What statistics screamed, the Broncos’ lineup reflected on Sunday night. Ronnie Hillman received his first start of the season at running back, moving ahead of C.J. Anderson on the depth chart. Hillman had four more carries than Anderson over the previous three weeks, emerging as a more consistent threat.
He capitalized on the opportunity, scoring touchdowns on back-to-back drives, bridging the first and second quarters, doubling his season total. Hillman, however, left the game with a thigh injury in the third quarter and was questionable to return.
Anderson responded to the demotion with his best performance of the season. Running with urgency, Anderson bounced off tackles as he did during his Pro Bowl run a year ago. He rushed for 43 first-half yards, tying his season-high for a game then made a 28-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Anderson said last week that his foot injury sustained in the season opener was worse than he initially thought. Sunday appeared to prove it.
Line dance
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak prefers to use multiple offensive linemen. It was difficult to pull off in the first five weeks because of the group’s ineffectiveness. However, the line gained traction in a victory at Cleveland and it carried over against Green Bay, allowing Kubiak to spell players.
Starting left tackle Ryan Harris rotated series with Tyler Polumbus in the first half, and Max Garcia spelled Evan Mathis at left guard on multiple series. The Garcia experiment went sour on the Broncos’ final first half drive. Officials flagged Garcia for holding and hands to the face on back-to-back plays, leaving Mathis running into to replace him.
1st quarter winner
The streak remains alive. The Broncos’ defense held the Packers scoreless in the first quarter, extending Denver’s streak to seven games of not allowing an opponent to score in the first 15 minutes. The Broncos are the ninth team in NFL history (first in 14 years) to do so in the first seven games of the season.
The Packers, meanwhile, saw their streak of scoring in the opening quarter end at 22 consecutive games.
Cover that man
Demaryius Thomas had four catches for 101 yards in the first half, including hauling in a 47-yard pass from Peyton Manning along the sideline. It was the first time this season Thomas gained 100 yards receiving in a half and the eleventh time in his career.
Footnotes
Based on their performance at Cleveland, Hillman, Malik Jackson and Darian Stewart served as captains for the coin toss. … The first snap of game featured a new wrinkle. Tight end Virgil Green lined up as a fullback in the pistol formation. This alignment freed Owen Daniels to flex out on the line of scrimmage with less blocking responsibilities.
