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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. —** The closing moments of the Broncos' win over Baltimore were thrilling, but any celebratory thoughts will not be able to linger with the quick turnaround for Thursday night's game.
There's certainly a challenge in preparing to face another team in a shorter window, but some of the focus shifts to recovery and mental preparation, something with which left guard Evan Mathis agrees.
From the opening moments of defensive fury to Brandon McManus' field goals to Aqib Talib's TD to Darian Stewart's interception, here are our best photos from Week 1.
OLB DeMarcus Ware gets close to a sack on QB Joe Flacco
CB Aqib Talib stops Ravens WR Steve Smith Sr. by his shirttail
RB Ronnie Hillman tries to break a tackle against the Ravens
K Brandon McManus hits his first of four field goals on the day, a 57-yarder.
ILB Brandon Marshall (54) sacks QB Joe Flacco
ILBs Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan celebrate Marshall's sack in the first quarter.
NT Darius Kilgo and DE Vance Walker stops RB Justin Forsett's momentum.
OLB DeMarcus Ware pulls QB Joe Flacco down from behind for a sack.
ILB Danny Trevathan makes a hit on RB Justin Forsett (29)
The Broncos defense converges on Ravens RB Justin Forsett (29)
WR Emmanuel Sanders reaches for a pass
QB Peyton Manning makes a call at the line of scrimmage.
ILB Brandon Marshall (54) sacks QB Joe Flacco (5) as DE Antonio Smith (90) reaches for him.
Ravens WR Steve Smith Sr. returns a punt as LS Aaron Brewer and OLB Shaquil Barrett try to make a tackle
NT Sylvester Williams (92) gets a tackle in the backfield on RB Justin Forsett (29)
CB Aqib Talib reaches the end zone with RB Justin Forsett attempting a tackle in the background.
CB Aqib Talib (21) and S Darian Stewart (26) celebrate after Talib's interception return for a touchdown
RB C.J. Anderson (22) stiff arms a Ravens linebacker
WR Demaryius Thomas (88) leaps over two Ravens defenders
S Darian Stewart (26) falls to the ground with an interception in the closing moments against the Ravens.
Head Coach Gary Kubiak pores over notes against the Ravens
Offensive Line Coach Clancy Barone goes over notes with members of the offensive line
Head Coach Gary Kubiak and S David Bruton Jr. (30) in the locker room after the win over the Ravens.
S Darian Stewart (26) celebrates after the interception to seal the game
"It allows you to put a lot more emphasis on the mental aspect of the game because you're going to back off physically," Mathis said. "You're going to not do as much pounding because you have to focus on recovering from Sunday's game. If you're able to put all of your work into the mental aspect of the game, it's ample time to have a solid game plan and know everything about your opponent by Thursday."
After a tough game on both sides of the ball—as to be expected against the Ravens—the Broncos will need the time to ready themselves physically and mentally.
"We're beat up," Head Coach Gary Kubiak said. "That was a physical game yesterday. It's hard for guys to recover in this league. You don't practice for a couple days after you play and now we're playing very quickly. It's also something as a pro you've kind of got to get used to."
Safety David Bruton Jr., recovering from a leg injury he suffered late in Sunday's game, said that the process is nothing new and matches rest with work in the meeting rooms.
"It's a lot of work in the classroom, a lot of work outside of the facility," Bruton said. "So we'll stay on top of it because obviously we need some rest these next three days. Coach Kubs [Head Coach Gary Kubiak] will take great care of us body-wise. We're going to be ready to go."
However, this challenge isn't limited to just the Broncos; the Chiefs are also coming off a Sunday game and face the same time constraints.
"I think that it's a challenge for both teams playing on Thursday," OLB DeMarcus Ware said. "We both have a short turnaround, so we just have to think about who wants it the most and how fast we can recover. That's why I'm about to go to a little bit of treatment right now and get ready for Thursday."
