Week 4 AFC West Roundup
By Justin Smith
Denver Broncos
1st Place in AFC West
Record: 4-0
Last Game: Win at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3) 27-7
Next Game: vs. Atlanta Falcons (3-1), Sunday, October 9th at 4:25 pm EST
The Broncos scored in all four quarters against Tampa, doing it through the air, on the ground, and on defense. Former Buc Aqib “straight gangsta” Talib had two picks and the Denver defense did what they do — smothered Jameis Winston and the Bucs all day long.
Siemian left the game shortly before the first half with a left shoulder injury, but Lynch came in for his first regular season NFL action and played fairly well.
The rookie first-rounder was 14/24 for 170 yards and a TD with no picks. He played with poise, good movement, and a good understanding of the offense.
Siemian played well before exiting the game, showing the league that the Broncos do in fact have a passable QB. Lynch then came in and showed the league that they also have a talented rookie.
One can foresee John Elway packaging Siemian down the road if he continues to play well and getting a decent return, adding depth to an already deep team.
The Broncos are in tough this weekend at home against the Falcons. Atlanta handed the Raiders their only loss of the season, and that was in Oakland. Matt Ryan leads the NFL in passing yards, and Julio Jones is a one-man wrecking crew.
Sickle-cell issues could keep Tevin Coleman out of Denver, which is a blow for the Falcons. They’ll need to establish a balanced offense or else Matt Ryan will be under pressure. When he is, he doesn’t throw for 500 yards. He usually throws picks.
The Falcons can give the Broncos a real challenge with their offensive versatility, and Jones is a matchup nightmare for anyone, even the savvy Broncos secondary. This will be a tough game and may give the Raiders an opportunity to sneak into a tie for the division lead if everything breaks right.