Stud No. 1 – Owen Daniels
Like most of the Broncos offensive players, you didn’t much notice Owen Daniels in the first half of Monday’s game. He had just one catch, which came in the second quarter.
But like the rest of the offense, Daniels started to heat up as the game wore on. By the time overtime arrived, he was all but melting the frozen tundra that was the playing surface at Sports Authority Field on a night where temperatures dipped near single-digits. The cold didn’t bother the weatherman (yes, Daniels is a meteorologist), who racked up four more catches on the night, the final three in spectacular and game-changing fashion.
With the game tied and 1:40 on the clock, Denver went into its 2:00 drill from their won 20 needing (so they though) about 50-55 yards to get into field goal range for Brandon McManus. On the first two plays of the drive, Daniels went ahead and delivered 42 of them. With catches of 16 and 26 yards, Daniels had the Broncos on the right side of the field and in business to set up a potential game-winning kick.
When that kick was missed (badly), Daniels responded in overtime, coming up with perhaps the most important catch of the game. Facing a third-and-10, Daniels got past the sticks and pulled in a 12-yard reception to avoid a three-and-out to open overtime. He was targeted near the goal line later in the drive and was nearly decapitated trying to make the catch – a stark departure from what we saw from Vernon Davis over the past two weeks.
Daniels didn’t make that final catch, but without the three that came before it, Denver might be standing on the brink of playoff elimination.
