Throughout the month of July, the Last Word on Pro Football department will be taking a look at the three most recognizable faces of each NFL team. For this series, we’ll be looking only at active players. For this article, we’ll be taking a look at the faces of the 2019 Denver Broncos.
Most Recognizable Faces of the 2019 Denver Broncos
Von Miller
The Broncos are a rare team where the quarterback may not actually be the most recognizable face on the team. Perhaps this is because they haven’t much good play from that position in the last few years, and expectations aren’t particularly high for the latest one—Joe Flacco. But even as the Broncos have fallen apart in the last few years, the former Super Bowl MVP Von Miller hasn’t stopped playing at a high level. He’s the main leader of the defense, and arguably the most recognizable face on the team.
Miller has had double-digit sacks every year of his career, save for 2013 when he only played half the season. And though he recorded less tackles than usual (48), he still put up 14.5 sacks, which is the second best of his entire career. He also forced four fumbles and pulled in his second career interception. There are problems with the Broncos, but it’s clearly not their defense, especially when you have performers like Miller.
Emmanuel Sanders
Emmanuel Sanders may have torn his Achilles late last year, but he seems to be recovering faster than expected and may be out there on the field even to start the season. And before that, he was well on his way to a 1,000-yard season. He finished the 2018 season with 71 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. He’s easily the biggest playmaker among the Broncos pass catchers and has also been around longer than any of the others, making him a familiar face for the Broncos.
His best season came in 2014 when he brought in 101 catches for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns. He hasn’t quite reached that level of production sense, but he’s still generally been a top tier receiver in the league. The departure of Demaryius Thomas only makes him stand out more among the Broncos receivers. Although Achilles injuries can be tough to come back from, he seems to be making good progress. He’s got a chance to have a good season again, especially since Flacco is pretty decent with the deep pass.
Phillip Lindsay
Phillip Lindsay came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent last year for the Broncos, but he’s already their most dynamic offensive player for sure. He worked his way up the depth chart, and ultimately finished the 2018 season with 1,037 yards and 1,278 in total, as well as 10 total touchdowns. Lindsay got a Pro Bowl berth for his strong play. He was actually the first undrafted rookie on offense in NFL history to get a Pro Bowl.
Though it’s not clear if he’ll be getting the bulk of all carries in 2019, he’ll still be making plenty of impact due in part to his receiving ability as well. And since this will be his second year, he’s likely to improve as well. Perhaps it speaks to how little proven talent the Broncos have on the offensive side of the ball, but Lindsay has already worked his way to be one of the most recognizable names of the Broncos offense and a weapon for defenses to watch out for.
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