DENVER – A few thoughts on the Denver Broncos' 47-14 win over the Oakland Raiders:
What it means: The Broncos, even with 22 players on their injury report this week, earned a needed and coveted bye week in the first round of the postseason. Denver also finished with an 8-0 record at home for just the sixth time since the schedule expanded to 16 games. The Broncos earned a home game in the divisional round and the AFC’s No. 2 seed.
Stock watch: Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas set a single-season yardage record with a second-quarter catch that, at that moment, gave him 1,614 for the year. He had 110 yards receiving by halftime -- his 10th 100-yard receiving game of the season -- and continues to be a matchup nightmare for defenses, despite the fact they give him a lot of attention. Thomas has played through an ankle injury in recent weeks and on Sunday battled through a finger injury as well. The Broncos won’t let the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent hit the open market. They’ll either sign him to a long-term deal or use the franchise player tag on him in 2015 as they continue to work toward a deal.
A nice addition: Running back Ronnie Hillman played in his first game since he suffered a left foot injury Nov. 9 in Oakland. His return gave the Broncos a little more pop in the offense. Hillman’s speed gave the Broncos a little different look Sunday, and he proved to be a quality option with C.J. Anderson in the run game. Anderson averaged 6.7 yards per carry with three rushing touchdowns in 13 carries, and Hillman averaged 3.7 yards per carry in 15 carries. Defenses have packed the middle on the Broncos in recent weeks. Hillman’s return, with his threat to the perimeter, should give Denver another way to clear some of that traffic out of the way.
Game ball: It’s been a season in which the Broncos have consistently been measured, especially on offense, against last year’s Super Bowl team. No player has had a quality season get lost in the comparison more than quarterback Peyton Manning. While linebacker Brandon Marshall certainly has a claim to be the team’s MVP this season, as do cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and wide receivers Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Manning overcame four changes in the offensive line, injuries at running back and another year in his own aging process, as the Broncos tried to diversify their offense mid-stream with more emphasis on the run game. He entered Sunday’s game as the league leader in touchdown passes -- Andrew Luck threw two TD passes Sunday to pass him -- and the Broncos, after finishing 12-4, are 38-10 in games he starts.
What’s next: The Broncos are expected to give the players a little bit of time off this week -- but not too much -- as they prepare for their first playoff opponent. They will clean up some loose ends on the practice field with some self-scouting work and hope the bye week gives them the opportunity to get as healthy as possible. The only significant injury added to the list Sunday was a concussion to guard Orlando Franklin.
