Key takeaways from the Denver Broncos' first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals
What. Just. Happened. The Denver Broncos were back in action and somehow found a way to rip our hearts out of our chests with a last-second defeat to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals drove down the field and punched the Broncos in the mouth, capping it with a touchdown and two-point conversion with only 2 […]
What. Just. Happened.
The Denver Broncos were back in action and somehow found a way to rip our hearts out of our chests with a last-second defeat to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals drove down the field and punched the Broncos in the mouth, capping it with a touchdown and two-point conversion with only 2 seconds left on the clock.
Despite that, Sean Payton stayed true to his word, giving the fanbase a first real glimpse of what the new regime is going to look like with him in charge. In March, Payton said that starters would be playing and he did just that. Russell Wilson and the first-team offense stayed on the field well into the second quarter.
The first-team offense ended the day on a positive as Wilson was able to dissect the defense, stay in the pocket while taking a brutal hit, and find Jerry Jeudy in the middle of the field as he walked in for a touchdown on a fourth-down conversion.
While it wasn't pretty, and some was flat-out ugly, Payton stayed true to his word and we can respect that. On top of that, Wilson looked good, when the offensive line didn't crumble before him. Unfortunately, fans were left with even more of a bad taste in their mouths as the team suffered a devastating defeat, even if it was only the preseason.
Who were the winners in the Broncos first preseason game?
Russell Wilson: Admittedly, when Wilson started with a sack, going one for four, and throwing behind Trautman on his first pass, we were worried. However, Wilson bounced back despite the offensive line woes (we'll get to that later) and had a nice first preseason game under Payton. Wilson finished going seven for 13 with 93 yards and a touchdown. While at the beginning of the game, it very much felt like "Russ getting cooked" but ended with "Let Russ cook." It's not going to right the wrongs of his abysmal efforts last season, but fans should be excited and happy with his performance as a whole.
Sean Payton: Within the first few moments of the game, Payton threw the challenge flag. The head coach kept starters in to give them meaningful playing time, staying true to his offseason decision. While it was ugly, this very much felt like Payton had full control of the team. An exciting update after what the fans endured last season under the previous regime.
Samje Perine: If the offensive line can hold up, Perine might be the best pickup of the offseason. Perine, despite the offensive line woes, was a force to be reckoned with during the contest. The newly acquired running back finished his brief day with six carries for 26 yards, dragging defenders all over the field in a desperate attempt to bring him down. The one-two punch of Javonte Williams and Perine could be a game-changer for Wilson and the offense.
Jaleel McLaughlin: The team messed up his name before the game began as his nameplate was incorrect, he didn't get snaps until the end of the game, and he fumbled the football with limited experience. However, we've been banging the table for him to get more playing time and we feel like he deserved it. McLaughlin was a crucial piece to the team's final drive that ended with him running it in for a touchdown. Get this man more playing time. McLaughlin finished his day with four carries for 20 yards and a touchdown along with one catch for 12 yards and a fumble.
Who were the losers in the Broncos first preseason game?
The offensive line: The team missed their newly-acquired RT Mike McGlinchey as he is fighting to make his way back to the team. First team or second team, it didn't matter, the Arizona Cardinals' defense front ran roughshod on the unit. It's a worrying sign as this is the preseason and the Broncos will have to take on some of the best defensive units across the NFL throughout the season. Garett Bolles still looked banged up and Wilson was hit early and often and wasn't given the appropriate time to read the defense. Bolles is coming back from a broken lower right leg. This is us hitting the panic button. Yes, it was only game one, but that was awful.
Kickers: Elliot Fry redeemed himself with a field goal near the end of the first half, but both he and Brett Maher missed field goals early. This a concerning development after looking at what the team gave up. Payton and the front office made the head-scratching decision to get rid of Brandon McManus, the franchise legend. If this continues, you have to imagine Payton will bring in even more competition to try and bolster that unit completely. Maher, although it wasn't his fault, had a field goal blocked as well. As a complete unit, the kickers finished going one for four on field goals and two for two for extra points.
Overall health: This team just cannot stay healthy. While we are not blaming anyone for injuries and it's just a freak thing, this generic "injuries" lands in our losers category just purely based on what the team has endured over the past few days and weeks. We aren't even one game into the regular season and two players are out with season-ending injuries and three players pushing for playing time went down in DJ Jones, Nick Bonitto and Josey Jewell.
On to week two, let's move on from this game.
Denver Broncos suffer a slew of injuries in first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals
The Denver Broncos played football. While some of it was ugly, injuries found a way to dominate the storyline. The team just can’t stay healthy, and it’s turning into a real issue.
Featured image via Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
