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Broncos Battle Inconsistency, But Are 7-3 At Their Break

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (The Sports Xchange) - There is just something about being an underdog that riles up the Denver Broncos. Something that goes beyond any logical explanation.

In the last two seasons, the Broncos are 8-2 as an underdog, with the latest of those wins being perhaps the most unlikely, a 25-23 win over the New Orleans Saints that only was made possible by a blocked extra point and the absence of a clear replay angle that could have ruled Will Parks out of bounds on his 84-yard return for the decisive two points.

Will Parks
Will Parks (credit: CBS)

Parks pointed to two pairs of orange shoes in his locker after the game. But he chose to wear white, and as a result, no camera angle was able to discern whether he stepped out of bounds or not during his return. A slew of Saints pointed to the sideline believing he had stepped out, but the play stood, and the Broncos had their seventh -- and most improbable -- win of the season.

Demaryius Thomas
Demaryius Thomas #88 of the Denver Broncos is tackled by Ken Crawley #46 of the New Orleans Saints during the first half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 13, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The Broncos hit their bye in third place at 7-3. It is a mark that would be good enough to lead five other divisions. It's also far from the worst place to be considering that the Broncos have broken in a new quarterback, played a month without outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and three games without cornerback Aqib Talib, and still have an offensive line struggling to find its way, standing as the single biggest reason why the Broncos lumber into the bye with the No. 27 offense.

"Probably some things could have happened that could have put us in worse shape, too, but to be 10 weeks into it with some of the changes that we've had, playing a first-year quarterback, losing (running back) C.J. (Anderson), defensively the guys that we've had down, we're right there," Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said.

Still, the Broncos are on a jagged edge. At 7-3, just one team has more wins than they do -- the 8-1 Dallas Cowboys. But they are a blocked extra point and a last-second Graham Gano missed field goal away from being 5-5 and perhaps facing a maelstrom of criticism from fans who want to see Paxton Lynch sooner rather than later.

Lynch showed in his lone start that he's still not ready for extensive work, leaving Trevor Siemian as the best option. Siemian has been far from perfect, and threw two interceptions Sunday.

Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian #13 of the Denver Broncos passes in the pocket during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on October 13, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

But he's also earned one of the team captain's spots -- as voted by teammates at midseason -- and has commanded the respect of the locker room. The 2015 seventh-round pick has played well above his draft status and has kept the Broncos in the playoff race.

That's not enough.

"I want to see him continue to lead better and better with this football team. I want to see his play become more consistent," Kubiak said. "He has to continue to play big for this team, not OK. We need him to play big."

The team has been capable of big moments: Justin Simmons' blocked extra point Sunday, the defense's goal-line stand against San Diego in Week 8, Von Miller's game-sealing strip-sack fumble against the Colts in Week 2, a comeback over Carolina in Week 1. Whether Siemian is capable of those moments could determine whether the Broncos are a playoff team, and if they qualify, just how far they can go.

NOTES, QUOTES

-- Trevor Siemian looked like a revelation at times during his first four starts. But his last five starts since returning from a left shoulder injury have revealed some limitations in the second-year quarterback.

The most pressing of these is turnovers. Siemian had three interceptions in his first two starts, then had none in his next four. But he came close, with some dropped interceptions against the Bengals in Week 3 and early in Week 8 against the Chargers.

As that game progressed, the turnovers began, and since then, Siemian has struggled to protect the football, with six giveaways -- four interceptions and two lost fumbles -- in the last three games.

"One thing that he had done early in this season, he protected the ball better and he hasn't protected it the last three weeks so that's a concern," Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said. "We're addressing those things as we speak, so he knows that."

But his toughness and resilience has earned him locker-room credibility.

"You realize how many shots he did take. His toughness, it's been incredible so far," said wide receiver Jordan Taylor. "He's taken a lot of blows."

-- Offensive line remains a problem for the Broncos. Although not all of the six sacks Trevor Siemian suffered were on the line, the unit once again failed to give the second-year quarterback sufficient time to throw or enough lanes for the running backs.

"We just need to find some consistency. I'm concerned in the consistency of what we're doing," Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said.

The offense was able to hold the football for nearly 40 minutes Sunday, a near-complete reversal from the discrepancy against Oakland a week earlier. But the pressure under which Siemian found himself was troubling, and Kubiak opted to make a change during the game, benching Donald Stephenson for Ty Sambrailo.

"Ty came in and did some good things, but we have to get more consistent these last six weeks," Kubiak said.

And that could mean shuffling which linemen play and how much. Kubiak praised the development of Billy Turner and rookie Connor McGovern, but for one to be active, someone else would have to be deactivated.

"I can sit here and have all of these solutions for you, but it's not the preseason. You can't suit them all up and let them all try. You have to make a decision on how many guys you're going to suit on Sunday morning and that's usually seven guys up front," Kubiak said. "Versatility and those types of things come into play and they will continue to come into play."

And the bye will offer a time for further evaluation.

"We're in evaluation mode, big-time," Kubiak said.

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