5 Biggest Takeaways from Denver Broncos' Week 8 Win over Green Bay Packers

The undefeated Denver Broncos went up against the also undefeated Green Bay Packers on Sunday night in Week 8. The Broncos were home underdogs to the Packers, but they ended up dominating their opponent with a 29-10 victory.

The Broncos offense got back on track against the Packers as they gained 500 yards on Sunday night. Both the passing and rushing attacks were able to move the ball at will, and the Broncos defense got the ball back to the offense early and often.

Head coach Gary Kubiak knows why the team’s offense looked better in Week 8:

“We started to find a rhythm. Obviously, we did some good stuff during the bye week that helped us, as a team, understand exactly where we want to go forward. I think that we kind of played that way. I think, as a team, we just played fresh.

“We played fast. To me, that was the fastest that we've looked in a while. I think that the two weeks helped us a great deal.”

The Broncos defense continued to dominate, but it seemed to take its game to a level that most didn’t expect. It ferociously attacked the Packers offense and held its opponent in check.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Broncos’ Week 8 win against the Packers.

Peyton Manning Is Comfortable

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Peyton Manning threw for more yards than he had in any game yet this season. His 340 yards passing looked easy on Sunday night, and Manning went the entire game without getting sacked by a Packers defense that ranked second in that category so far this season.

Kubiak and Manning have been struggling to get on the same page this year. It seems like the early-season struggles of this offense have been washed away after the bye week.

Manning expanded on his learning process in 2015:

“I have just been very determined to get comfortable in this offense for Coach Kubiak, [Offensive Coordinator] Coach [Rick] Dennison and [Quarterbacks] Coach [Greg] Knapp and I to get on the same page. We’re not where we want to be yet. We're going to continue to grind.

“I've just been very determined. I knew this was not going to be an easy transition. I can't say that a lot of what's happened so far this season has been a surprise to me. It has been somewhat what kind of I expected to happen.

“There were going to be some rough times, some rough patches and rough parts of the transition, but we've never wavered in our commitment to try to get on the same page and to get everybody kind of going the right direction. We'll continue to work hard on that.”

Whatever it is the Broncos are doing with this Manning-Kubiak mesh, they need to keep doing it.

C.J. Anderson Is Back

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He was taken out of the starting lineup in Week 8, but C.J. Anderson came through with his best game of the season. Anderson had been slowed down by a toe injury he suffered in Week 1, and the bye week gave him some much-needed rest.

Anderson was all smiles after his 14-carry, 101-yard performance against the Packers:

“I had fun. I just went out there and took what the defense gave me. The running back coach [Eric Studesville] and [Head] Coach [Gary] Kubiak kept believing in me and kept pushing me. Throughout the week, I had a great week of practice.”

Going forward, the Broncos should continue to use a “hot hand” approach in the backfield. That means the starter isn’t necessarily going to be the most productive back on gameday. In fact, all three of the 100-yard games this year on the ground for the Broncos have come from the backup (two for Ronnie Hillman, one for Anderson).

The Broncos have a good problem with two productive backs. They can use Hillman’s speed to exploit tiny creases in the defense. They can also use Anderson’s power to soften up an opponent or grind out the clock late.

Virgil Green Becoming More Involved

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Earlier this year, tight end Virgil Green was barely used as a receiver. Entering this contest, Green had only run 39 routes all season long. That is good for an average of 6.5 routes run per game.

By comparison, Owen Daniels had run 190 routes in 2015. That’s an average of 31 routes run per contest. Against the Packers, Daniels ran only 21 routes.

By comparison, Green ran 12 routes, was targeted three times and hauled in three passes for 61 yards. Daniels was also targeted three times, catching all three passes for 44 yards.

Green likes that both he and Daniels were used more against the Packers:

“I just think it was the way they were calling the plays. We did a good job running the ball and with that comes open routes downfield. I think that’s the reason why things were so open. We ran the ball spectacularly tonight.”

The Broncos traded for San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis on Monday. This adds another talent to the position, but it could severely limit what Green and Daniels do going forward.

Demaryius Thomas Is Nearly Unstoppable

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Manning was on point as a passer on Sunday night, and his favorite receiver was Demaryius Thomas. The veteran receiver was targeted 11 times, and he caught eight passes for 168 yards against the Packers.

Thomas is focused on producing at a high level from here on out:

“We had the bye and I just wanted to come back and make sure I had a big game. I want to finish the rest of the season like that. That’s what I look forward to from here on out. I’m not going to say I’ll have a big game like that, but I will play my best and do whatever to help the team.”

Thomas is running more vertical routes than he did earlier this year. The passing chart for Week 8 includes three targets of 20 yards or more, two of which were completed.

The team is using Thomas to stretch the field on the outside where he can use his size as an advantage against smaller cornerbacks. However, the Broncos are also continuing to use Thomas on underneath routes where his run-after-the-catch ability can be highlighted.

Thomas is a favorite target for Manning, and if the offense can keep firing on all cylinders, we should continue to see Thomas perform at a high level.

The Defense Is More Dominant Than Expected

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Entering Week 8, the Broncos had a defense known as one of the best in the league. Against the Packers, the defense was able to dominate more than anyone expected.

Even your biggest Broncos homer didn’t think Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers would be held to only 77 yards passing. Rodgers was pressured on 63 percent of his dropbacks against the Broncos, the highest total he’s seen in the last seven years. The Broncos only sacked him three times, but they were constantly swirling around him on Sunday night.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was brutally honest when talking about how his team got beat:

“Well, you’ve got to compliment Denver. It was clearly, like I said, that was a humbling loss. I haven’t had my ass kicked like that in a long time. I thought they did a heck of job covering us.”

When the Packers fell behind 14-0, they had to essentially abandon the rushing attack. This prevented starter Eddie Lacy from producing at an expected level. Lacy finished the game with 11 rushes for 38 yards and one rushing touchdown. There perhaps could have been more for him on the ground, but the Packers had to start playing “catch-up” football fairly early on Sunday night.

The Broncos defense is the best in the league. If they continue to play at this level, it will be difficult for any offense to move the ball enough to beat the Broncos in 2015.

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.