The Lead
During Super WildCard Weekend, two former Broncos honored their late friend Demaryius Thomas ahead of their playoff matchups.
As the postseason kicked off,Rams OLB Von Miller and Bills WR Emmanuel Sanders, who won Super Bowl 50 alongside Thomas in Denver, took the opportunity to salute their former teammate.
Miller wore a custom t-shirt during warmups with Thomas' name and images emblazoned across the front. Sanders wore custom cleats painted with an image of himself and Thomas and the phrase "Long live DT."
Thomas, who spent nine seasons with the Broncos, passed away suddenly in December of 2021. His passing sparked an outpouring of love and support across the NFL community, and current and former Broncos celebrated D.T.'s life and legacy in a variety of ways.
Sanders, who scored a touchdown during the Bills' playoff win over the Patriots, celebrated his score drive with a bow and a salute, which perhaps was another tribute to D.T.
Below the Fold
Following the final week of the regular season, former Pro Bowl running back and current NFL analyst Maurice Jones-Drew released his final ranking of the top 15 running backs.
The Broncos are the only team with two backs who made the cut, with Melvin Gordon III and Javonte Williams finishing the season back-to-back at No. 13 and No. 14, respectively.
Gordon, part of Denver's dominant one-two punch out of the backfield, quietly had an excellent season, finishing the year just shy of the 1,000-yard rushing mark with 918 yards on the ground, eight rushing TDs, 213 receiving yards and two receiving TDs.
"Gordon played well all year long for the Broncos, capping his season with a 110-yard rushing performance against the Chiefs," Jones-Drew wrote.
Williams also had an impressive season, with 903 rushing yards, four rushing TDs, 316 receiving yards and three receiving TDs. He earned a reputation as a bruiser thanks to his angry running style and physicality that kept him on his feet racking up yards after contact.
"Williams had himself a fine rookie campaign as part of Denver's 1-2 backfield punch, ranking 13th in the NFL in rush yards," Jones-Drew wrote. "His production in both the run and pass games is something to build on as the Broncos head into a new era."
