Every week the story is the same with different characters — the defense came up big to help the Broncos win the game.
Denver holds the No. 1-ranked defense in yards allowed through three games. And for the third straight week, their unit has made turnover after turnover and the Broncos have left smiling with another win.
“We’re having a lot of fun. Coach (Gary) Kubiak has come in and rejuvenated us,” defensive end Malik Jackson said.
Week 1 it was Darian Stewart with the late interception. Week 2 it was Brandon Marshall with the strip and Bradley Roby with the score. And Sunday it was David Bruton’s interception that halted the Lions’ comeback bid.
The Pro Bowlers have done their part, but the plays have come from every direction.
“It’s been special because it’s been deep with a lot of guys playing,” Kubiak said. “Let’s keep it going. It’s been special for three weeks.”
Going into Week 4, you can’t help but wonder when the defense comes back down to Earth? When will they have an off night and stop making plays?
But Jackson and Bruton both stressed the playmaking isn’t a facade. It’s a part of the unit that’s here to stay.
“We feel like we can be top-five defense in every category. And we got the guys to do it, we have the makeup to do it,” Bruton said.
Despite the success on defense there is one thing that needs to be corrected — penalties. The Broncos had nine penalties for 94 yards Sunday, including three personal foul calls.
Against better teams those penalties could be the difference between winning and losing.
“I don’t want us to ever lose aggression — we need to be aggressive,” Kubiak said. “We need to be smart, too.”
Ailing backs
Kubiak said running back Juwan Thompson is still being evaluated for a neck injury. Thompson left in the second quarter after being hit on a helmet-to-helmet hit from a Lions defender on the goal line.
The injury happened several minutes after running back C.J. Anderson left the game due to the similar hit. He was evaluated for a concussion but returned to the game.
At one point Sunday, the Broncos were down to just one back — Ronnie Hillman. Based on the health of Thompson going forward, the team may consider bringing in another back or calling up Kapri Bibbs from the practice squad.
“Going through something like that will surely make you think about it,” Kubiak said. “Kapri has been practicing well, but I think that these guys will be okay.”
Cameron Wolfe: 303-954-1891, cwolfe@denverpost.com or @CameronWolfe
