Regular season 2017 Denver Broncos season

1 regular season

1.1 schedule
1.2 game summaries

1.2.1 week 1: vs. los angeles chargers
1.2.2 week 2: vs. dallas cowboys
1.2.3 week 3: @ buffalo bills
1.2.4 week 4: vs. oakland raiders
1.2.5 week 6: vs. new york giants
1.2.6 week 7: @ los angeles chargers
1.2.7 week 8: @ kansas city chiefs
1.2.8 week 9: @ philadelphia eagles
1.2.9 week 10: vs. new england patriots
1.2.10 week 11: vs. cincinnati bengals
1.2.11 week 12: @ oakland raiders
1.2.12 week 13: @ miami dolphins


1.3 quarterback carousel

regular season
schedule

the broncos 2017 schedule announced on april 20.

notes

intra-division opponents in bold text.
networks , times games in weeks 16 , 17 subject change result of flexible scheduling; week 15 @ indianapolis exempt flexible scheduling, occurs on thursday night football.

game summaries
week 1: vs. los angeles chargers

at sports authority field @ mile high, denver, colorado

date: september 11
game time: 8:20 p.m. mdt
game weather: 73 °f (23 °c), cloudy
game attendance: 76,324
referee: terry mcaulay
tv announcers (espn): beth mowins, rex ryan , sergio dipp
recap, gamebook

for seventh consecutive year, broncos kicked off season @ home, in second half of opening monday night doubleheader against los angeles chargers. after exchange of punts, 5-yard touchdown pass quarterback trevor siemian wide receiver bennie fowler iii game broncos lead. drive kept alive result of near-interception chargers cornerback casey hayward. on first play of second quarter, chargers countered, quarterback philip rivers connecting on 11-yard touchdown pass running melvin gordon, ingram leaping above broncos safety justin simmons in order reach goal line. broncos re-claimed lead later in second quarter, siemian rushing 1-yard touchdown, added lead on initial possession of second half, touchdown pass siemian fowler — 6 yards out. broncos reached chargers 3-yard line on 14-play, 78-yard drive chewed last 8:16 of third quarter, had settle on 20-yard field goal placekicker brandon mcmanus increase lead 24–7.

after stopping chargers on 4th-and-1 near midfield, broncos offense committed 2 turnovers — interception of siemian chargers safety adrian phillips , fumble running jamaal charles. chargers took advantage of both turnovers , narrowed broncos lead 24–21, pair of touchdown passes rivers — 5-yarder wide receiver keenan allen followed 38-yarder wide receiver travis benjamin — latter occurring 7 minutes remaining in game. following exchange of punts, chargers had 1 last possession @ two-minute warning , forced use last timeout 42 seconds remaining. 6 plays later, chargers attempting game-tying field goal send game overtime. placekicker younghoe koo s initial field goal good; however, nullified result of broncos head coach vance joseph calling timeout in order ice kicker. koo s second attempt blocked defensive end shelby harris, sealing win broncos.

notes

vance joseph , chargers head coach anthony lynn became first 2 head coaches of african american descent make coaching debuts in same game. beth mowins, handled play-by-play duties espn, became first woman call nfl game since 1987.

week 2: vs. dallas cowboys

at sports authority field @ mile high, denver, colorado

date: september 17
game time: 2:25 p.m. mdt
game weather: 72 °f (22 °c), partly cloudy
game attendance: 76,919
referee: brad allen
tv announcers (fox): joe buck, troy aikman , erin andrews
recap, gamebook

quarterback trevor siemian threw 4 touchdown passes — 2 wide receiver emmanuel sanders, , running c. j. anderson scored 2 touchdowns — 1 rushing , 1 receiving, in dominating win on cowboys. broncos defense limited running ezekiel elliott, league s leading rusher 2016 season, 8 yards on 9 carries, while cornerback aqib talib returned interception off cowboys quarterback dak prescott 103 yards touchdown. near end of first quarter, game delayed 1 hour due lightning in denver area.

