Broncos vs. Seahawks Preseason: Five Things to Watch For

Peyton Manning (18) hands the ball off to running back Ronnie Hillman (left) during training camp at the Broncos training facility. (Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports)

The Denver Broncos hit the road for the second week in a row to take on the Seattle Seahawks in week two of preseason. The game is Saturday at 8:00 p.m. MST.

You can catch the game on KTVD Channel 20 with Verne Lundquist doing play-by-play and John Lynch doing color commentary. Not around the TV? KOA (850 AM)/The Fox (103.5) has Dave Logan (play-by-play) and Ed McCaffrey (color commentary) calling the game.

The Broncos take on the Seahawks, who finished 11-5 in 2012 and were undefeated at home. They lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round of the playoffs.

John Fox said that his starters will play more this week, going most of the first half. Here are five things to watch for:

1. Playing without Von Miller – The Broncos will have to adjust their defense if Miller is suspended for the first quarter of the season. Keep an eye out for the Broncos practicing this in the first half. During Thursday’s practice, Nate Irving moved to Miller’s spot at strong side linebacker while Stewart Bradley stayed in the middle in their base defense. When the Broncos lined up in their pass-rush package, Shaun Phillips took Miller’s usual role at defensive end. Let’s see how much pressure these guys can generate when Miller’s not in the game.

2. Trindon Holliday – We all know what Holliday can do in on special teams. However, he lined up with the first team both at wide receiver and at running back this week in practice. That’s due to guys being injured, but he did show some ability to catch and hang on to the ball. He also navigated some holes very quickly. Let’s see if this small guy can generate enough momentum to keep himself on the field after kick and punt returns.

3. Duke Ihenacho – He exploded onto the scene right away last week when he made three solo tackles on the Broncos’ first defensive series against the 49ers. After that he added four more tackles, a forced fumble, and one pass defensed all in the first half of play. Let’s see if “Nacho” is for real.

4. The running load – Top two backs on the team’s depth chart, Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball, combined for just 32 yard on 11 carries. This week, they’ll see a lot more action since Knowshon Moreno has missed the last two practices, Jeremiah Johnson has been sidelined, and the backfield star from last week, C.J. Anderson, is out for up to six weeks with a right knee injury. Let’s see of Hillman and Ball really deserve to be the top two backs.

5. The tight end competition – Jacob Tamme returned to practice this week on a limited basis. How much he plays in this game is yet to be determined. Julius Thomas and Virgil Green had a solid game last week. If the three of them are out there, let’s see who Manning favors.

Enjoy the game and keep those fingers crossed for no new injuries.

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