The Denver Broncos got a much-needed bye week in Week 11, and they hope the week pays dividends to a team that still has Super Bowl aspirations.
After starting the season 4-0, the Broncos limped into the bye week, going 3-3 in their last six games.
But the bye week could be a very valuable asset to a team that desperately needed it.
After 10 weeks of very competitive football, this team is banged up with various injuries, and there are a number of areas that could use a week of focus.
Denver now heads into the stretch run before the postseason. It was at this point last year that we saw Gary Kubiak sit Peyton Manning down with injury, rallying the team around Brock Osweiler.
The Broncos won five of their last seven games and clinched home field advantage in the playoffs.
Can Kubiak work the same magic this season and get this team playing their best again this year?
Here are five players that need to show some major improvement if this team is going to defend their title:
Trevor Siemian
We might as well start at the top.
It hasn’t always been pretty for the first-year starter, but Siemian is 7-2, and that has to count for something.
Still, the Broncos would like to see more production from their offense, and a good portion of that will fall at the feet of Siemian.
He is completing over 60 percent of his passes, but he has thrown seven interceptions to just 12 touchdowns. And we can’t forget that he has had a number of interceptions dropped by opponents.
We know with this defense that Siemian just has to take care of the football and make good decisions. It might be frustrating to fans, but they’ll live with his 6.97 yards per pass, as long as he doesn’t turn it over.
The league now has a scouting report on Siemian. Can he still find ways to generate some points when needed?
