The play gets lost in a sea of Broncos highlights last season.

You can bet wide receiver Tim Patrick remembers.

Denver’s offense faced first-and-long, trailing 17-0 in Oakland on Christmas Eve, when now-former quarterback Case Keenum received a third-down shotgun snap, faked a handoff and launched a deep fade down the near sideline. Patrick sprinted underneath the pass, leveraged his 6-foot-4 frame in tight coverage from Raiders’ cornerback Rashaan Melvin and pinned the football against his facemask with one outstretched right hand for a 26-yard gain.

A nondescript Week 16 play that actually resonates when you consider the trend.

“Playing those last couple games and having success,” Patrick said, “my confidence is through the roof right now.”

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Patrick has earned consistent first-team practice repetitions into the second week of Broncos training camp thanks to a 2018 body of work defined by big plays — like nine receptions of 15-plus yards — that warrant legitimate optimism he’ll blossom into a greater role this season. Those sort of expectations didn’t seem logical to begin last training camp.

Patrick, undrafted from Utah in 2017, jumped from practice squads in Baltimore, San Francisco and Denver entering his second year in the league. Odds seemed stacked against him making the Broncos’ 2018 active roster after the team returned Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, and then drafted Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton.

But Patrick beat out six players — Bryce Bobo, Mark Chapman, River Cracraft, John Diarse, Isaiah McKenzie and Jordan Leslie — to earn the team’s fifth and final wide receiver slot on 53-man roster cut day. Trading Thomas to Houston midseason helped vault Patrick to 23 catches for 315 yards and one touchdown on the year.

“It was more about being consistent,” Patrick said. “The whole coaching staff knew I could make plays, but they wanted to see if I could make them in this type of setting. There’s always a different test you’ve got to pass.

“My goals this year have changed. I still have to make the team, but my whole thought process is completely different from last year.”

Meticulous self-study of Patrick’s game often revealed early tells in routes that allowed defensive backs to predict his movement. Patrick described his style as “play-maker and not really technical.” The offseason remedy was refining the smallest details to eliminate those errors.

“Tim is doing really well,” wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. “Coach (Zach Azzanni) was spotlighting him today during meetings and breaking down the film from two days ago. He was talking about his releases off the line and how well he’s playing; using him as an example for the young guys to show them exactly how it’s supposed to be done.” Related Articles Broncos Briefs: Phillip Lindsay doubtful to play Sunday, but progressing from toe injury

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The Broncos’ sixth-round draft selection of rookie wide receiver Juwann Winfree increases pressure on Patrick to perform. He hasn’t missed a beat so far while Winfree, an early star of training camp, has missed consecutive practices with a calf injury.

Yet Patrick isn’t concerned about his competition for snaps. His sole focus is making the most of his own opportunities.

“I don’t see myself as a role player,” Patrick said. “I want to show them I can be a No. 1 receiver. That’s my thought process going into this camp.”