Broncos to play first meaningless game since Josh McDaniels era

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Instead of an old-school AFC West brawl to close out the 2016 season, the final game of the Denver Broncos regular season could very well look more like a preseason game than a divisional rivalry game in January.

On Sunday, against the Oakland Raiders, the Broncos will essentially play a meaningless game for the first time in recent memory. In the past five years, since the start of the 2011 season, Denver hasn’t played in a single game that didn’t matter in terms of playoff implications.

Their last meaningless game came on January 2, 2011, in a 33-28 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Sunday’s game will mark nearly a six-year stretch where games in December and January have mattered.

But now that chapter has ended it’s time to look ahead, and that’s exactly what the Broncos are planning on doing on New Year’s Day.

“We look at next week’s game as moving on to the future. We can’t do anything about this season,” head coach Gary Kubiak said. “That’s what I told [the players] and that’s what I told you guys. As far as playing, I’d like to sit here and say that we’ll play everybody.

Although Trevor Siemian has been the Broncos’ clear-cut quarterback this season when healthy, both he and Paxton Lynch will play on Sunday. It isn’t because Siemian wasn’t good enough, it’s because the Broncos’ coaches and front office will want to get an extended look at the rookie first round pick.

“I am going to play them both. They are both young players, obviously one of them is younger than the other by about 10 or 11 games,” he said. “I think Trevor deserves the right to go back out there as a starter. He’s done a lot of good things this year. He’s a young player that needs to keep going…Paxton is also going to play. I’m preparing both and you’ll see them both in the game.”

While one game won’t likely make or break Lynch’s future with this organization it will give him one more game experience under his belt and allow the team to further evaluate his progress going into the offseason.

“We want Paxton to leave for the offseason with a few more snaps under his belt. That’s our approach,” the coach said.

Additionally, besides seeing the prized young quarterback, there will be other uncharacteristic roster changes. Along with placing Kayvon Webster and DeMarcus Ware on the injured reserve on Wednesday, the Broncos will most likely not risk further injury with other players.

Players such as Brandon Marshall, Derek Wolfe, A.J. Derby and T.J. Ward will have little incentive to come back on the field in Week 17 after missing time in Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The only reason why some of these players would play is due to the fact that the team has so many injuries and very little depth.

“We don’t really have anybody to rest from a health standpoint. We’re all in,” Kubiak said. “Everybody is going who can go. We’re probably going to make a couple of moves with a few guys here to get ourselves to full strength at a couple of positions before we get to Sunday.”

Also, as in preseason games, expect to see younger, more inexperienced players get more playing time than they typically would. Just as with Lynch at quarterback, players such as Zaire Anderson, Jordan Taylor, Billy Turner, and Ty Sambrailo could greatly benefit from additional game reps. It would also give the front office and coaches additional tape on younger players and their future with the team.

On the other side of the ball, the game is still very meaningful for the Raiders. At 12-3 Oakland still has their eyes set on the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. However, while Oakland can clinch home-field advantage this Sunday, they could also drop to the No. 5 seed if they lose and Kansas City beats the San Diego Chargers.

Just as Denver will play a backup quarterback, Oakland will play a backup quarterback the entire game after starter Derek Carr broke his fibula on Sunday. Denver’s defense will go up against fourth-year quarterback Matt McGloin in Carr’s absence.

Although Sunday’s game will be the only January game for the Broncos this season, it may resemble more of a preseason game played in August than the exciting Week 17 matchup that the Mile High City was hoping for.