Did you notice anything different about the Denver Broncos’ offense in their first game of 2017?

There was plenty to look for. The Broncos fielded a shuffled-up offensive line, they were blocking for Jamaal Charles instead of trying to tackle him, and everyone got their first look at Trevor Siemian 2.0. Despite all of the changes, they did their best impression of their 2016 offense when the fourth quarter rolled around.

Those Broncos know how to make you sweat, but they ultimately knocked off the Los Angeles Chargers 24-21.

While too much of the offense looked familiar to anyone who watched last season, the Broncos found a valuable, new wrinkle — they found a way to get their tight ends involved, something that they never found a way to do in 2016.

By halftime, Siemian had completed passes two passes to tight end A.J. Derby, and one pass to Jeff Heuerman for a total of 44 yards.

Tight ends can bring a whole different element to an offense and can also serve as a safety net in times of need, neither of which were really the case for the Broncos in 2016. Last season, the Broncos’ four tight ends combined to catch 53 passes for a total of 591 yards and two touchdowns.

On Monday, the tight ends were arguably the difference between the two offenses. Siemian completed five of his 17 completed passes to his tight ends for 99 of his 219 passing yards; a surprisingly favorable comparison to Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers, who only hit future Hall-of-Famer Antonio Gates one time for 11 yards and one first down.

The Broncos don’t have a clear-cut tight end receiving threat, but on Monday, the three tight ends on the roster attacked the Chargers’ defense by committee. Jeff Heuerman, Virgil Green and A.J. Derby all caught a pass in the win. More importantly, each completion was also a first down.

They’ve already seen what a season looks like when they don’t utilize their tight ends. Five catches for 99 yards may not seem like much, but after a 2016 season in which that position was all but invisible, seeing the Broncos expand their offense to open the 2017 campaign is promising indeed.