2017 Broncos' Season, Week 1

The NFL Regular Season is back, and the Broncos got off to a strong start.

Week 1: Broncos 24, Los Angeles Chargers 21
Season Record: 1-0 (1-0 Home)
Key Play: In the fourth quarter with the game on the line, the Chargers lined up for a tying field goal. After taking a time out to ice the kicker, the Broncos' special teams surged and Shelby Harris blocked the kick, securing a three-point victory for Denver.

Recap: It was a long, strange week for the NFL as the regular season got under way. The Patriots lost at home, and the Buffalo Bills sit alone atop the AFC East. The Jacksonville Jaguars pounded the Houston Texans, meaning Blake Bortles has more regular season wins in 2017 than Tom Brady. And both the Chiefs and Raiders looked strong in getting road victories over AFC playoff contenders. That put plenty of pressure on the Broncos, who hosted the Los Angeles Chargers in the LAST game of Week 1, the second half of a Monday-night double header. That put the start of the game at 8:15 p.m., and pushed it well past my bed time. It also meant that the winner of the game would remain in a tie for first atop the AFC West, while the loser would begin the season already in a big hole. With the powerhouse Dallas Cowboys coming to town next week, and the Oakland Raiders hitting Denver on October 1, that meant even more pressure to start strong for the Broncos. Naturally the big question was how this team would look, and if they'd be able to correct some of their issues from last season, specifically running the ball and stopping the run. The game didn't start out grand (the Broncos allowed Melvin Gordon to go for 21 yards on the opening play), but in the end the team looked better in both those areas. And while the mini fourth quarter collapse was disappointing (two turnovers and two touchdowns allowed after building a 17-point lead), the Broncos did enough to win and that is the ultimate goal. In short, the offense looked better, the defense looked a little more vulnerable, at least in the fourth quarter, but the team was good enough to win.

Game Balls:
* Shelby Harris. Harris was a beast in the pre-season, helping him make the squad. That carried into Week 1 with some big plays, including that blocked kick at the end.
* CJ Anderson and Jamaal Charles. Charles' fourth quarter fumble isn't great, and needs to be addressed, but both backs looked strong, combining for more than 100 yards rushing and stabilizing the Broncos' offense.
* Bennie Fowler. Fowler was like the missing man in the pre-season, hardly making a peep. But he seemingly made the roster with ease, and looked every bit the third receiver the Broncos need on Monday. He grabbed three passes for 21 yards and two big touchdowns.
* Trevor Siemian. He ended the game on a down note with a costly fourth quarter interception (though one could argue that wasn't his fault), but he played really well, outplaying Phillip Rivers for three quarters. He looked good on the ground, going for 19 yards and a touchdown, and he threw for two more. Despite a near constant stream of pressure, Siemian made plays when it mattered most.

Lingering Concerns:
* Offensive Line. So the Broncos' offensive line was better at times, and seemed to make way for better running. But Ronald Leary went out with a concussion, so that's a concern. Of greater concern was the fact that Menilik Watson got hammered at right tackle, and let the Chargers' defenders hammer Siemian. That isn't a winning formula for the season.
* Overall health. The Broncos came into the game thin at defensive line, and Derek Wolfe got knicked up. The Broncos used to be an incredibly deep team, especially on defense. But they've lost depth the past few off-seasons. Now we're just a couple big injuries away from some real problems.