Instant Reaction: Broncos topple Browns, keep pace in AFC playoff race

What do you know? Our team has won five in a row!

The Denver Broncos took care of business once more defeating the Cleveland Browns 29-12 on Sunday afternoon. And quite honestly, that score is a lot closer than it should have been. Dare I say this was Denver’s most decisive win of the season? I certainly think it was.

After a disastrous start to the season, Denver has won five-straight and experienced a rebirth over the past six weeks. Their victory keeps them in the mix for a wildcard berth in the AFC Playoffs race. I don’t think there were many of us fans who thought this was possible, but I’m definitely glad to be a part of the ride.

Here are some quick instant reactions from today’s big victory.

Denver’s defense kept Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker in check. One of the key advantages the Broncos had going into Sunday’s affair was going up against a rookie quarterback. It definitely wasn’t a game where they could have afforded Thompson-Robinson to be the X-Factor.

Overall, they limited UCLA product Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s overall performance and forced him to make a lot of bad throws. He finished the game going 14/29 for 134 yards and one touchdown before being knocked out late in the game by Baron Browning. Thompson-Robinson was replaced by P.J. Walker who wasn’t able to move the ball effectively against the Broncos defense either. The Browns managed to score only 12 points against the Broncos defense—a unit who has been performing at an extremely high level for weeks.

While the Broncos weren’t able to reel in any interceptions, they were able to capitalize on turnovers and accrued three fumble recoveries, a turnover on downs, and forced a safety. They also had four sacks on the game and got a lot of pressure on Cleveland’s quarterbacks. I don’t know what’s going on in the Mile High City, but Denver’s penchant for turnovers has definitely fueled their five-game winning streak.

Kudos again to Vance Joseph for having his guys ready to play. The unit’s focus and turnaround since their debacle in Miami has been amazing to witness. If they keep that going—the sky is the limit for them the remainder of the season. Let’s hope that continues next week in their pivotal road matchup against the Houston Texans .

Broncos rushing attack dominates Browns. The Browns undoubtedly have one of the best defenses in the league, but it struggled today against the Broncos who put up 27 points. Russell Wilson didn’t have much success in the passing game, but it was good enough and the team did a much better job on third down conversions in that regard this afternoon.

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That being said, a tip of the hat to the team’s offensive line is in order. They dominated in the trenches and helped propel Denver’s rushing attack which shined throughout the game. I couldn’t be happier with how the offensive line performed. They came up big against a very strong defensive front seven. They definitely deserve a game ball for how they did today.

With the offensive line paving the way, Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine had a lot of success on the ground. Even Russell Wilson was able to use his wheels and get some quality yards. Overall, Denver’s rushing attack amassed 169 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. If their rushing game can continue to evolve and be consistent the remainder of the year, they will have a great shot at making the postseason.

A mild complaint: Terrible officiating throughout the game. I can’t be the only person who watched the game today and felt the officiating was horrendous. In my opinion, there were a lot of tacky calls especially with regards to roughing the passer. On top of that, I thought there were several erroneous personal foul penalties and pass interference calls. It definitely felt like the worst officiated game the Broncos have had all year, but at least Denver secured a victory and was able to overcome some blatantly bad calls that went against them.