Everything was going according to form for the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
On the third play of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Aqib Talib intercepted a Jameis Winston pass. Then on the ensuing play, Trevor Siemian found Demaryius Thomas, and the Broncos took an early 7-0 lead.
The Bucs responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that saw them convert three different third downs, and the game was tied at seven apiece. But that would be just about it for Tampa.
Three drives later, Talib took another gift from Winston, and C.J. Anderson punched in another touchdown. Now the Broncos held a narrow 14-7 lead.
It felt like we could be in for another dogfight.
The Broncos were struggling to run the football, generating just 17 yards on seven carries. Trevor Siemian was under some major pressure, being sacked three times and going just 5 of 7 for 68 yards. And then, late in the second quarter, everything changed.
Siemian was flung to the ground by Buccaneers defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, and after one more play, he was escorted to the locker room with a left shoulder injury.
Rookie Paxton Lynch would come on in relief, and Bronco Country held their collective breath.
While Lynch played very well in his first action of the regular season, he got an abundance of help from his teammates, who were set on keeping their record perfect.
The defense would stiffen and hold the Buccaneers offense to just 215 total yards, sacking Winston five times while hitting him 16 times. The wide receivers found ways to get open for big gains, and the offensive line provided some better protection for Lynch. He would finish the day 14 for 24 for 170 yards and was sacked just once.
Demaryius Thomas would grab six passes for 94 yards and a touchdown, and Emmanuel Sanders had eight receptions for 88 yards and a score of his own.
And after a very slow start, the running game finally started to find some holes in the defense. Anderson would finish the day with just 49 yards, but rookie Devontae Booker picked up 43 yards on just seven carries, and Kapri Bibbs pitched in 14 yards on only three carries.
The Broncos would build on their seven-point lead, extending it to a 20-point victory, thanks to everyone on the team stepping up their game.
We will now wait for word as to the extent of Siemian’s injury, but no matter who is under center, this team keeps finding ways to piece together victories.
The Broncos will return home to face the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday, and we may not know who the starting quarterback will be until later this week. But does it really matter?
The Broncos didn’t change the game plan for Lynch on Sunday: Let your outstanding defense put you in good situations, capitalize on those opportunities and don’t make any big mistakes.
That plan remains the same, no matter who is under center.
And as long as the players around the quarterback are playing at a high level, Gary Kubiak has already proven once that his team can continue winning.