DENVER — Instant reaction from the Broncos’ 31-28 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Sunday’s season finale.
Jeudy, Jeudy, Jeudy: Can someone please retrieve Khalil Mack’s cleats from the Empower Field turf? Jerry Jeudy shook the Chargers outside linebacker out of them on a 13-yard reverse run that served as one of many reminders Sunday that the Broncos receiver has turned a corner. Jeudy’s stat line over the last six weeks of the season: 44 receptions, 523 yards and three touchdowns. A player who once appeared to be trending toward first-round bust territory now has to be considered a future building block.
Russ hope meter: If Russell Wilson was looking to build momentum going into the offseason, Sunday looked pretty bleak … until the second-to-last snap of the second quarter. That’s when Russ, rolling to his left, uncorked a 57-yard bomb to Jeudy down the sideline to set up a 3-yard TD pass to Eric Tomlinson. Two more long strikes — 50 yards to Jeudy again in the third quarter, and 52 yards to Freddie Swain in the fourth quarter — showed that maybe Russ still has some of that patented touch left. Which, for now, is enough.
The Replacements: Those who spent the first half of the season begging for the Broncos to cut veteran running back Melvin Gordon received a little more vindication Sunday — not that they needed any. Two of the team’s four touchdowns — a 2-yard Latavius Murray run and 24-yard Tyler Badie reception — came from backs who were on other teams’ practice squads earlier this season. As did the Broncos’ second 100-yard rushing game (from Murray). Gordon had none of the latter and two of the former over 10 games in Denver. So, yeah, imminently replaceable.
Special teams flop: How are you liking Montrell Williams now? The since-benched rookie returner may not have had the breakout season many were expecting, but two fumbled punts in one game from his replacements (Freddie Swain and Brandon Johnson)? Not exactly a glowing endorsement of interim head coach, and special teams guru, Jerry Rosburg’s decision-making. It got so bad the Broncos declined to catch a punt that landed just short of their own 20-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
