Denver Broncos Post Statement Win over Green Bay Packers on 'SNF'

The Denver Broncos made a bold statement with their win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. In fact, the Broncos made more than a singular statement with a win over a team that is considered among the best in their respective conference.

Head coach Gary Kubiak was happy after the win, but he was not content.

“You don’t exhale in this business. Obviously, I feel good about our progress. I’m proud of the way we played tonight.” Kubiak continued, “We played well as a team. We played hard and physical, but it’s late and we’ll be thinking about the next one here real quickly. That’s the way it works.”

What are some of the statements the Broncos made? Let’s take a look.

Manning Still Manning

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Broncos made sure to keep Peyton Manning well-protected against the Packers. Manning was not sacked in the game, and that space allowed him to step into his throws and thrive as a passer.

After the game, Manning emphasized the positive changes the offense made.

“We had some good calls tonight. Our execution was, I thought, what was sound tonight. In really all phases of the run game and then the pass game, as well.” Manning continued, “We had a good mix of play action and some drop back, and we were able to hit some deep balls. It’s good to hit those tonight.”

Manning put up a season high in passing yards with 340 yards against the Packers. He did all of this while only throwing just 29 passes and completing 21 of them.

The Broncos have found the best way to feature Manning. The rushing attack helped out tremendously, and this caused linebackers to play closer to the line of scrimmage. This opened up the middle of the field for Manning, and he went 12-of-14 for 195 yards on passes between the numbers.

We Can Run the Ball

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Broncos seemed to have figured out their rushing attack coming out of the bye. For this first time this year, Ronnie Hillman was the team’s starter as he replaced C.J. Anderson as the lead back.

Hillman’s speed once again sparked the rushing attack. He carried the ball 19 times for 60 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. Hillman did miss some time in the third quarter with a minor thigh injury, and that led to more playing time for Anderson Sunday night.

Anderson came through as the most productive back for the Broncos in Week 8. He carried the ball 14 times for 101 yards and scored a 28-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Kubiak was complimentary of both backs after the game.

“He played very well. I talked to these guys [Anderson and Hillman] about how I consider them both starters," Kubiak said. "I felt that Ronnie deserved the opportunity to go out there as our starter this week. We're going to need them both.”

The coach then explained why he made the change at starting running back. “What I'm trying to do is create a very competitive environment among those guys. I like the way that they're practicing. They're competing against each other. If that happens, we're going to play better.” Kubiak concluded, “I'm proud of both of them and how they played. Ronnie got a little nicked, but obviously C.J. played very well.”

The starter is not necessarily going to be the most productive back. The Broncos will continue to ride the “hot hand” as they did against the Packers. It is a good game when both are hot as they were in Week 8.

The Defense is the Best in the League

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The Denver defense is arguably the best in the league. After holding Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to only 77 yards passing, we should probably take the qualifier “arguably” out of that sentence.

DeMarcus Ware was back in action after missing the Week 6 game due to a minor back injury. Having Ware and Von Miller bring the pressure from the outside made Rodgers uncomfortable for most of the night. 

"

Broncos' D pressured Aaron Rodgers on 63 percent of his dropbacks, the highest rate he has been pressured in a game in past seven seasons.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 2, 2015 "

Miller revealed the game came with a bit of added motivation.

“This game was for Mr. B [Owner Pat Bowlen]," Miller said. "We knew we had the first Super Bowl team here and it was just an amazing vibe. It’s great to a win for Mr. B who’s been doing it for 31 years. The least we can do is get this win for him.”

Mr. Bowlen was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame at the stadium on Sunday night. Under Bowlen, the Broncos have had more Super Bowl appearances (six) than losing seasons (five). Bowlen has made an impact on this team, this community and the entire league with his guidance and leadership.

The Broncos defense was certainly fired up by the competition and the ceremony for Bowlen. Their play was key to the Broncos victory over a tough Packers team on Sunday night.

The rest of the league had better take notice of the statements made by the Broncos. Their play on Sunday night further proves they belong in the conversation of top Super Bowl contenders in the NFL.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.