Broncos 27, Lions 17: 5 Things We Learned

The Denver Broncos notched their sixth win of the season on Sunday, defeating the Detroit Lions 27-17. The win matches the Broncos' win total from 2018 under the previous coaching regime.

One more victory and Vic Fangio can say that he improved the Broncos, albeit by a slim margin, with three different quarterbacks starting three or more games and despite being decimated by the injury bug.

There was a lot to take away from Week 16's win. What did we learn?

Lock Can Overcome Adversity

The Broncos got spanked last week at Arrowhead and opened up against the Lions by falling behind by 10 points. It was a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of the young Drew Lock.

But he managed the adversity well, leading the Broncos back to tie the game going into halftime and eventually a 10-point victory. The kid completed 75.7% of his passes, threw for 192 yards and a touchdown, finishing with a QB rating of 99.6.

Some quarterbacks are resilient. Those that aren't usually don't last long in the league. That portends well for Lock's future in Denver.

An Upgrade at RT Emerges at 11th Hour

Elijah Wilkinson has been playing out of position all year at right tackle. A natural guard at the NFL level, the Broncos have chosen to play Wilkinson at right tackle in the wake of the Ja'Wuan James injury.

But to say that Wilkinson has been a sieve would be an understatement. Adding insult to injury, he's got a penchant for being a little grabby and drawing the yellow laundry.

Such was the case in Week 16, as Wilkinson was flagged for holding twice early on before he exited the game in the second quarter with an injury. Jake Rodgers entered the lineup in his place and suddenly, the Broncos offense took flight.

Not only was Lock kept clean and not sacked, but the Broncos also blasted open holes on the ground to the tune of 150 yards on the day. The Broncos only have one game left on the schedule but it'll be interesting to see whether Rodgers' garners the start.

He goes back with Mike Munchak to Pittsburgh and provided arguably the most solid right tackle performance the Broncos have had in 2019. It's just too bad the Broncos didn't turn to him sooner than Week 16.

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Lindsay Needs More Touches in the Offense

When Phillip Lindsay eclipses 100 yards rushing, the Broncos are undefeated. He posted his fifth career game over the century mark, finishing with 109 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

At 5-foot-8, the Broncos are reluctant to feed Lindsay too many touches for fear of wear-and-tear. But the metrics don't lie. There is a corresponding benefit to Lindsay getting over 100 yards and it's usually a floor of 15 carries in a game.

That means that if OC Rich Scangarello can scheme 15-20 totes for Lindsay each week going forward, it'll increase the Broncos' odds of winning.

Marshall Can Hang With the Big Boys

With Kareem Jackson serving a two-game suspension to finish the season, the Broncos turned to Trey Marshall to stop the gap. Some thought it would be Will Parks who'd start at strong safety opposite of Justin Simmons but Fangio has had Parks playing the nickel cornerback slot for a few weeks now, after Duke Dawson ended up in the doghouse.

Marshall was thrust into action, and while it wasn't all perfect, the second-year safety more than held his own. He finished with a team-high nine tackles (five solo).

With both Parks and Simmons hitting unrestricted free agency next year, it's good to know Marshall can hang with the big boys. Combined with Dymonte Thomas returning from injured reserve next year, that's a shot of encouragement for the back-end of this defense.

Jones Could Become a Special Interior Rusher

The Broncos' defensive line has been decimated by injury. Denver lost its leading sack artist this season in Derek Wolfe, along with one of its most stout run defenders in Adam Gotsis.

With DeMarcus Walker sitting this one out, the Broncos would need a big-time performance from the rookie Dre'Mont Jones. Suffice to say, the kid delivered.

Jones finished with two sacks, which was the first multi-sack performance of his young career, to go along with four tackles (three solo). The Broncos have three D-linemen hitting unrestricted free agency in the spring, which likely means that an expanded role awaits Jones in 2020.

The rookie third-rounder is getting his beak wet now. Based on what we've seen, don't be surprised if Jones takes a quantum leap forward in year two under Fangio.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.