I know it’s just the preseason. I know it’s not real football yet. But the Denver Broncos showed some really good things in their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons, winning 27-7 and dominating the first half with impressive plays on both offense and defense. 

We saw encouraging performances from key players across the roster, and I’m excited to break it all down. I’ll hit on special teams too, because there was one disasterful moment in the kicking game, but the positives far outweighed the negatives for Denver on the night.

Jarrett Stidham, Courtland Sutton, and Jonah Coleman shine on offense

Starting on offense, I thought Broncos quarterback Jared Stidham had a really solid night, going 9-of-15 with a touchdown pass. He had some misses, but he played a pretty clean game overall. Nothing too flashy, but nothing too reckless. That’s what you want from your backup quarterback in a preseason opener. After ending the year in a tough AFC championship loss to New England when he had to step in for an injured Bo Nix, it was really nice to see him use that experience and come out with a good opener in 2026. 

Then there’s rookie running back Jonah Coleman, the fourth-round pick out of Washington. My gosh, that dude is a human wrecking ball. He only had four carries on the night for 24 yards, but he was earning every single yard. The way he ran the football got me really fired up about his potential, even as a rookie. Denver might have something special here. JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey are the Broncos’ first two in line currently at the position, but Coleman seems like the kind of guy where if you give him more touches…it’s going to be harder for you to keep him off the field.

Wide receiver Pat Bryant has been the talk of training camp, which made it no shock that he came down with a 15-yard catch to open the game. But the real story on offense was the veteran Courtland Sutton. One, it’s cool that he’s even still playing in the preseason at 30 years old. Two, the plays he made were just ridiculous. He hauled in a 40-yard bomb from Stidham down the middle of the field, then followed it up with a 16-yard one-handed grab, Mossing a defender in the process. It was incredible stuff. Not that there are a ton of doubts about Sutton’s ability, but at his age, showing he can still play at that high of a level even in the preseason is a big deal.

One more note on the offense: the operation under offensive coordinator Davis Webb looked smooth. I know coach Sean Payton calls the plays, but the overall operation was sharp. Denver was getting to the line quickly, moving at a good tempo, and looking well-organized. That’s exactly what you want to see in a first preseason game, when you expect a team to be sloppier than normal.

Defense forces two turnovers in dominant showing

On the defensive side of the football, the Broncos grabbed two interceptions, and both were exciting plays.

The most noteworthy was a pick-6 from second-year cornerback Jahdae Barron, the former Texas product. Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush missed his man and threw a little behind him, and Barron made the play off the tip, taking it to the house. That’s exactly the kind of ball-hawking ability you want to see from a young corner in his second year. It also reinforces the defensive mantra of capitalizing on tips and overthrows. Winning football at its finest. 

Then there was Riley Moss getting a pick as well. Moss has had a solid camp, and he’s been a really good corner for the Broncos. He definitely gets overshadowed playing across from Patrick Surtain, though, which has also come with a lot more targets his way during his young NFL career. I’m always excited to see him make big plays like that, even in the preseason. He certainly deserves more recognition from the national media, hopefully this year is when he gets it. 

I also liked what I saw from Mr. Irrelevant, Red Murdock, the last pick of the 2026 draft by way of Buffalo. The rookie linebacker led the team with eight tackles on the night and was flying around the field. For a late-round pick to come out and make that kind of impact in his first NFL action, even preseason, that’s a great sign. I obviously don’t expect to see him out on the field too much this season, but that’s exactly what preseason is for when talking about guys like him…getting the reps and experience you need to begin your true NFL development. 

Special teams operation needs work

Now, the special teams. Maybe I overreacted a little bit with it being just one kick, but I have to address it. Kicker Wil Lutz went 2-for-3 on field goals and hit all 3 of his extra points, missing on a 55-yarder. The miss itself isn’t the concern. The operation was. The unit was getting out there late, the timing was off, and it caused Lutz to rush that 55-yard attempt.

Those are the kind of sloppy things that can happen in the first game back while playing real football, but it’s not stuff you want to see if you’re Sean Payton or the Broncos. I don’t doubt Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi can get that cleaned up heading into the regular season, but it certainly puts a sour note on the night for his unit. 

A promising start for the 2026 Broncos

Overall, this was a great night for Denver and a strong opening to the 2026 preseason. Even if it’s not real football, these are good reps and valuable experience for a lot of guys on this roster. The Broncos capitalized on the opportunity, and there’s plenty to feel good about heading into the rest of the preseason schedule as they take on Packers and Vikings to round it out. We are so close to real, meaningful football, but man even with the preseason being back I forgot how much I truly missed it.