Postgame analysis: Broncos 31, Buccaneers 23

Demaryius Thomas celebrates a touchdown during the Broncos' win over the Bucs. (US Presswire)

As the Broncos left no doubt about their claim to the AFC West, clinching the division with four games remaining, they simultaneously placed the Buccaneers into a precarious postseason position by hanging on for a 31-23 win at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday.

Denver (9-3, 4-0 AFC West) clinched its first back-to-back AFC West titles since 1986-87 and wrapped up its first winning season since a going 9-7 in 2006. But the Broncos did manage to win the division once since then -- last year, with at 8-8. That's part of the reason why clinching of the AFC West passed with little more than a shrug.

"Nothing. It don't mean nothing," DT Kevin Vickerson said. "It's a stepping stone, but it's not where we want to be. We've still got more to prove, more winning to do and more games to play."

The Bucs (6-6, 2-2 NFC South) have four games to play, but their defensive issues continue to hold them back. Unable to generate any consistent pressure on Broncos QB Peyton Manning, they dropped their cornerbacks and safeties back to try and keep Manning from beating them over the top. As a result, Manning completed just two passes longer than 15 yards. But playing the dink-and-dunk game was more than enough.

When the game turned: After the Broncos forced a Bucs three-and-out on their first series of the second half, Manning completed passes of 13 yards to WR Demaryius Thomas and 15 yards to TE Jacob Tamme, moving the Broncos to the Tampa Bay 24. A pass-interference call against Bucs CB Leonard Johnson two plays later moved the Broncos into a goal-to-go situation, and Manning followed that with an 8-yard strike to Thomas that put Denver in front for good 5:39 into the third quarter.

Highlight moments: Broncos DT Mitch Unrein's 1-yard touchdown catch, which he said was his first score since high school. … KR/PR Trindon Holliday's 45-yard punt return. … Miller's 26-yard interception return for a touchdown, which was set up by pressure from Unrein.

Key stat: During a stretch of the second and third quarters, Josh Freeman threw eight consecutive incomplete passes. In that same span, the Broncos scored three consecutive touchdowns -- including one on Miller's interception return -- to turn a 10-7 halftime deficit into a 28-10 lead.

Top-shelf performances:

Broncos TE Tamme: 9 catches for 89 yards

Broncos WR Thomas: 8 catches for 99 yards, 2 TDs
 

Broncos LB Miller: 6 tackles, sack, INT, forced fumble
 

Bucs LB Lavonte David: 10 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 passes defensed, INT

What they said about Unrein's 1-yard touchdown reception:

Broncos LB Miller: "He's not up there with Eric Decker or Demaryius yet, but we'll keep him humble. Hopefully we can get some more."

Broncos DT Unrein: "We've been practicing that for three weeks now, and I've caught everything in practice. They had some confidence in me to actually call it in a real, live game. Luckily, I caught it."

Injury update: Broncos -- LB Wesley Woodyard suffered a right-ankle injury in the second half and is day-to-day. WR Brandon Stokley sat out because of a hip problem that kept him limited in practice last week. Unrein was poked in the eye, but returned. Buccaneers --CB LeQuan Lewis left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and was carted off. He was seen on crutches in the locker room after the game.

Going forward: Broncos -- A quick turnaround leads to a Thursday night game with Oakland. If the Broncos win, they will at least maintain pace with the Ravens and Patriots and can have a shot at a postseason bye with a win at Baltimore on Dec. 16 and home wins against Cleveland and Kansas City in the final two weeks. Buccaneers -- A game against skidding Philadelphia offers the chance to stop their losing streak at two games, but the Bucs trail the Seahawks by a game in the race for the final wild-card spot. At 6-6, they're tied with Minnesota and could be deadlocked with Washington and Dallas by Monday night, with the Rams just a half-game behind. The Bucs likely need to finish at least 3-1 to make the playoffs.

For up-to-the-minute Broncos updates, follow Andrew Mason on Twitter at @CBSBroncos.