Denver Broncos: Jake Butt, Jeff Heuerman are key contributors

A big question mark coming into the season is what the Denver Broncos had with their tight ends. Jake Butt and Jeff Heuerman have helped ease the minds.

Having good tight end play is important to all NFL teams, but it is especially important to the Denver Broncos with Bill Musgrave, whose scheme uses the position often. The majority of Broncos formations utilize at least one tight end, so Heuerman and Butt have been relied on heavily thus far. Of 140 offensive snaps in the first two weeks of the season, Heurerman has been on the field for 101 of them and Butt for 62 of them.

Denver has found some early season success running the football, and the two tight ends role in that should not be overlooked. The Broncos have 314 rushing yards after two games and are a close second to Houston (315 yards) for tops in the league in that category. Both players have shown great blocking ability and have opened up big holes for the offense on multiple occasions. 

Early on, Jake Butt has been a more notable threat out of the two in the passing game. Case Keenum has connected with Butt six times for 77 yards and has come up with clutch catches late in the game against both the Seahawks and Raiders. He sits third on the team in both yards and receptions, behind just Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.

Heurerman has only been targeted four times, but he has made the most of his targets hauling in three of them.

The Broncos offense is at its best when both Heuerman and Butt are playing at a high level. With tough games against the Ravens and Chiefs to close out the first quarter of the season, both players are going to have to continue to play well.