Easy Kill: Broncos stuff Elliott, blow out Cowboys

The Denver Broncos look like a complete football team.

Yes, Kansas City knocked the snot out of the Patriots, the Packers may finally have given Aaron Rodgers the defense he needs to win a second ring, and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are still in New England; but you’d be hard-pressed to find a crew that’s looked as talented, prepared and balanced as the Broncos have early in the 2017 season.

After Sunday’s 42-17 win over the Cowboys that saw Trevor Siemian throw four touchdowns and Ezekiel Elliott unable to amass double-digit yards on the ground, the Broncos have etched themselves a spot among the NFL’s elite.

Through two games, Denver has proven that their defense is as great as, if not better than, ever and Trevor Siemian’s offense has been about as dominant as they come.

And both groups are still growing.

Just six days after letting the Chargers back into what could have been a primetime blowout to kick off a fresh NFL season, Denver showed their first sign of progress: The Broncos kept their foot firmly on the Cowboys’ neck, despite a three-score lead.

No last-second field goal block required.

Instead, the Broncos capped a game chock-full of fireworks with a 103-yard pick-six from the pyromaniac himself, Aqib Talib.

Big plays from Denver’s defense haven’t been a surprise for years, but here’s the thing about 2017—the offense is lighting their fair share of fuses.

After the Denver ‘D’ jabbed the Cowboys with a three-and-out to begin the game, Siemian’s offense followed with an efficient, eight-play, 78-yard drive that ended with a perfect ball to Emmanuel Sanders in the back of the end zone and put the Broncos ahead, 7-0.

The Broncos found their key to success early this season; don’t swing for knockouts, just land simple combo blows. Denver has built big leads by giving the ball back to the offense quickly after scoring and taking advantage of winded defenders.

A slight hiccup saw a strip-sack of Siemian give Dallas the ball on the Denver three-yard line, where they would easily punch it in with a fade from Dak Prescott to Dez Bryant, briefly tying the game at 7-7.

Denver’s offense and defense fed off each other all game. A 14-play Broncos touchdown drive pushed Denver ahead, 14-7, and was followed up by another forced three-and-out by the defense. The teams traded scores, a touchdown for Denver and a late field goal for Dallas, and went into halftime with the Broncos leading 21-10.

A 15-play Broncos touchdown drive to start the third quarter made it 28-10, followed by a Chris Harris, Jr. interception, which ultimately served as one in a series of finalizing blows delivered by Denver as they made it clear they were not repeating last week’s collapse against Los Angeles.

The Broncos’ kryptonite is as clear as the key to their early dominance—if the Broncos turn the ball over, the script of the game can flip in an instant.

Four of the five touchdowns allowed by Denver’s defense this season have come off of turnovers, including both of Dallas’ today. In fact, every Broncos turnover has turned into a touchdown for the opposition so far this year.

The Broncos are clicking, but they’re far from a finished product. They staved off late mistakes Sunday, but for this season to become super, they’ll need to keep that up all year.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

C.J. Anderson played one of the best games of his career, posting 118 yards and a touchdown on the ground and 36 yards and a score through the air. The Broncos want to establish the run first and so far Anderson has done just that. He may not get 25 carries every game, but if the 26-year-old can stay healthy, he’ll be the engine behind Denver’s offense.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Aqib Talib’s pick-six with under a minute remaining was meaningless in terms of Sunday’s game, but massive for the Broncos moving forward. The exclamation point he added was just another reminder of how explosive this team is. With Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, C.J. Anderson, Jamaal Charles, Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Derek Wolfe and Talib, any given play can be a game-changer.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

“What a performance. Offense, defense, special teams—we played all together and it feels really good.” –Emmanuel Sanders

BY THE NUMBERS

8- Total rushing yards from Ezekiel Elliott, the fewest in a game in his career.

178- Rushing yards from the Denver offense.

2- Sacks by Von Miller who ended a five-game drought, the longest of his career

LASTING IMPACT

Denver is 2-0 to start the season, as are the Chiefs and Raiders. The hard-fought battle for the AFC West title is hardly underway, but every win matters, especially statements like the Broncos made Sunday. If anybody doubted Denver’s ability to take back the crown, they probably won’t anymore.

WHAT’S NEXT

@ Bills; Sun, Sept. 24, 11 a.m. MST, CBS

The Broncos head to Buffalo this weekend to take on LeSean McCoy and the Bills. Buffalo is 1-1 after opening the season with a 21-12 win over the Jets and losing to the Panthers 9-3, Sunday afternoon.