The Broncos are fun again, and it feels good

Maybe it’s the lowered expectations, or just that it has been so long, but the one big takeaway from the Denver Broncos’ win against the Pittsburgh Steelers is that the Broncos are fun to watch again.

When the Broncos took the field against the Steelers, they were not supposed to win. That is the reality of the Broncos season. Teams like the Steelers are supposed to win these games.

However, for the second week in a row, the Broncos have upset a favored opponent. What that has done for Broncos Country has been to make things fun again. As Ian St. Clair and I talked about on the MHR Radio Podcast, turning the game on is done with far less trepidation, and much more excitement.

The obvious place to start for the excitement factor is Phillip Lindsay. His 110 rushing yards on just 14 carries were electric. He has been the reason to watch all season, and this week was no different. He continues to push for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration. He broke another big run on the Broncos first touchdown drive, which ended with Matt LaCosse catching a 10-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum.

Lindsay got into the end zone in the fourth quarter after an eleven play, almost six minute, drive. It gave the Broncos a lead they would not relinquish. Lindsay has been fun to watch all season long, and he continues to come up big each week. Now that the Broncos are finding ways to win, his play is that much more important.

Pittsburgh did not struggle to move the ball, but the yards they gained didn’t lead to points. Will Parks had the play of the game, jarring the ball loose on a sure touchdown when Xavier Grimble caught a ball without any defenders in sight. As he neared the goal line, Parks took aim.

The collision was massive, and while Steelers players began to celebrate, it became apparent that the celebration was unwarranted. Parks won the battle, forced the fumble, and turned the game around. In the Pantheon of Fun, that play gets very high marks.

That was just one of the four turnovers caused by the Broncos defense. It may have taken the, “bend, don’t break,” mantra to the limit, but they also won the turnover battle. Chris Harris Jr. snagged an interception. Emmanuel Sanders caught two balls after that and the Broncos scored on the second one.

Aside from the Parks forced fumble, Bradley Roby forced a fumble that was recovered by Darian Stewart. It was that fumble at the end of the 3rd quarter that lead to the Lindsay touchdown. The turnovers were huge, and Shelby Harris got into the act with an interception in the end zone as Pittsburgh was driving to tie the game.

Ben Roethlisberger never even saw Harris, who took advantage of being blown out of the water. It looked like he got blasted at the snap, but as he moved backward, Roethlisberger threw it right to him. At that point, it was all over but the hand shaking.

We could talk about how many yards the defense gave up. We could talk about the Broncos giving up a fake field goal touchdown. We could point fingers. Instead, this week, we should just enjoy the moment. The one big takeaway from the game is that it is fun in Broncos Country again.

I, for one, am going to enjoy it.

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