Broncos Kubiak much happier with offensive performance Monday

The Denver Broncos had a day off Sunday, but they came out firing on all cylinders offensively Monday. This was a welcome change from the lackluster offensive performance we saw Saturday. The team seemed out of sync over the weekend, and they certainly weren’t sharp after a shutout victory over the Chicago Bears on Thursday and a day off Friday.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak was quite happy with the way his team responded.

“We had a good edge today. I thought the offense practiced really well, especially the first hour and 20 minutes,” Kubiak said. “They made a lot of big plays. We just had a good competitive edge to us. It’s something that we have to find all the time.”

Here are the players who stood out Monday on the offensive side of the ball:

Quarterback Trevor Siemian

There is no doubt that Siemian has been the better QB most every day in training camp. On Monday, Siemian once again was better than veteran Mark Sanchez.

You see an improved comfort level with Siemian as he goes through camp. It seemed like Siemian had a real improved connection with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders on Monday. Sanders came through for Siemian on several big catches, including a deep route that would have been a 60-yard touchdown. Siemian hit Sanders in stride as he looked the ball in over his shoulder.

Siemian works well throwing on the run, and Monday was no different. He did zip a nice deep throw to wide receiver Jordan Norwood after rolling out and throwing to the opposite side of the field. Like the long touchdown to Sanders, this one from Norwood fell into the receiver’s hands without missing a beat.

Throwing with touch consistently is still a problem with Siemian, but his increased aggression as a passer has set him near the top of this quarterback competition.

Running back Devontae Booker

There is a fierce competition going on right now for the backup running back spot behind starter C.J. Anderson. Rookie Devontae Booker is a talented player with the power, agility, balance, and burst to one day be a quality starter for the Broncos. I’ve described him as a three-down-back-in-waiting behind Anderson, and it looks like the rookie is cementing himself as the primary backup.

In order to secure the position, Booker needs to beat out last year’s leading rusher Ronnie Hillman. The veteran back has not been that impressive in camp as he’s limited in what he can do. Hillman is fast, but his speed is only evident when running in a near straight line. Asking him to change direction forces Hillman to lose speed while making a cut. When he gets the rock, Hillman is best used running wide outside the tackles. Defenses know that when Hillman has the ball he’s probably looking to bounce things outside.

Kapri Bibbs is in the mix too. The third-year running back has spent two years on the practice squad waiting for his opportunity. He needs to prove himself in pass protection or else this could be his final year in Denver.

Kubiak admitted there is a battle at the running back position.

“Ronnie is in a battle. He’s in a hell of a battle with Kapri and Booker right now. There’s no way around that. I’m just being honest with you,” Kubiak said. “Special teams will be really important. Ronnie is going to play a lot this week, and he’s going to play some special teams, so it’s a very competitive situation.”

It sounds like Hillman is going to get a lot of touches on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers. We’ll see what he can do with the touches he’s given, but this much is clear: Booker is pushing him for the primary backup job, and the rookie may be considered the favorite at this time.

Tight end Virgil Green

The Broncos need to use more of tight end Virgil Green in 2016, and all signs are pointing to that being a distinct possibility. Green, a seventh-round pick in 2011, came out of college known as a pass-catching threat at Nevada. During his pro career, Green has developed his blocking and is now a good all-purpose player.

However, his blocking has become so strong that often his receiving ability is forgotten. That didn’t dry up when he turned pro, and Green can still be a receiving weapon on the field. He had a good opening drive against the Bears, catching three passes and helping to move the chains. That could be an indication that Green can easily best the career-high 12 catches he had in 2015.

The entire offense struggled during Saturday’s practice, and the tight ends weren’t exempt in their disappointing play. Things sure looked different on Monday.

Green is glad the team bounced back after a bad Saturday performance.

“When you have a practice like on Saturday, you definitely want to come back out and establish yourself as being very competitive. That’s what we went out there today and did,” Green said. “We just competed and treated it like a game today. We had a good day today.”

Green has had a good day of practice almost every day at Broncos camp. His continued strong play should secure him the top tight end job in 2016, and we could see career-best numbers from the veteran pass catcher because of it.