Denver Broncos win: How all three phases performed vs. Seahawks
Offense
Case Keenum
The Broncos’ passing game was very good in this game, despite the fact that Case Keenum threw three interceptions.
All three of those picks were preventable, but they still happened, and they cannot be ignored. However, the Broncos did not win despite Case Keenum. He was a major reason why they won this game.
Denver’s passing attack was a matchup nightmare at every level of the field and no matter what type of success the team’s running game was having. Keenum threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns in addition to the three interceptions, posting a quarterback rating of 84.5.
More important than any statistic was this: the Broncos’ offense did not go three-and-out in this game.
This passing game proved it could move the ball virtually at will, and Keenum’s interceptions were a case of misjudgment rather than being overmatched against Seattle’s defense, which I can handle and stomach at this point in the season.
Receiving
One of the reasons Broncos fans should be encouraged by Case Keenum’s regular-season debut in Denver? He spread the ball around incredibly well.
Nine different receivers were targeted (though DaeSean Hamilton was not among them) and seven of them caught passes, including a dominant performance from Emmanuel Sanders.
Sanders caught 10 of his 11 targets for 135 yards and a highlight-package touchdown, which he capped off by front-flipping into the end zone.
Demaryius Thomas had a touchdown in red zone work, and the first touchdown of the season was on a brilliantly designed flat route to Phillip Lindsay.
Courtland Sutton and Jake Butt each got into the action, and Keenum might have had closer to 400 yards and four touchdowns had Tim Patrick not mistimed a jump on a wide-open throw over the deep middle part of the field.
Rushing
The Broncos’ rookie backs stole the show in this one. Phillip Lindsay was the hero early on, and Royce Freeman sealed the deal for the Broncos late.
They each finished the game with identical lines: 15 carries for 71 yards.
Freeman took a bit longer to get going, but when the Broncos needed him to grind out the clock in the fourth quarter, he was up to the task.
Lindsay was arguably the MVP of the game for his work on offense and special teams, racking up 102 yards and a touchdown on 17 offensive touches. He averaged six yards per touch in this one and has clearly taken over the number two running back spot over Devontae Booker.
Offensive line play
The Broncos’ offensive line was pretty stellar in this game. There were a couple of annoying penalties but the team averaged 6.5 yards per play in this game, 4.6 yards per carry in the running game, and they surrendered just one sack — a five-yard sack from Frank Clark as Case Keenum stepped up in the pocket and couldn’t find anyone downfield.
It was a continuation of what we’d seen in the preseason.
Overall thoughts
If the Broncos even had one fewer turnover in this game, they would have won by 10-points, perhaps more given that would have completely changed the game in general. They don’t have to go re-write things at the drawing board and they look worlds better than last season.
dark. Next. AFC West predictions: How did we do?
Their 470 yards on 14 drives (25 total first downs) were the most since Peyton Manning was operating the offense.
If they are able to clean up some of those interceptions — and since Keenum only had seven all of last season, I assume they will — the Raiders are in for a rude awakening in week two.