The Denver Broncos finished the 2019 season with a 7-9 record, missing out on the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
But it wasn’t all bad, particularly for a team that started the season 0-4. The Broncos began to learn how to win tough games as the season went on and with a new, confident quarterback in Drew Lock leading the show, there is plenty to be excited about.
The focus now will turn to the 2020 season with the start of free agency and the draft, where the Broncos can begin to find the pieces to becoming a force next season.
But first, here is one final look at the 2019 season with some awards for the team.
Best offensive player: Courtland Sutton
It was great to see Phillip Lindsay become the first undrafted running back in league history to eclipse 1,000 yards in each of their first two seasons, but the offensive player that really stepped up for the team this season was Sutton.
Sutton stamped himself as a true No. 1 receiver for the team following the trade of Emmanuel Sanders and routinely made big plays for his quarterback.
Sutton finished the season with 72 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns. As a rookie last year, he caught 42 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns — his numbers ballooned in a big way in Year 2.
His star is bright and it seems the team has definitely found its top pass catcher for years to come.
Defensive player of the year: Justin Simmons
This was a tough category to make a definitive call, because Shelby Harris absolutely deserves some votes after having an incredible year. But the year Simmons had could not be ignored either.
Simmons led the team with four interceptions and 15 pass deflections. He also tied for second on the team with 93 tackles while also adding 2.5 tackles for losses.
When the defense needed a big play, Simmons was there to make one more often than not and now, he’s put his name on the board with the best young safeties in the league.
Best rookie: Drew Lock
Some consideration should be given to Dalton Risner for this award as he started in every game as a rookie, but in the game of football, if the quarterback plays well, the quarterback usually wins the award.
Lock played well.
He completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards and seven touchdown passes in five games. Most importantly, he won four of the five games he started. That ties John Elway for the most wins in team history by a rookie quarterback.
Lock is far from a finished product and has more to do to prove all of his doubters wrong, but it’s hard to imagine his first five games going any better than they did.
Comeback Player of the Year: Alexander Johnson
Unlike some of these categories, where picking a winner was tough, this decision was easy.
Johnson was fabulous this year and that was something almost nobody expected. His high level of play also came at a time when the Broncos desperately needed someone to step up at one of the inside linebacker positions.
Johnson made the team last season but was waived in November and then re-signed to the practice squad, where he remained until season’s end. He was given no guarantee coming into this season.
He finished tied for second on the team with 93 tackles and also had 1.5 sacks, seven tackles for losse, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
The Broncos found a lot of players who should be a big part of the team’s future this season and Johnson was definitely one of them.
Best play: Sutton’s catch against Chargers
The Week 13 contest between the Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers didn’t seem like a game that would feature much excitement as the two teams had a combined seven wins at the time.
But Lock threw his first career touchdown pass in this game and Sutton made sure to make it a memorable one.
Facing a 3rd-and-8 from the Chargers’ 26-yard line, Lock threw the ball up in the direction of Sutton, who was matched up against Casey Hayward, in the end zone and Sutton hauled in an amazing one-handed grab.
Best moment: Harris seals win over Raiders
The best moment of the season comes on one of the final plays of the season. And also because Harris just needs some recognition for a great season.
But his game-saving batted pass when the Raiders were going for two in the season finale stands out as the best moment of the year.
The Broncos led 16-9 with just seconds to play when Derek Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for a touchdown to pull the Raiders within one point. Then the Raiders decided to try and win the game.
Harris had other ideas. He knocked down Carr’s pass intended for Renfrow, which likely would have led to a Raiders win and set off a wild reaction in Denver.
