3 big takeaways from the Broncos win over the Bengals
Sep 26, 2016, 8:22 PM
The Denver Broncos came out victorious against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 3 to remain undefeated. Winning in Cincinnati in September is a tough feat, as the Bengals hadn’t lost a game at home in five years during the month. That all changed on Sunday with the Broncos winning in convincing fashion, 29-17, in Week 3.
Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak beamed with pride after the win.
“I’m really proud of our team today. We had some challenges and counted on some young players who came in and played well,” Kubiak said. “It was a tough day to play — very warm. Another grinder, like last week, and I thought we were at our best late in the game.”
Here’s my three biggest takeaways from the win over the Bengals:
3. Shane Ray’s improvement
Last year’s first-round pick Shane Ray received a larger role this week due to the absence of future Hall of Fame pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware. He started for the first time this season and finished the game with a whopping three sacks on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton.
Kubiak has seen the improvement firsthand, and he feels that’s going to continue with Ray.
“I think you’re going to see that from Shane and Shaquil Barrett. They’re stepping in for Demarcus Ware, but they’ve really been working as starters since April 27 when we went to minicamp,” Kubiak said. “They’ve worked for their opportunities, and they’re taking advantage of it.”
Ray came out of college as a speed player, but he had limited moves as a pass rusher. Over the last offseason, Ray has worked to have multiple pass-rushing moves in addition to adding strength off the edge. Now, Ray can use a bull-rushing technique in addition to confusing blockers with various techniques. It will be great to get Ware back on the field, but Ray has the makings of a superstar in this league.
2. Wide receivers get fed
The week leading up to the Bengals game, there were comments coming from both Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders about not getting the ball enough. Neither had yet had a 100-yard game in 2016, but in Week 3 both of them went over the century mark.
Kubiak feels great about what his star duo was able to do in Week 3.
“We want to get them the ball every week,” Kubiak said. “The Bengals are a tough team to throw the ball against, but they really took away the run. We needed to throw the ball to get some points, and those two kids played really well. I’m proud of those two. They work hard. We played well as a team today.”
There’s no doubt that both Thomas and Sanders deserve the ball as much as possible. On a well-balanced team like the Broncos, finding enough footballs for both can be difficult. However, it’s a great problem for the Broncos to have.
1. Trevor Siemian impresses
The Bengals defense made a commitment to stop the run on Sunday, and the Broncos had to respond by going through the air to move the ball. Starting quarterback Trevor Siemian had a record-setting day against the Bengals.
According to Elias, Trevor Siemian became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in his first career road start.
There’s no question that Kubiak was impressed as well with his young quarterback.
“His numbers were terrific. He’s very composed. That’s a strength of his,” Kubiak said. “We continue to work on decision making. He got away with a few tipped passes today, and he hasn’t gotten away with that before, but that’s part of playing quarterback. He works hard.”
Kubiak continued, “It was a great outing. I don’t think you get too carried away — but we know we have a good young quarterback who’s on a good team, and this was a great sign today. He came into a tough environment, handled himself very well and played big.”
Siemian made plays when it counted, specifically in the fourth quarter and on third downs. When the chains needed to be moved on third down, Siemian had 5-of-9 passing for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He was blitzed five times on third down, but only once was their quarterback contact.
If he continues to progress as a passer, it’s nothing but a good thing for the Broncos. Opposing defenses will no longer be able to consistently stack the box to stuff the run if Siemian is keeping them honest with his arm.
