Evans: Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak’s perfect night
Oct 27, 2016, 4:30 AM
The football gods smiled upon Gary Kubiak Monday night against the Houston Texans. Most importantly, he was healthy again and able to patrol the Denver Broncos sideline.
Next, he was able to exact some revenge against the team that fired him.
But, what had to make Kubes the happiest was the play of his offense.
For the first time this season, Kubiak’s vision, his blueprint for the offense, came to fruition.
• The inconsistent running game had its best game of the season, churning out 190 yards on 5.4 yards per carry.
The much-maligned offensive line shook off some early penalties and worked in harmony. It helped the Broncos added more variety to the run game, incorporating more tosses and sweeps.
In my opinion though, the biggest reason for the improved running game was Devontae Booker. The kid out of Utah ran hard. He took handoffs like he had, in the words of Stink, “a rocket up his can.”
Crude, but correct.
Not only did Booker produce but also he lit a fire under the under-achieving C.J. Anderson, which led to veterans’ best game of the season.
And I have no doubt the offensive line looked better because of Booker’s energy. This will all be doubly important with Anderson potentially out for the next few weeks with a knee injury (Has someone checked on Cecil Lammey? I’m worried about the big fella).
• The run game, along with another stifling performance by the defense, allowed quarterback Trevor Siemian to play just the way Kubiak wants. He did not have a crazy number of throws (just 25).
The passes were mostly high-percentage, and there were no mistakes. Play to Siemian’s strengths, his smarts and his decision-making. Don’t rely on him to be a huge playmaker.
That’s just what Kubiak wants from his quarterback and why Siemian is ahead of rookie Paxton Lynch. If the offense plays this way, Siemain is more predictable and reliable than Lynch.
(Quick note: I know the running game grabbed the headlines, but I thought Siemian’s performance was underrated. When it was still a game — Broncos trailing 6-0 — Siemian put together a touchdown drive in which he went 5-for-5 for 54 yards. Then, on the next drive, he hit a big 29-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders, then a four-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas. So, two touchdown drives from Siemian to help grab control of the game.)
Kubiak’s offense isn’t exciting. It’s conservative. I still have doubts as to whether it works with an average defense.
But, this Broncos defense is far from average, so playing a vanilla offense works.
And what you and I may find kind of boring is actually wildly exciting for Kubiak. And considering everything he’s gone through lately, I’m happy for him.