week 3: @ buffalo bills

at new era field, orchard park, new york

date: september 24
game time: 1:00 p.m. edt/11:00 a.m. mdt
game weather: 83 °f (28 °c), sunny
game attendance: 68,865
referee: carl cheffers
tv announcers (cbs): spero dedes , adam archuleta
recap, gamebook

in first road game of season, broncos traveled orchard park, new york face buffalo bills. after 38-yard field goal broncos placekicker brandon mcmanus gave broncos lead late in first quarter, bills grabbed lead, 2-yard touchdown quarterback tyrod taylor wide receiver andre holmes on deflected pass. broncos responded, when running jamaal charles eluded bills defenders 12-yard touchdown — charles first touchdown bronco. broncos attempting add lead on next possession, however, 44-yard pass completion quarterback trevor siemian wide receiver emmanuel sanders overturned bills challenge, replay indicated sanders did not maintain full control of football @ bills 44-yard line cornerback tre davious white knocked ball out. mcmanus , bills placekicker steven hauschka proceeded alternate field goals, 28-yarder mcmanus giving broncos 16–13 lead midway through third quarter.

however, broncos held scoreless remainder of game, , bills took lead good, taylor connecting tight end charles clay on 6-yard touchdown pass. 53-yard field goal hauschka extended bills lead 23–16 in fourth quarter. broncos drove far bills 24-yard line on first possession of fourth quarter, however, siemian intercepted white. 5 plays later, broncos defense forced incomplete pass off taylor @ broncos 46-yard line, hoping receive football after punt. however, linebacker von miller flagged unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in offered taylor off turf, pulled hand back. after bills earned 3 first downs , forced broncos use of team timeouts, hauschka added 27-yard field goal 3:18 remaining in game. broncos had 1 last offensive possession, did not advance past bills 42-yard line.

notes

prior game, 32 broncos players decided kneel during star-spangled banner after president donald trump made comments national anthem protests 2 days prior.

week 4: vs. oakland raiders

at sports authority field @ mile high, denver, colorado

date: october 1
game time: 2:25 p.m. mdt
game weather: 72 °f (22 °c), cloudy
game attendance: 76,909
referee: john parry
tv announcers (cbs): jim nantz, tony romo , tracy wolfson
recap, gamebook

on broncos second possession of game, quarterback trevor siemian connecting on 22-yard touchdown pass tight end a. j. derby. after forcing raiders punt, isaiah mckenzie returned punt 64 yards raiders 15-yard line, nullified illegal block penalty on kasim edebali. broncos marched down field own 11-yard line raiders 6-yard line, not take advantage of red zone opportunity, settling instead 28-yard field goal placekicker brandon mcmanus. after each team exchanged punts on next 2 possessions, raiders got on scoreboard late in second quarter, 5-play, 99-yard drive, culminating in 16-yard touchdown pass quarterback derek carr wide receiver johnny holton. mcmanus added pair of field goals — 36 , 46 yards out — increase broncos lead 16–7. late in third quarter, carr left game due injury, , backup quarterback ej manuel took over. broncos failed take advantage of yet red zone opportunity in fourth quarter, 29-yard field goal attempt mcmanus hit left upright. following exchange of punts, raiders narrowed broncos lead 16–10, 38-yard field goal placekicker giorgio tavecchio 5:27 left in game. after broncos went three-and-out, raiders had 1 last possession 4:16 remaining in game, , reached broncos 36-yard line @ 2-minute warning. after false start penalty pushed raiders 5 yards, long pass attempt manuel intended wide receiver amari cooper intercepted safety justin simmons, sealing win broncos. broncos defense limited marshawn lynch 20 yards rushing on 9 attempts.

week 6: vs. new york giants

at sports authority field @ mile high, denver, colorado

date: october 15
game time: 6:30 p.m. mdt
game weather: 61 °f (16 °c), clear
game attendance: 76,721
referee: bill vinovich
tv announcers (nbc): al michaels, cris collinsworth , michele tafoya
recap, gamebook

the broncos rush defense, allowed combined 95 yards in first 4 games, surrendered 148 yards in stunning home loss new york giants, while offense rushed 46 yards, after averaging 143 yards in previous 4 games. quarterback trevor siemian threw 2 interceptions, 1 of returned touchdown giants cornerback janoris jenkins, while placekicker brandon mcmanus missed 33-yard field goal , had attempt blocked. broncos offensive woes in red zone continued, scoring 1 touchdown out of 4 opportunities. backup quarterback brock osweiler saw brief action late in first half, after siemian sprained shoulder on diving attempt, unsuccessfully tried prevent jenkins reaching end zone after interception.

notes:

the broncos wore alternate all-navy blue jerseys game.

