Denver Broncos Week 9 Stock Report

The Denver Broncos made a big statement Sunday night in Week 8 when they easily beat the Green Bay Packers 29-10. That victory was against their best opponent of the season, and it stated they are to be taken seriously as Super Bowl contenders. The Broncos are back on the road this week as they travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak has a healthy respect for the opponent this week.

“I told the guys just a few minutes ago after practice—one of the things that we did the other night was that we played very fast as a team, and we carried that over to practice today. We practiced very fast. They understand. They know we're playing a great football team that has a lot of new additions from last year.”

Kubiak continued, “They were in the [AFC] Championship game last year. We're probably playing at one of the toughest places to play in this league. We understand that. We were good and focused today.”

Some players on the Broncos will see their stock on the rise after the big win over Green Bay. Others on the roster have seen their stock tumble after Week 8, but that may not be their fault.

Here is the stock report for the Broncos as they head into Week 9.

Stock Up: RB C.J. Anderson

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Denver benched Running back C.J. Anderson in favor of Ronnie Hillman for the Packers game, but Anderson came through with a 101-yard performance from his backup role. He seemed to be healthy after struggling with an ankle/toe injury he originally suffered in Week 1. Anderson also seemed happy as he skipped and leaped on his way off the field and into the tunnel after the game.

Anderson revealed the key to his performance.

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

In Week 8, Anderson finally looked like the back many thought he would be this year. He ran with proper burst to get to and through holes quickly. He ran with proper power and was able to motor through multiple arm tackles.

Against the Packers, Anderson had 49 rushing yards before contact. He also had 52 yards after contact and rushed for four first downs. His longest carry of the game was 28 yards.

Clearly, his stock is on the rise. There’s no telling whether or not Anderson will get his starting job back. Either way, the Broncos have proved they’re going to use both backs, and Anderson can be productive no matter if he’s the starter or reserve back.

Stock Down: TE Owen Daniels

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Tight end Owen Daniels had a good game against the Packers, but his stock is on the way down. Both Daniels and Virgil Green saw their stock take a hit when the Broncos traded the San Francisco 49ers for tight end Vernon Davis.

In the game against the Packers, Daniels and Green combined for 105 yards receiving on six receptions (three apiece). Green was able to get 34 yards after the catch in Week 8, and Daniels was able to get 39.

Green talked about why the Broncos were able to use the tight ends more in Week 8.

“I just think it was the way they were calling the plays," Green said. "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 team wants to use the tight ends early and often under Kubiak. The way they were used against the Packers could be what we see moving forward—but it could be Davis as the primary pass-catcher at the position.

Davis made his debut at UC Health Training Center on Wednesday. He’s thrilled to be in an offense that regularly features the tight end position.

“It's very exciting, I can't wait. Last night, I was just lying in my bed and I just couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep. I was like, 'I'm here in Denver with [head coach Gary] Kubiak and Peyton.”

Davis emphasized, “This is going to be fantastic.”

With Davis in town, we’re likely to see less of Daniels and Green—thus their stock is down.

Stock Up: DE Derek Wolfe

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Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Packers. This was the first time he had received the award during his four-year career, and it was the third time a Broncos defender was tabbed with the honor this season (Aqib Talib in Week 1, T.J. Ward in Week 4).

Kubiak beamed when talking about Wolfe: “We're really proud of Derek. He's come back and worked hard. We needed to stop the run last night. That was important. I think Derek had eight or nine solo tackles. I just think his effort—he's all in with [defensive line coach] Bill [Kollar] and what we're trying to do."

Kubiak concluded, "I think he's responded extremely well and is off to a really good start since he's come back.”

Wolfe led the Broncos with a career-high seven tackles, including one for a loss, against the Packers Sunday night. His performance helped the team stuff the run and stay undefeated this season.

The seven tackles by Wolfe represent the most by a Broncos defensive lineman this season. The Packers only had 140 net yards—224 yards below their season average entering the game. They were only able to generate 49 yards on the ground with an average of just 2.7 yards per carry.

Stock Down: WR Emmanuel Sanders

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

With so many passes going toward Demaryius Thomas and the tight ends, it meant a smaller piece of the pie for wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Against the Packers, Thomas had eight catches for 168 yards, and the tight ends combined for six catches and 105 yards receiving.

Sanders was targeted five times, but he was only able to haul in two catches for 22 yards.

The trade for tight end Vernon Davis could mean even fewer looks for Sanders. Quarterback Peyton Manning revealed the team's plans on getting Davis up to speed as soon as possible.

"We're hoping he can come in here and help our whole football team," Peyton said. "His head is probably swirling a little bit trying to kind of figure out where his locker is and where the meeting rooms are, but he's been around."

Manning continued, “We're going to try to catch him up to speed in as short an amount of time as possible and put in him in a position to help us win some football games."

Sanders was banged up in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns with a shoulder injury. He was able to get healthy during the bye week, but he did not produce up to an expected level against the Packers.

Stock Up: QB Peyton Manning

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The naysayers of quarterback Peyton Manning came out in full force this year. Manning didn’t worry about silencing his critics after the Packers game—even though that’s what his performance did.

“How can I say this without hurting anybody's feelings? I just don't give what y'all say that much merit,” he said. "I don't look at this like an 'I told you so' moment because I don't really listen to what you say in the first place. That's kind of been my approach.”

Manning didn’t throw a touchdown pass as Anderson and Hillman scored three rushing touchdowns. However, he was efficient and on point as a passer.

He had the second-highest completion percentage of the season against the Packers at 72.4 percent. Manning had the longest yards per attempt of this season at 11.7 yards. His 10.38 air yards per passing attempt was the longest of the season and really shows how much success Manning had throwing longer passes.

The rushing game is on point, and that is helping to open things up for Manning and the passing attack. The tight end position gets a shot in the arm with the trade for Vernon Davis, and Manning is the primary beneficiary of that move.

Needless to say, things are trending up for him.

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.