1. Welcome back, Aqib
It didn't take long for former Buccaneer Aqib Talib to make an impact on his homecoming game to Tampa. On Jameis Winston's first pass attempt of the game, Talib undercut a crossing route at the Tampa Bay 36-yard line and returned the interception 25 yards to the 11-yard line. On the very next play, Trevor Siemian found Demaryius Thomas for a touchdown to put the Broncos up 7-0.
2. An encore performance
With the score tied 7-7, Talib struck again. This time, he picked off a Winston pass intended for Mike Evans and returned it to the Tampa Bay 27-yard line. Like his first interception, Talib was close to taking the turnover all the way to the end zone. He didn't quite make it, but the play gave the Broncos the chance to regain the lead. A 1-yard C.J. Anderson touchdown run would soon follow.
3. Up in the air
Denver's defense was on the field a lot in the first half. The Buccaneers nearly doubled the Broncos' time of possession with a 19:35 to 10:25 advantage and outgained the Broncos, as well. But the Broncos never quite broke. With the exception of an early Buccaneers touchdown drive, the Broncos defense kept Tampa Bay off the scoreboard. Late in the second quarter, with the Buccaneers threatening at the Broncos 25-yard line, a Charles Sims III mistake helped the Broncos end the drive. On a third-and-1 plunge straight into the Denver defensive line, Sims tried to lateral the ball back toward Winston to pick up the first down. But T.J. Ward was there to knock the ball up in the air, and Billy Winn recovered.
4. Long and steady drive
After starting quarterback Trevor Siemian left the game with two minutes to go in the first half, rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch found himself tasked with leading the Broncos the rest of the way. Nursing a 10-point halftime lead, Lynch simply needed to play mistake-free football. He did better than that on the first drive of the third quarter as he led the Broncos on a 69-yard drive that ate up nearly eight minutes on the clock and ended in a field goal. The drive wasn't kick started by any huge plays – just solid and consistent outputs like Anderson's 10-yard run to put the Broncos in the red zone.
5. Stuck the landing
The Broncos put the game well out of reach with 8:55 to go in the fourth quarter when Paxton Lynch tossed his first career touchdown. The five-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders put the Broncos up 27-7 and sent most of the Tampa Bay crowd headed home early. Sanders celebrated by doing a cartwheel in the end zone, and the ref threw a flag for excessive celebration. The penalty was taken off the board, though, because Sanders didn't go to the ground. In essence, he avoided a penalty for sticking the landing.
The Broncos have other promotions here, in addition to following promotions available the day after the game:
- Papa John's is offering the "When the Broncos win, you win!" promotion, which gives fans 50 percent off regular menu price online orders the day after every Broncos win with promo code "Broncos"
- With two Broncos touchdowns, you score $1 roast beef sandwiches the day after a Broncos game at participating Arby’s.
- Download the McDonald's app for free Broncos gameday offers! Additionally, get a $1 Big Mac sandwich or Sausage McMuffin with Egg the day after every Broncos Game as well as 30 percent off any hat after every Broncos game at Denver Broncos Team Stores with the McDonald's key tag.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: If the Broncos make a field goal, you could win a free sharable at Buffalo Wild Wings!
- At participating Conoco stations, grab a free 12oz cup of coffee between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. the day after a Broncos win.
- At King Soopers, get a free raised or cake donut -- just swipe your SooperCard the day after a Broncos win.