week 7: @ los angeles chargers

at stubhub center, carson, california

date: october 22
game time: 2:25 p.m. mdt/1:25 p.m. pdt
game weather: 90 °f (32 °c), sunny
game attendance: 25,388
referee: john hussey
tv announcers (cbs): kevin harlan, rich gannon , amanda balionis
recap, gamebook

the broncos once again unable solve offensive woes, in 21–0 loss los angeles chargers. broncos first shutout loss since 1992, snapping 394-game scoring streak, second-longest in nfl history. chargers wide receiver travis benjamin scored 2 touchdowns, 1 receiving , on punt return. broncos quarterback trevor siemian sacked 5 times , lost 2 fumbles, while wide receiver demaryius thomas had 81-yard pass play nullified offensive pass interference penalty.

week 8: @ kansas city chiefs

at arrowhead stadium, kansas city, missouri

date: october 30
game time: 7:30 p.m. cdt/6:30 p.m. mdt
game weather: 44 °f (7 °c), clear
game attendance: 76,573
referee: tony corrente
tv announcers (espn): sean mcdonough, jon gruden , lisa salters
recap, gamebook

the broncos defense limited chiefs 279 total yards — 133 of went tight end travis kelce. however, broncos unable overcome 5 turnovers, including 3 interceptions quarterback trevor siemian, fumble running jamaal charles resulted in chiefs touchdown. after trailing 20–3 in third quarter, broncos narrowed chiefs lead 20–13, following 6-yard touchdown running devontae booker. however, 3 fourth-quarter field goals chiefs placekicker harrison butker — latter 2 of occurred after broncos turnover on downs , siemian s third interception of game, increased chiefs lead 29–13. 4:41 remaining in game, broncos attempted rally, siemian connecting on 11-yard touchdown pass tight end a. j. derby @ two-minute warning. however, two-point conversion attempt unsuccessful, have brought broncos within one-score deficit, ending broncos rally attempt.

notes:

this jamaal charles first game against chiefs, whom played first 9 seasons of career.

week 9: @ philadelphia eagles

at lincoln financial field, philadelphia, pennsylvania

date: november 5
game time: 1:00 p.m. est/11:00 a.m. mst
game weather: 61 °f (16 °c), cloudy
game attendance: 69,596
referee: gene steratore
tv announcers (cbs): ian eagle, dan fouts , evan washburn
recap, gamebook

the broncos defense, defensive unit had not allowed rushing touchdowns, surrendered 3 rushing touchdowns, , eagles quarterback carson wentz threw 4 touchdown passes, in 51–23 rout of broncos. defense surrendered 50+ points first time since 2010, , backup quarterback brock osweiler, starting in place of ineffective trevor siemian, threw 2 interceptions , threw 3 more. broncos did not reach end zone until fourth quarter, when wide receiver demaryius thomas scored first touchdown of season — on 1-yard pass osweiler, , linebacker brandon marshall returned fumble 19 yards touchdown. both touchdowns occurred when game had been decided in eagles favor.

week 10: vs. new england patriots

at sports authority field @ mile high, denver, colorado

date: november 12
game time: 6:30 p.m. mst
game weather: 48 °f (9 °c), partly cloudy
game attendance: 76,820
referee: walt coleman
tv announcers (nbc): al michaels, cris collinsworth , michele tafoya
recap, gamebook

the broncos defense forced three-and-out on patriots first offensive drive, however, downhill broncos after that. patriots capitalized on 4 blunders broncos special teams. first, isaiah mckenzie muffed punt, giving patriots short field. then, patriots return specialist dion lewis returned kickoff 103 yards touchdown. patriots blocked punt, , defensive penalty on patriots punt resulted in first down touchdown. patriots quarterback tom brady threw 266 yards , 3 touchdown passes. offensively, broncos had settle 3 brandon mcmanus field goals , achieved 1 touchdown — 7-yard pass brock osweiler wide receiver demaryius thomas.

