The Denver Broncos secured a 28-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints in their third and final preseason game. It was the final chance for the Broncos’ depth players to make their case to earn a spot the roster. Over the next week, expect a lot of news on that front as they make the moves necessary to get down to 53 players. Without further ado, here are some of my takeaways from this afternoon’s game.
Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton show a strong connection
Last week against the Arizona Cardinals, most
of the Broncos’ starters on offense sat. Today, they saw over a quarter’s worth of playing time in order to shake off any potential rust with the regular season on the horizon.
Early on in the 2024 season, Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton struggled with their chemistry. As the season progressed, the two hit their stride and finished the second half of the year on a high note. Less than a month ago, the Broncos and Sutton came to terms on a four-year, $92 million dollar extension with the hope the veteran wideout can be even better as Nix’s top target in 2025.
For the first several drives of today’s game, the Nix-to-Sutton connection was featured in the Broncos’ offense—perhaps to help combat a slow start to their upcoming campaign. The results? Pretty good. Sutton hauled in 4 receptions on 7 targets for 83 yards and 1 touchdown. Nix was 10-of-14 for 110 yards, 71.4-percent completion percentage and 1 touchdown.
While many are bullish on the potential of Marvin Mims Jr, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant, it’s mission critical for QB1 & WR1 to begin the year strong. Head Coach Sean Payton has preached all offseason about the importance of starting off fast and in rhythm. If all goes as planned, the Broncos’ offense should be markedly better in ‘25.
RB4: Tyler Badie and Audric Estime heavily featured in second half
With J.K. Dobbins and Jaleel McLaughlin absent from today’s game, that seems like a good omen for McLaughlin. I was looking forward to seeing him get some more playing time today. Alas, the coaching staff had other plans. Unless they have some sort of trade in the works, it appears the third-year pro to be poised to make the final 53-man roster as the team’s third running back behind Dobbins and RJ Harvey.
That meant both Tyler Badie and Audric Estime were featured heavily this afternoon. I felt both performed well with their opportunities. Overall, Estime was the most productive carrying the ball. The former fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame had 8 carries for 45 yards and 1 touchdown. He looked decisive going downhill and ran with good power generating a lot of yards after contact.
As a runner, Badie had 4 carries for 14 yards. He also added 4 receptions for 31 yards and two kickoff returns with a long of 47. I also noticed he had a few nice reps in pass protection in the second half keeping the heat of Sam Ehlinger. If the Broncos opt to keep four running backs on the final roster, it will come down to those two players.
I believe this might be one of the hardest decisions they make in the coming days. Each are very different players, but add something positive to the team’s running back room. Let me know in the comments which player of the two you believe should earn that spot.
Should we be concerned with the Broncos’ offense line?
Widely regarded as one of the best position groups in the NFL by a variety of metrics, the Broncos’ offensive line performed at a high level in ‘24. The continuity and consistency up front have been a primary reason why so many (both fans and pundits) are high on the team’s potential this year. While I’m certainly not hitting the panic button, they struggled a bit this afternoon.
In the several series they played against the Saints, the Broncos weren’t able to get anything going on the ground. Additionally, Nix was often flushed out of the pocket due to pressure and poor blocking. To me, the weakest links appeared to be center Luke Wattenberg and left guard Ben Powers.
I’m still optimistic the Broncos’ will play well up front in the trenches. Nevertheless, they will need improved play from the two aforementioned interior starters in order to sustain themselves as one of the best units in the league this year. If they aren’t able to be more consistent, I could see the team moving on from both of them at the end of the ‘25 season.
Miscellaneous thoughts and musings:
- A tip of the hat to rookie EDGE rusher Que Robinson who was able to strip Tyler Shough late in the third quarter and force a turnover. That’s the kind of play you want to see. He will be the team’s fifth EDGE and a special teams ace in ‘25.
- After impressing in the first two preseason games, Jarrett Stidham didn’t see any action in today’s game. In the second quarter, third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger finished out the rest of the game. I thought he performed well and made some tough throws. I still doubt the Broncos keep three quarterbacks on the final roster.
- Jeremy Crawshaw struggled in the first two preseason games punting the ball. Today, he only had one opportunity to punt. It went for 42 yards and netted just 33 yards. I know the team’s coaching staff has expressed confidence in him, but I think they strongly need to consider bringing in a veteran punter.
- Running back Blake Watson went down with an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter.
What do you think, Broncos Country? What are some of your key takeaways and instant reactions from today’s game? Sound off in the comments section and let me know what you think.
