MVP
There were several candidates for MVP of the enormous win Sunday night but one player was vital to the offenses success. Emmanuel Sanders returned from injury and saved the offense from sputtering to a halt versus the Patriots. Sanders grabbed six receptions for 113 yards and averaged 18.8 yards per catch. Of his six catches, five resulted in first downs, nearly half of the team total (12).
“Emmanuel just had the hot hand. Sometimes it’s all about recognizing when somebody has those hot hands,” Osweiler said when asked why Sanders played such a big role Sunday. “You could just tell by his body language in the huddle and how he was on the sideline that he wanted the football. When you have a guy like that who is as talented as Emmanuel is and he’s calling for the ball, you’re going to try to find a way to get him the ball.”
Sanders and Thomas have taken turns being the hero in big games. When the Broncos defeated the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers it was Thomas, not Sanders that made an impact. Sunday night, Thomas struggled mightily. He was targeted 13 times and only caught one pass for 36 yards. He dropped several passes but to his credit his one catch came in the fourth quarter and set up Sanders’ 39-yard catch. Without Sanders Sunday, it is hard to believe the Broncos could have won the game.
Honorable mention: On top of running the ball in for the game-winning touchdown, Anderson provided the power running that was needed to keep the Patriots defense honest. He ran the ball 15 times for 133 yards and had two touchdowns. Kubiak was pleased with what the saw fro the young back.
“I saw confidence. He was very confident,” Kubiak said. “Actually, he said something to me on one of the drives down there when we had like third-and-three at the three [yard line] – ‘Coach, give it to me.’ I love players like that. That’s what you want to here. I think C.J. has gained confidence in what we do offensively as the season has gone on and should continue to gain some more.”
