DENVER — Broncos safety Justin Simmons has always found a way to get the ball.

But this season started off a little slower than he was used to. He missed five games, the most of his career, and needed a trip to the injured reserve in September.

Now, though, Simmons is more than making up for lost time.

He had two interceptions in the Broncos’ 24-15 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, giving the Broncos the ball back at two critical junctures. Simmons now has five on the season for the third straight season, and 26 since he entered the league in 2016, the most among safeties in that time period. He’s behind only Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who has 28 in that span.

“Interceptions are a complete defensive effort, I truly and honestly believe that,” Simmons said. “Most of my interceptions come with great defensive execution, just being in the right place at the right time. I don’t believe in going to search for plays. I don’t think plays necessarily come and find you. I believe the game is bigger than yourself.”

Simmons’ first interception on Sunday came in the first quarter, when the Broncos had a narrow 3-0 lead and the Cardinals were establishing a little bit of offensive momentum. He saw two receivers running across the field away from coverage, then watched the ball sail through the air, with him in the right spot to snag it. He returned the interception for 15 yards.

The second came at the start of the fourth quarter, when the Broncos were up by eight. There was great communication before the play, Simmons said, and he matched up with the Cardinal’s receiver and was able to make the play. He brought that one within the 10-yard line, and Eric Tomlinson collected a touchdown pass shortly after to secure the win for the Broncos.

“I wish I would have scored, that would have been fun,” Simmons said. “It was really cool seeing Eric score … I was happy for him. It was a great team effort today, a great team win.”

That team win was what Simmons, a captain and major voice in the locker room, was most excited about after the game. The Broncos, full of promise entering the season, were 3-9 and riding a five-game losing streak heading into Sunday’s game.

But the team, Simmons said, never gave up. And, despite it already being a lost season, Simmons is confident they can keep this going in their last three games.

“When you are losing games, especially a lot of games in a row, you go into the film room and there’s definitely positives but you harp a lot on the negatives,” he said. “I think this is going ot be a great momentum boost for us.”