, continuing his penchant for moving the chains, as seventy-five percent of his eight runs or receptions have resulted in first downs.
And then, with the Broncos facing fourth-and-1 Sunday, came the star on the tree. Lock handed the football to Beck, who moved to the right, and as two Lions closed in, he delivered a perfect pitch to Phillip Lindsay.
It went into the books as a 6-yard pass. And now Beck has moved the chains on seven of the nine plays when he touched the football.
“I was excited. We had worked on it for a couple of weeks now and felt confident about it going into this game — which has not been the case in weeks prior,” he explained.
Beck became the first Bronco since Bobby Humphrey in 1989 to catch a pass, complete a pass and record a rushing attempt in the same game since Bobby Humphrey did in the 1989 regular-season finale against the Phoenix Cardinals. Beck is also the first player on any team to do this since Chicago’s Tarik Cohen on Oct. 15, 2017.
But Beck didn’t stop there. He added a special-teams tackle, giving him a stat line believed to be unlike any other in Broncos history.
One carry, one reception, one pass, one special-teams tackle.
Call it “The Beck.”
And call him another gift under a Broncos tree that doesn’t have everything they wanted, but plenty of what they needed as they aim for a merrier 2020.
