Emmanuel Sanders

Broncos receivers are 'frustrated' with lack of targets but happy to be 2-0

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:11 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

The Denver Broncos have picked up right where they left off last season, beginning 2016 with a 2-0 record. It’s no coincidence that they’re winning in the same fashion that they did all throughout the postseason in 2015: with defense.

The offense hasn’t been terrible, but it hasn’t been explosive by any means, either. Trevor Siemian has completed 67.8 percent of his passes with one touchdown and three interceptions, racking up 444 yards in two games. A good chunk of his 40 completions have gone to non-receivers, though – 17 to be exact.

On the flip side, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have only 17 receptions combined in two games, a far cry from their 181 catches last season (about 11 per game).

No player will complain about being undefeated, but there is some frustration among the receivers.

Siemian has one touchdown pass thus far, which didn’t go to Thomas or Sanders. Instead, it was running back C.J. Anderson who caught the lone score through the air. Even when the Broncos weren’t having a great deal of success throwing the ball last season, Thomas and Sanders were hauling in touchdown passes – 12 between them. That’s not a huge number, but they have yet to catch one this season.

Thomas, for one, isn’t exactly certain why Siemian isn’t targeting him more, but he’ll be patient with the evolving offense.

The Broncos take on the Cincinnati Bengals this week on the road, Siemian’s first test away from Denver. He’ll need to rely on his weapons, namely Sanders and Thomas, in order to have success against Cincinnati’s physical defense.

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