That was an ass beating.
If there was any doubt about Trevor Siemian, the run defense or the Denver Broncos, it was just flushed down the toilet. By the way, never have I been more happy to be wrong about a prediction. The Broncos proved the Week One win over the Los Angeles Chargers was no mirage.
When you own the Dallas Cowboys in every facet of the game like Denver did in a 42-17 beatdown, you’ve proven yourself to be a legitimate threat. You’ve shown yourself to be one of the best teams in the NFL. It’s crucial to point out at this point that the Broncos (2-0) still have a better record than the New England Patriots (1-1).
This was as dominant of a Denver win as we’ve seen in quite a while. It’s been at least two seasons and the first of those the team won a Super Bowl. Not only was the defense in complete control, the offense for the second week in a row was balanced and methodical. It was damn fun to watch the offense click as it did (minus the turnovers). If that wasn’t enough, the Broncos special teams did its part to control field position and the game.
You’re going to want to retweet this one.
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 18, 2017
We #BeatTheCowboys! pic.twitter.com/7m11DkebQ7
There’s no doubt we tend to get carried away after what see in the NFL, but this was impressive. Denver humiliated the Cowboys, and it could have been way worse. If the Broncos cut back on the turnovers, Dallas doesn’t get its two touchdowns. Denver’s offensive line still had some WTF moments but did pretty well overall; especially after Garett Bolles went down with what appears to be a broken ankle. If the Broncos lose the rookie left tackle, that leaves a big hole on the offensive line. But as the cliche goes, next man up.
The two most impressive aspects from Sunday’s game is the balance/methodical Denver offense and the defense for how it manhandled the Cowboys’ offensive line. I said all week that was the key, and Domata Peko and his boys stepped up in a major way. When you hold Ezekiel Elliott and Dallas to 40 yards rushing, you had a great day. Dak Prescott was the Cowboys leading rusher with 24 yards. Elliott had more carries (nine) than he did yards (eight).
#BroncosCountry LIVE: @DomataPeko in the locker room after the win #DALvsDEN https://t.co/ZlyfE0T5bk
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 18, 2017
When you add Denver’s balanced/methodical offense, you have a recipe to win a lot of games this season. We knew what Mike McCoy was capable of as offensive coordinator but he’s proving the hype of his return was far less than it should have been. Siemian finished 22-for-32 passing for 231 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile C.J. Anderson became the first running back to crack 100 yards rushing since the 2015 season with his 118 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. As a team, the Broncos finished with 178 yards rushing.
You want to be perceived as one of the best teams in the NFL? That’s how you do it. Own the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, keep drives alive on third down and convert in the red zone. The Broncos were 9 of 15 on third down conversions and 4-for-4 in the red zone.
It is just Week Two, but Denver just whopped the Cowboys’ ass. In the process, the Broncos showed they’re one of the best teams in the NFL.