A surprisingly shaky start on offense is not quite what tight end Owen Daniels expected when he signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Broncos in March.

Up to this point, the veteran has been used mostly as a blocker to help a struggling offensive line. Daniels’ value has come not from the amount of production, but when he has provided it.

In back-to-back games, quarterback Peyton Manning found Daniels in the end zone for touchdowns.

Sunday vs. Minnesota, it was fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard-line. Two runs up the middle by running back Ronnie Hillman got stuffed on second and third down plays. Coach Gary Kubiak knew the offense needed a touchdown, not just for the game, but for the team’s overall confidence.

So Kubiak drew a misdirection play-action lob pass to the man who could sneak behind the unsuspecting defense, Daniels.

“You just have to think to yourself, just catch it,” Daniels said after the game Sunday. “It seemed like it was in the air forever, but Peyton did a great job of getting it there.”

“That’s kind of the hardest throw and the hardest catch,” Manning said. “He’s so open that you don’t want to overthrow him, but Owen has to be like, hurry up, let the ball get here. I’m glad that it ended up in his hands.”

The touchdown put the Broncos up 20-10 in the third quarter, and although the Vikings would score again, the touchdown was effectively the game winner.

Daniels said it’s all in the formation. Nearly all the Broncos’ successful plays have come out of the two-tight ends formations. Along with Daniels’ touchdown reception, Hillman’s 72-yard touchdown run came out of that same personnel and it was sprung by Daniels making a block.

“You force a defense to make a decision. Do they want to keep their base personnel in there to stop the run or do they want put a nickel guy in there to stop the pass,” Daniels said. “Either way, whatever they decide to do we have to make them wrong. We have had a lot of success with that specific personnel grouping.”

It’s a staple of Kubiak’s system. Bait the defense with the run, then hit the tight ends and crossing receivers off the play action passes. And Daniels expects to see a lot more of it going forward.

He’s expecting to get the ball more too once the offense can get the run game rolling.

Daniels did his research before he came to Denver. He knows about Manning’s love affair with the tight end. And he saw former Broncos tight end Julius Thomas, now with Jacksonville, total 151 catches, 1,277 yards and 24 touchdowns in his last two seasons in Denver.

So Daniels knows his time to shine is coming no matter what the capacity. He’s on track for 244 yards this season, which would easily be the lowest number of his career.

“I think we can get him involved more,” Kubiak said. “That’s a nice problem to have. You’re trying to get those guys touches so they can affect the football game.”

Daniels could get a jump start against Oakland this week. The Raiders have given up an NFL-most 388 yards and six touchdowns to tight ends this season. A trip to the Bay might be the perfect vacation for a veteran heating up on offense.

“If I gotta be the guy to make a play, then I’ll happily be that guy,” Daniels said.

Cameron Wolfe: 303-954-1891, cwolfe@denverpost.com or @CameronWolfe

Tight ends have had good success against the Raiders this season

Week 1 vs. Cincinnati — Tyler Eifert, nine receptions, 104 yards, two touchdowns

Week 2 vs. Baltimore — Crockett Gilmore, five receptions, 88 yards, two touchdowns

Week 3 at Cleveland — Gary Barnidge, six receptions, 105 yards, one touchdown

Week 4 at Chicago — Martellus Bennett, 11 receptions, 83 yards, one touchdown

Cameron Wolfe, The Denver Post