The Denver Broncos entered Week 14 with a heavy heart, following the loss of legendary receiver Demaryius Thomas, but fortunately, multiple stars rose to the occasion and led the Broncos to an awesome, blowout victory.

Which stars made the biggest impact on the win? Let’s look.

Stock Up

Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon

This backfield tandem of Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon that the Broncos have constructed is absolutely awesome.

Both are playing like top-15 — and maybe even top-10 — players at the running back position, and they can also affect the game in all aspects. Both are masters at picking up yards after contact and turning short gains into medium gains, but the two of them also can impact the passing game, either as receivers or as pass protectors.

That versatility and high level of talent have provided the Broncos with an offensive identity. Something they’ve been desperately in need of.

In the first quarter, the Broncos moved the ball up and down the field with ease and it was all a courtesy of the running backs, who gained 81 yards in the quarter. In the second quarter, the offensive production vanished, largely because the Broncos stopped leaning on the run game, which accumulated just six yards in the second frame.

Fortunately, during halftime, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur was able to deduce the key to Denver’s offensive success. In the second half, the Broncos went back to the run and wouldn’t look back.

Ultimately, Denver’s backs finished the day with 184 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and one 10-yard receiving touchdown from Williams as the cherry on top.

Dre’Mont Jones and Shelby Harris

Williams and Gordon wasn’t the only dynamic duo for Denver to decimate the Detroit Lions, as Dre’Mont Jones and Shelby Harris absolutely dominated the inferior competition and came up with multiple game-changing plays.

In the first half, Harris deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage on down which forced the Lions to settle for a field goal and kept the Broncos in the lead. Then, later in the game, Harris forced a fumble on Detroit’s first drive of the second half, setting Denver up with a golden opportunity to extend their lead to double digits, and swinging the momentum back in their favor.

Meanwhile, Jones was playing like a man possessed from the moment the game kicked off. In his first series on the field, Jones tore through Detroit’s line to bring down Goff on third down, forcing a three-and-out.

He then single-handedly ended a Lions drive early in the second half, as he sacked Goff on first down, recorded a tackle for loss on second down, and then deflected Goff’s pass on fourth down. It was next-level domination.

Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons

To round out our theme of dynamic duos here, let’s take a look at the performances of Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons, who also made a series of game-changing plays on defense.

Jackson had a pair of physical plays that ultimately led to him being temporarily sidelined, but they also held a major impact on the game’s outcome. First, Jackson wrapped up a bigger tight end who was fighting for extra yards, and forced him out of bounds short of the marker. This forced the Lions to go for it on fourth down on the very next play, which Jackson blew up with a thunderous hit that led to him being evaluated for a concussion.

However, fortunately for Denver, Jackson was able to re-enter the game and made another critical fourth-down stop. With Detroit on Denver’s one-yard line, Jackson came up with a huge deflection, sinking the Lions for good.

Justin Simmons might have had the defensive play of the night though. He made an impressive, diving interception and immediately ran to the Demaryius Thomas numbers painted on the field to celebrate with his former teammate.

It was a very emotional night for Broncos Country, and few, if any, captured that emotion and harnessed it better than Simmons.

Stock Down

Teddy Bridgewater

It was a great day for almost everyone in orange and blue, but not for the starting quarterback who continues to look like he isn’t playing at 100 percent.

His ball placement has been scattershot for multiple weeks, and that’s a major concern for a quarterback who doesn’t offer many tools outside of his accuracy. This was epitomized on a third and long throw to an open Tim Patrick, which fluttered through the air like a wounded duck, and fell at his feet, giving him little opportunity to make a play on the ball.

The over-conservative nature continues to pop up on third downs as well.

When this offense is put in the hands of its talented running backs, it’s a pretty good offense. When it’s made to rely on Bridgewater, especially this battered version, it’s been pretty lackluster.

That puts the Broncos in a bind, as the coaching staff clearly has next-to-zero faith in Bridgewater’s backup.