Heading into their third and final 11 a.m. start of the 2016 campaign, Denver knew a win was imperative, but they weren’t able to get it done.

Poor starts and poor finishes in big games have left the Orange & Blue in third place of the AFC West at 8-5 overall. It might look bleak now, but some players shine brightest in the dark.

Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders

The duo of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders is nearly unstoppable when both wide receivers are firing on all cylinders; it also doesn’t hurt that Siemian is playing his best Football of the season.

The tandem was able to haul in 226-total yards on 21 receptions and the lone touchdown in the 13-10 loss, even though the team did not see any scoreboard production until the fourth quarter. Since Sanders arrived in Denver in 2014, the duo has eclipsed 100 yards each in a game seven times; the second closest teammates to accomplish such a feat is Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant of Pittsburgh—who have three games of 100 yards each.

Since the “diva” remarks in September, Sanders and Thomas are ranked eighth and 10th respectively in total yards in the NFL with 1,883-total yards and five touchdowns each.

Riley Dixon

Rookie Riley Dixon may as well be the MVP of this team the way he has produced in the last month.

Dixon was asked to punt the ball five times in the loss Sunday afternoon for a total of 207 yards, adding to his total of 3,193 yards on 70 attempts this season.

Not only did No. 9 add to his impressive stat line in the punting game, but he also had a 16-yard completion to wide receiver Cody Latimer in the fourth quarter to keep an impressive drive alive. The completion was the first completed pass by a punter for Denver since 1986 when Chris Norman threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Steve Wilson.

Aqib Talib

Sometimes it’s not what you do on the field that makes the most impact.

Cornerback Aqib Talib only had two combined tackles on the day, but it was what he did outside of the lines that would spark an attempted comeback from the Orange & Blue. Titans’ wide receiver Harry Douglas went low on fellow Broncos’ corner Chris Harris Jr. in what many believe to be a dirty chop block and No. 21 would make sure Douglas knew exactly how he and the rest of the team felt. On the very next play, Talib sparked a sideline skirmish, resulting in a bench-clearing rumble and a 15-yard personal foul penalty.

Not only did the heated display light a fire under the offense, but it also resulted in what could be the quote of the year.

"I'ma beat his a**": Aqib Talib won't forget Harry Douglas' dirty play – https://t.co/ZjdPN5Rd3P pic.twitter.com/UOyAA4Nsa3

— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) December 12, 2016