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Jake Butt: Broncos Were 'Calm, No Worries' In The Huddle

By Chad Jensen

DENVER (247 SPORTS) - It felt good to see Jake Butt featured so prominently in the Denver Broncos offensive game-plan in Week 2. With the Oakland Raiders in town — you know, they with the old linebackers — Denver had an opportunity to work the middle of the field.

Oakland Raiders v Denver Broncos
Defensive back Rashaan Melvin #22 of the Oakland Raiders intercepts a pass intended for tight end Jake Butt #80 of the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on September 16, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

It was slow going, as Case Keenum struggled mightily out of the gates, posting just 16 passing yards in the first half on five completions. But it was clear that targeting Butt in this game was a priority.

The Broncos stormed back in the second half to snatch a victory from the veritable jaws of defeat. Butt's play was a big part of that. This Broncos team is relearning how to win ugly, but finding a way to pull out the victory despite an inconsistent and lackluster performance speaks volumes to the mettle of this team.

"It just shows that we've got a strong team with a lot of heart," Butt said following the Broncos 20-19 win. "We're going to fight until the very last second, even when we're stumbling a little bit throughout the game, but that's exactly what we did. We fought to the very last second and found a way to win."

Butt helped Keenum move the chains, finishing with four receptions on six targets for 48 yards. He tied Emmanuel Sanders for the team high in catches.

It was an encouraging step in the right direction for Jake Butt, who's still working to get his game legs beneath him has a pro. When the game was in doubt, Keenum had no problem targeting the first-year tight end.

Trailing by multiple scores in the fourth quarter, this Broncos team never lost focus. They continued to believe in their ability to battle back and win at home. Butt gave us a window into what the energy was like in the offensive huddle in the clutch.

"Calm. No worries," he said. "Everybody, just business as usual. It's something that we've been practicing all the way back to Spring, the two-minute, these kind of situations. V.J. (Head Coach Vance Joseph) has done a hell of a job at putting us in bunches of different situations: down six, down three, down two. We've been in this situations like this before, so everybody was calm. Let's just find a way to win. That's what we did."

A lot of it had to do with the quarterback's will to win and ability to galvanize his teammates. And when Butt's number was called, he stepped up.

The only thing that would have made Butt's Week 2 performance any sweeter would have been that touchdown Keenum missed in the second quarter. Keenum under-threw Butt's route down the right seam in the redzone, and Raiders defensive back Rashaan Melvin picked it off.

PHOTO GALLERY: Broncos 20, Raiders 19

It was a dangerous throw, as Butt was bracketed with a safety over the top. But with just a little more air underneath it, Keenum could have dropped it in the bucket, with Butt falling forward into the end zone for six.

Those moments will come. With so many new contributors on offense, this unit is still establishing chemistry and timing.

Wins like this one will only bolster Denver's collective belief that they can win in any situation. They'll be tested on the road for the first time this week as they travel to Baltimore.

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