What did the Broncos show us in their second preseason game?
The Broncos’ loss to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday left fans with a challenge to find positives or avoid questioning if we’ll be ready come week 1. The Broncos’ defense barely slowed the Bills down and the running game was again nonexistent. I gathered a few takes as I watched the Broncos non-starters get embarrassed. Perhaps I’ll start with a couple of positives before pouring on the concern about our depth.
The number one thing I liked was that this is not Pat Shurmur’s playbook. I saw actual screens and check-downs when taking the easy completion rather than a predictable throw to the flat swallowed up by the defense unless Javonte or Melvin could make a defender or two miss. I saw shots downfield from multiple downs and distances and was ultimately a lot less bored and disgusted with the play calling.
Number two positive, only because I promised a couple, is Brett Rypien looked a capable backup albeit against Buffalo’s bottom of the depth chart putting up a pretty good box score and the only TD drive of the game. Josh Johnson struggled a bit against both the first and second Bills defense completing only 50 percent of his passes and never reaching paydirt.
Moving on to the negatives in no particular order because there were too many to cover.
The Running game was again abysmal despite using it more sparingly. Over two games the Broncos have rushed 39 times for 71 yards for a horrific 1.82 yards per carry. I realize most starting linemen and both prolific running backs aren’t playing, but it’s alarming still that Denver can’t run the ball with any of the units that have been out there for eight quarters.
The Defense also allowed 510 yards and Buffalo moved at will. Again very few starters and even some depth were stripped via injury to Griffith, Reed, and Ojemudia, but the players Denver suited up didn’t even put up a fight. All three QBs were able to put up ratings over 100 and they were gouged for 208 yds and four touchdowns from five different running backs. With various O-line matchups. They were overall bullied and not just by Josh Allen and the starters.
I’ll jam a few concerns together to close. If Ojemudia misses time, the corner depth is concerning. The front seven depth just got pummeled by the Bills and questioning our overall preparedness with Nathaniel Hackett’s preseason philosophy jumped off the page to me. Maybe the Broncos sorted some roster questions. Notably, Bless Austin was victimized often and may be the odd man out come Tuesday, but nobody to the naked eye really earned their spot.
The hope is that Russell Wilson and all the starters are a completely different animal (and there is reason to believe they will be). That being said the Denver Broncos just got manhandled raising a lot of questions.