Broncos game balls: It took a team effort to secure win over Raiders

The Denver Broncos finished the 2019 season on a high note winning four of their last five games with Drew Lock as their starting quarterback. They almost blew it against the Oakland Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday when they tried to kick a game sealing 57 yard field goal that Brandon McManus missed, but Shelby Harris saved the day with a pass deflection on the two-point conversion attempt.

He’ll obviously be getting a game ball, but we had more to give out for a solid performance in their season finale.

Von Miller

Von Miller showed he was still elite. He led the entire NFL with 106 sacks over the last decade and his last sack of the 2010’s was absolutely phenomenal. He had been close all game long generating pressures numerous times and even pressuring Derek Carr into the arms of other Broncos defensive linemen for sacks. Anyone who thinks Von Miller isn’t worth every penny of his contract can go root for the Las Vegas Raiders. - Tim Lynch

Shelby Harris

For three quarters of the game, Shelby Harris was as quiet as a mouse. But with the game on the line as the Oakland Raiders had all of the momentum he batted not one but two balls down including the game clenching play on the 2 point conversion. Harris gets my game ball and I’m very hopeful that the team resigns this supremely talented player so he can finish his career in orange and blue. - Sadaraine

Todd Davis

It was a day of milestones, and Todd Davis was determined to be part of it. Even with leaving the game for a bit with a “lower leg injury,” the linebacker who has been a major part of the new Fangio scheme ended his season with 136 tackles, the most for a Bronco since D.J. Williams’ 141 in 2007. And it also puts him sixth all-time for the Broncos. An outstanding way to finish his season and prove his worth on this team. - Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann

Will Parks

It’s been a pretty wild ride for Will Parks. He started the year at safety with Kareem Jackson down in the slot and wound up in the slot when Jackson moved back to safety. He even played through pain with a big ol’ cast.

Yesterday he was instrumental on a couple of clutch plays down the stretch whether it was coming off a blitz to pressure a panicked Derek Carr or sticking to his man in coverage. If this was the last we see of Philly Will in orange and blue, he made it count.

I think it speaks to what Fangio and Ed Donatell thought of both him and Trey Marshall that Parks stayed in the slot when Jackson was suspended. Kudos to the Don of Defense, because Denver doesn’t win yesterday without either of them coming up huge when it mattered most. - Joe Rowles

Drew Lock

Drew Lock didn’t exactly light the place up against the Raiders, but he did enough to get the win. In the process he tied John Elway for most wins by a rookie QB in franchise history with four. His lone touchdown pass capped a drive to end the first half, and give the Broncos a 10-3 lead. It was a lead they would hold onto for the rest of the game. Lock ended Drewcember with a 4-1 record as a starter, and a clear grip on the starting job heading into 2020. - Adam Malnati

Phillip Lindsay

The Colorado Kid only had 53 yards on 18 carries, but it put him over 1,000 yards rushing for the second season in a row. As a result, Lindsay is the first undrafted player in NFL history to open their career with 1,000 yards rushing in back-to-back seasons. As Adam and I talked about on the MHR Radio Podcast, he’s also the first Broncos running back to pull that feat since Clinton Portis (2002-03) and just the fourth running back in franchise history to do that. As Fangio would say in the locker room after the game, “Boom!” - Ian St. Clair

Courtland Sutton

Courtland Sutton only finished the game with 4 catches for 52 yards, but he had a much bigger impact on the game than those stats measure. His recovery on the fumble that wasn’t a fumble was critical even if it only extended the drive that would end in a Royce Freeman fumble. He also drew two critical pass interference penalties. - Joe Mahoney

DaeSean Hamilton

Last week it was 6 catches for 65 yards, this week it’s 5 catches for 65 yards. DaeSean Hamilton has finished the 2019 season on a far more positive note than many expected, showing off a growing rapport with Drew Lock that will most likely see him enter the 2020 regular season as no worse than WR3 for the team. - Taylor Kothe

An interesting split for Hamilton:
Weeks 1 - 15: 17 receptions for 167 yards, 0 TD.
Weeks 16 - 17: 11 receptions for 130 yards, 1 TD.

Who gets your game ball for the Broncos 16-15 win over the Raiders?