The Denver Broncos looked good in their second preseason matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. However, the unfortunate trend of having our hearts ripped out at the last second, despite it being the preseason, continued yet again.

Sean Payton stayed true to his word, playing starters for less than 30 snaps, getting them on and off the field, and shaking off some of the rust. Russell Wilson looked good, Javonte Williams looked good, and the first-team players avoided injury in the team's 21-20 loss.

Outside of no review being made as the team had an electric drive to end the first half, there was far more good than bad from this team, which should excite the fanbase as the season inches closer.

With the smoke settling and the dust clearing, let's take a look at the biggest takeaways from the team's second preseason game.

4 biggest takeaways from the Denver Broncos preseason game

Jaleel McLaughlin is HIM

Another preseason game means more opportunities for McLaughlin. Last game, he had a rushing touchdown late in the game that should've been the game-winner. He added a crucial catch which set up his touchdown perfectly.

From his performance in limited time last game, McLaughlin earned more time and ran away with it, no pun intended. McLaughlin was able to find the endzone not once, but twice. To add to his impressive game on the ground, McLaughlin excelled on the special teams unit returning kicks. Yet again and his explosion was apparent nearly every time he touched the football. McLaughlin finished the game with seven carries for 45 yards and a touchdown with 2 catches for eight yards and a touchdown in the air as well.

McLaughlin, once again, showed the front office that he's deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster. Payton and company have some tough decisions to make,

Russell Wilson shines, despite offensive line woes

Russell Wilson needs to be protected. 

Another week, another bad look for the offensive line. Wilson wasn't given enough time and needed to scramble for his life on a few plays. With Mike McGlinchey still injured, the team may need to look elsewhere for some important depth on the roster.

Wilson finished his day going three for six for 24 yards. In extremely limited playing time, we love what we saw from the franchise quarterback. He was quick and nimble and used his legs to gain crucial yards.

It goes past just the first-team offensive line, too. Jarrett Stidham was forced to run scared throughout the matchup as the offensive line was doing its best to slow down the dominant 49ers' defensive line. 

Overall, we were happy with Wilson's performance, just hoping that he can get some more help to give him more time to dissect the defense and allow this team to be successful.

Brett Maher learns how to kick

The team waived injured Elliott Fry leaving Maher as the only kicker on the roster. Fry was the better kicker in week one as Maher struggled to put it in between the goalposts.

Maher redeemed himself with a solid performance and is looking to be more like his regular-season self from last season where he shined. Maher's infamous downfall in the postseason had him fall in the Broncos' lap. While we won't be surprised if the team brings in another kicker for competition, we have to imagine Sean Payton loves the improvements he's seen at the position.

Javonte Williams looks to be in midseason form

All eyes were going to be on Williams as he made his return back to the football field for the first time since his injury last season. Williams, in recent weeks, kept hinting at his return and wanting to be back on the field.

With limited carries, Williams's explosiveness shined through. While we would've loved to see another 10-15 carries from him, Williams finished his day with three carries for 12 yards and four receptions for 18 yards. The one-man wrecking crew looks to be in midseason form already.

Again, not to rip too much on the offensive line, but if that area can improve, the entire offense will succeed, including Williams.

Far more positive than negative in the team's loss. Sean Payton and company should be thrilled with what the team was able to accomplish. Obviously, there are always going to be areas to improve, but a solid team effort in their second preseason game.

Broncos: Jaleel McLaughlin fighting for a roster spot

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos have been on a roll this offseason. With sky-high expectations and what seems like the entire world watching, it’ll be interesting to see how this move pans out.

Featured image via Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports