Oakland Raiders Versus The AFC West: Wide Receivers
By Kevin Saito
Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) celebrates his touchdown reception with running back C.J. Anderson (22) during the first quarter of the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos
Simply put, the Denver Broncos have the AFC West’s best receiving corps. In Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, Denver has guys who can stretch the field, are great in space, and seem to burn guys over the top at will.
The question this season will be, given the shift in offensive philosophy under new head coach Gary Kubiak, and Denver’s expected shift to a more run heavy system, how effective will Thomas and Sanders be?
While it’s true that last season, QB Peyton Manning looked like age was finally catching up with him, and he clearly wasn’t the same guy that he has been over the last decade plus, Thomas still went off for better than 1,600 yards and Sanders hauled in more than 1,400.
If there is one knock on Denver’s receiving corps, it’s that it’s not very deep. Third wideout Andre Caldwell only had five receptions – on just fifteen targets – for an unimpressive 47 yards, while rookie Cody Latimer chipped in just 23 yards on two receptions.
Outside of Sanders and Thomas, Denver doesn’t have much. The trouble for the AFC West though, is that more times than not, Sanders and Thomas are more than enough.
Taken as a whole though, with key personnel losses, and the aforementioned shift in offensive philosophy and scheme, Denver’s offense is going to look a lot different than last year’s version. It’s not looking likely that Thomas and Sanders will have the opportunity to match their efforts last season as the Broncos become a more run oriented team.
But Manning is still Manning, and if Denver needs to start airing it out, as long as Thomas and Sanders are on the roster and on the field, they’re going to put up big numbers. They are, hands down, still the best wide receiving group in the AFC West.