The Denver Broncos won just seven games in 2019 and missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. If we wanted to be cynical, we would dwell on just those facts.
But for a team that started the year 0-4, the fact that the Broncos finished the season at 7-9 can be viewed as quite encouraging. Many of the team’s best moments happened toward the end of the season and helped build the momentum for a solid finish to the season.
A solid finish to a season usually breeds plenty of optimism for the year ahead.
These five moments helped breed that optimism. So here are the top five moments from the Broncos’ 2019 season, ranked in descending order.
5. Kareem Jackson lateral turned into touchdown
This was arguably the Broncos’ most exciting touchdown last season.
Facing the Houston Texans and already leading 7-0 on the road, the Broncos came up with a game-changing turnover.
The Texans had the ball 1st-and-10 from the Denver 37-yard line and were driving when Deshaun Watson completed a pass to Keke Coutee. But Alexander Johnson knocked the ball from Coutee’s arms and Jeremiah Attaochu picked it up. Attaochu then turned and handed the ball to Kareem Jackson, who had played for the Texans up to being signed by Denver in the offseason.
Jackson took the ball toward the sideline and raced to the end zone for a defensive score to put Denver up 14-0.
4. Sutton’s one-handed grab
This play will go down as a lot of things.
For one, Courtland Sutton will be hard-pressed to ever make a better catch than this one. In the first quarter in their December game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sutton made an incredible one-handed grab to break a scoreless tie.
It will also be remembered as the first career touchdown pass thrown by Drew Lock, one he’ll surely not forget.
Finally, it will hopefully be remembered as the start of a long-lasting connection between Lock and Sutton.
3. Lindsay eclipses 1,000 yards
It might not seem like it’s all that important, as 1,000 yards rushing isn’t considered the accomplishment for a running back that it once was. But when you consider that no other undrafted running back aside from Phillip Lindsay has ever done it the first two years of their career, it’s something to talk about.
Lindsay didn’t make it easy, needing 42 yards against the Oakland Raiders in the season finale to reach the mark.
Through three quarters, Lindsay had 36 yards rushing. On 1st-and-10 from their own 24-yard line, Lindsay gained six yards to put him at exactly 1,000 for the season. He finished the year with 1,011 yards on the ground.
It remains to be seen where Lindsay finishes among running backs in team history, but his first two years have been better than anyone could have expected.
2. Dominant win over Texans
There were many great moments from this game, but to encapsulate it into one makes the most sense as it was easily the best game the team played this season.
It was also pretty mystifying if you follow the league.
The Broncos came into the game at 4-8 and the Texans were 8-4. Denver was the road team and far out of the playoff race while the Texans were still contending for the AFC South division title, which they ended up winning.
Remember, this is the same Texans team that got up 24-0 on the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
But this was all Broncos.
Lock threw three first-half touchdown passes and the Broncos were actually up 31-0 at one point in this game before winning it 38-24.
1. Shelby Harris saves the day
Some may find it difficult to call this the best moment of the year. It wasn’t a play the resulted in a touchdown, a turnover or a highlight reel catch, it was just a knockdown.
But with the theme of carrying momentum into the upcoming season being paramount, this play stands out above the rest.
In the season finale against the Raiders, the Broncos were on the verge of blowing what looked like a win for most of the day. With just seconds remaining on the clock, Derek Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for a touchdown to pull the Raiders within 16-15.
Both teams were eliminated from the postseason so there was nothing to lose. The Raiders were going for two.
Carr dropped back, looking for Renfrow again and he had him for what would have been a game-winning play. Shelby Harris had other ideas, batting the pass down at the line of scrimmage to preserve the win.
When you look back at the way the Broncos’ 2019 season started, with an embarrassing loss to the Raiders on Monday Night Football, this was a terrific way to cap it.