week 11: vs. cincinnati bengals

at sports authority field @ mile high, denver, colorado

date: november 19
game time: 2:25 p.m. mst
game weather: 60 °f (16 °c), cloudy
game attendance: 75,707
referee: craig wrolstad
tv announcers (cbs): greg gumbel, trent green , jamie erdahl
recap, gamebook

two turnovers proved costly broncos, suffered sixth consecutive loss, , first loss @ home bengals in more 40 seasons. after broncos blocked punt on bengals opening possession, quarterback brock osweiler intercepted bengals cornerback dre kirkpatrick, returned football 101 yards near-touchdown. broncos trailed 13–10 in fourth quarter, when running c. j. anderson hit bengals linebacker vontaze burfict, , lost fumble. bengals grabbed 20–10 lead 9 minutes remaining in game, quarterback andy dalton connecting on 18-yard touchdown pass wide receiver a. j. green. broncos pulled within 20–17 deficit 5 minutes remaining, when osweiler connected on 17-yard touchdown pass wide receiver demaryius thomas. after being forced use of team timeouts, broncos forced bengals punt @ two-minute warning, , had 1 last offensive possession @ own 20-yard line. however, after 4 plays, broncos turned football on over downs, sealing win bengals. broncos placekicker brandon mcmanus had 61-yard field goal attempt blocked before halftime.

notes

the broncos honored former head coach red miller , former running terrell davis. miller, led broncos first super bowl appearance in 1977, inducted broncos ring of fame. miller died on september 27, 2017, @ age of 89. davis, inducted pro football hall of fame in august, honored in pre-game ceremony. davis led broncos back-to-back victories in super bowls xxxii , xxxiii.

week 12: @ oakland raiders

at oakland–alameda county coliseum, oakland, california

date: november 26
game time: 2:25 p.m. mst/1:25 p.m. pst
game weather: 61 °f (16 °c), cloudy
game attendance: 54,994
referee: walt anderson
tv announcers (cbs): kevin harlan , rich gannon
recap, gamebook

with paxton lynch starting quarterback, broncos offense did not advance past own 37-yard line on 8 of first ten possessions — excluding fumble recovery in raiders territory , kneel down before halftime. paxton lynch team s leading rusher, 20 yards. on raiders second offensive possession, brawl erupted between cornerback aqib talib , raiders wide receiver michael crabtree, resulting in both players being ejected game. raiders guard gabe jackson ejected making contact official during brawl. after strip sack , forced fumble off quarterback derek carr deep in raiders territory, broncos had first goal @ 1-yard line, however, paxton lynch threw pass deflected , intercepted linebacker navorro bowman in end zone. 9-yard touchdown pass carr wide receiver amari cooper, coupled 1-yard touchdown run running marshawn lynch, gave raiders 14–0 lead before halftime. lead increased 21–0 in third quarter, 6-yard touchdown pass carr running jalen richard.

after paxton lynch suffered ankle injury, replaced trevor siemian late in third quarter, , got broncos on scoreboard @ 10:26 mark of fourth quarter, 25-yard touchdown pass wide receiver cody latimer. raiders drove broncos 17-yard line on next possession, chewing 5 minutes off clock, , attempting add lead. however, 35-yard field goal attempt placekicker giorgio tavecchio missed wide left. siemian engineered 12-play, 75-yard drive , pulled broncos within 21–14 deficit 2:44 remaining in game, after 22-yard touchdown pass wide receiver bennie fowler iii. broncos hoping defensive stop before two-minute warning, after using last 2 of 3 team timeouts, carr connected on 31-yard pass wide receiver cordarrelle patterson on 3rd-and-8, sealing win raiders. loss, broncos exceeded loss total 2016.

week 13: @ miami dolphins

at hard rock stadium, miami gardens, florida

date: december 3
game time: 1:00 p.m. est/11:00 a.m. mst
referee: carl cheffers
tv announcers (fox): dick stockton, mark schlereth , shannon spake
preview





quarterback carousel

trevor siemian named starting quarterback on august 21, 2 days after broncos second preseason game vs. san francisco 49ers. second consecutive season siemian beat out paxton lynch, team s 2016 first-round draft selection, starting quarterback position. however, after four-touchdown performance against dallas cowboys in week 2, siemian struggled turnovers , inconsistent play, , benched in favor of brock osweiler, re-signed broncos before start of season , designated siemian s backup. osweiler named starter on november 1, 4 days before team s week 9 game @ philadelphia eagles. however, after osweiler suffered through same struggles siemian, lynch, had been inactive first ten games of season due injury throwing shoulder during preseason, named starter on november 22, 4 days prior team s week 12 game @ oakland raiders. change occurred after bill musgrave named offensive coordinator, following firing of mike mccoy. after lynch suffered ankle injury during week 12 loss raiders sideline him @ least 2 weeks, siemian named starter team s week 13 game @ miami dolphins.