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After dropping a winnable game last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Denver Broncos came back strong Sunday at Invesco Field, mostly dominating the Seattle Seahawks in a convincing 31-14 victory. Broncos fans had plenty to cheer about despite record heat in Denver, particularly the clean and fluid play of the Broncos’ offense.
As The Denver Post points out, the star of the day might have been Demaryius Thomas, who logged eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut—a promising start for a wide receiver drafted to help take the edge off the loss of Brandon Marshall in the offseason. Thomas’ special day was made possible by the continued stellar play of quarterback Kyle Orton, who continues to justify the one-year, $8 million contract extension the Broncos gave him this spring.
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Orton was almost flawless yesterday, going 25-25 for 307 yards and two touchdowns (complete box score via NFL.com). That puts Orton at 602 yards for the season and on pace for more than 4,800 yards total. He likely won’t reach that mark, but it shows that he has full command of coach Josh McDaniels’ offensive scheme. The Colorado Springs Gazette says Orton’s play hasn’t single-handedly saved the Broncos from mediocrity, but he does more than enough to help his team win.
The good feelings aren’t likely to last long, however, as the team takes on the NFL’s heavyweights over the next few weeks. Last year’s Super Bowl runner-up Indianapolis Colts come to Denver next week, followed by road games at the homes of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos defense may have snagged three interceptions against the Seahawks yesterday, but it’s a tall order for that group to keep up over the next few weeks.