Broncos’ 40-10 Loss To Seattle Could Have Been A Lot Worse

John Fox watches a replay against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at CenturyLink Field. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)

The theme for both Broncos’ preseason games has been turnovers. After the Broncos created four turnovers against the 49ers, the team swung to the opposite end of the spectrum against the Seahawks, giving up four of their own.

“Like I told our team, when you are minu-4 [in the turnover margin], you’re going to win 10 percent of your game,” John Fox said after the 40-10 loss. “When you’re playing a good team, you’re going to win zero percent.”

Hence the blowout.

The most defining turnover of the game came on Ronnie Hillman’s fumble inside the end zone, which Brandon Browner ran back for a 106 yard touchdown.

“He’ll learn from it,” Peyton Manning said. “You don’t want to even reach the ball over on first, second or third down. Only on fourth down. That’s something he’ll learn from.”

Despite all the turnovers and the 30-point loss, there were some positives in the game. Manning got a lot of work in and seemed to develop a connection with his newest wide receiver, Wes Welker, who caught the team’s first preseason offensive touchdown.

Overall, the offense looked great, moving the ball with ease.

“[There was] loud crowd noise and [we] had some communication at the line that I felt like we were on the same page,” Manning said. “Everybody got the audibles, got the checks.”

Putting play aside, the team took it’s fair sure of blows in the injury department, with the first coming when Derek Wolfe had to be taken off the field in an ambulance. Fear not, Broncos Country. The cervical X-rays, CT, and MRI all came back negative and Wolfe returned to Denver on the team’s chartered plane.

Also leaving the game was Welker with a right ankle sprain, Louis Vasquez with a left knee injury, Champ Bailey with a left foot injury, and Stewart Bradley with a left wrist injury.

As bad as the score was, the Broncos have to take solace in the fact that the players who did get hurt will eventually be able to return.

The last three Super Bowl winners went 2-2 in preseason play. That goes to show that all that really counts is play from September on out.

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