After defeating the Indianapolis Colts 34-30 in their preseason opener last week, the Denver Broncos are now set to host the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 of preseason on Sunday night.
Before the nationally televised showdown with the Packers arrives, here’s a quick list of 10 things we’ll be watching for against Green Bay.
1. Eyioma Uwazurike’s return: Uwazurike’s gambling suspension was lifted before the team’s preseason opener, but coach Sean Payton did not want to rush the defensive lineman back into action. After more than a year away from football, Uwazurike is now expected to make his return on Sunday.
2. Trenton Gill’s push for punting duties: Gill and incumbent Riley Dixon are competing for the punter job this summer. Dixon got the first two reps last week, and they ended up being the only reps. It’s a nice problem to have when the offense moves the ball so well that punters are rarely called upon, but the Broncos would like to get Gill some live-game reps this week.
3. Riley Moss stepping up at cornerback: Moss seems to be the favorite to start across from Pat Surtain this season. “[O]ne thing that he does exceptionally well is he phases the receivers well … his technique is good, he’s long and I’d say he has really good instincts,” Payton said earlier this week. Moss and Damarri Mathis are competing for the CB2 role.
4. Kris Abrams-Draine fighting for playing time: Abrams-Draine was one of the standout performers in Week 1 of preseason. We’ll see if that trend continues for the rookie cornerback in Week 2.
5. Samaje Perine stock watch: Perine had a game to forget last week and he might be in danger of not making the 53-man roster. He’ll need to finish preseason on a positive note to get back into the running back conversation.
6. Jonah Elliss competing for more playing time: Elliss is another rookie who impressed in the first week of preseason. “There’s some good tape with him,” Payton said of Elliss’ first game. Elliss will look to build on that positive performance.
7. Troy Franklin needs a bounce-back game: Franklin was invisible in the team’s preseason opener with one target and no catches. Franklin has also had a few drops at training camp this summer and his stock is low going into the Packers game. He needs a bounce-back performance.
8. Offensive line looking for another no-sack performance: Denver’s quarterbacks did not take any sacks last week. That reflects well on the team’s offensive line, the quarterbacks and the scheme. We can’t expect no-sack performances every week, but it will be interesting to see if last week’s protection carries over to the Green Bay game.
9. Jarrett Stidham vs. Zach Wilson: Stidham will get more reps this week after playing just two drives last week. Wilson will get clean-up duties again after performing well in Indianapolis. “I thought he had a real good game and I’m encouraged,” Payton said of Wilson. “I like what I’m seeing.” If Nix does win the starting job as expected, Stidham and Wilson will be competing for QB2 duties to close out preseason.
10. Bo Nix’s first (preseason) start in the NFL: Nix looked sharp in his debut last week, but it wasn’t a perfect performance. “There’s two plays where I think he can set his feet,” Payton said. “He’s kind of backing up a little and we can clean that up.” We’ll be watching to see if Nix has better footwork against the Packers.
Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on NFL Network and available to stream on fuboTV (try it free). Secondary market tickets for Denver’s preseason home opener start at $52. Next week, the Broncos will close out preseason at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
Denver is ultimately preparing for a regular season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, a road game on Sunday, Sept. 8 in Week 1.
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