Tag: Broncos preseason

Watch all of Bo Nix’s throws and runs from NFL preseason

Before he starts in Week 1, here’s a look back at all of Bo Nix’s touches from preseason.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix impressed in his two preseason appearances this summer, going 23-of-30 passing for 205 yards with two touchdown passes, no turnovers and no sacks. Nix also showed off his dual-threat versatility, rushing six times for 29 yards.

It was no surprise when Nix was officially named the starter ahead of the team’s preseason finale.

“He’s earned the opportunity to be the starter,” general manager George Paton said earlier this week. “We’ve talked about it multiple times. Just the poise, the maturity and efficiency that he’s operated on the offense has been impressive.

“We know like every rookie, he is going to have ups and downs, but we’ll support him through that. We’re confident in Bo and just look forward to his continued growth and development.”

Check out all 36 of Nix’s throws and rushing attempts from preseason below, courtesy of the NFL’s official YouTube page:

Nix becomes Denver’s 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2016. When the Broncos face the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8, Nix will make franchise history as the team’s first rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since John Elway in 1983.

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5 NFL teams went undefeated in preseason this summer

Five NFL teams went undefeated this summer. Even in preseason, “we still want to win,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.

Following their 38-12 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Denver Broncos wrapped up preseason with a perfect 3-0 record.

The Broncos were one of five teams to go undefeated in August, joining the New York Jets (3-0), Tennessee Titans (3-0) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-0) and Chicago Bears (4-0), who kicked off preseason with the Hall of Fame Game earlier this month.

Of course, preseason win-loss records aren’t necessarily a predictor of regular season success. Last summer, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders and Jaguars all went 3-0. Of those three teams, only the Steelers made the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Rams went 0-3 during preseason in 2021 and then went on to win the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions went 4-0 during preseason in 2008 before going 0-16 in the regular season.

Teams focus more on developing and evaluating players in preseason than they do the actual game results, so records are essentially meaningless.

There are some positive takeaways for the Broncos, though. Denver averaged 26 points per preseason game last year and 21 PPG in the regular season. This summer, the offense averaged 33 PPG. Once again, we shouldn’t read into the numbers too much, but it might reflect well on the team’s backups.

Winning is also a good habit, even in preseason.

“I said to them afterwards, do not ever get tired of how it feels to win,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the team’s preseason finale. “We are substituting groups, and we are needing to get different groups evaluated and yet we still want to win.

“I felt the energy, and I think anybody that was on the sidelines felt it. That part of it is encouraging. The guys that are not in recognize how important it is for the guys that are in [the game]. That is what you want from your team.”

Denver’s preseason record is “meaningless,” but the mentality the team established this summer counts for something. The Broncos will play their first game of consequence when they go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 8.

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PFF grades: Best and worst players from Broncos’ preseason finale

Quarterback Zach Wilson (91.4) received PFF’s best grade among Broncos players in the final week of preseason.

Following the Denver Broncos’ dominant win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Pro Football Focus has released grades from the game.

It’s no surprise that quarterback Zach Wilson received the team’s best grade (91.4). Wilson went 16-of-25 passing for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no turners. He also rushed for 22 yards and a third touchdown. Fellow quarterback Jarrett Stidham was given a grade of 67.8.

Elsewhere on offense, center Sam Mustipher (89.9) was the best offensive lineman and Brandon Johnson (86.0) was the best wide receiver. Johnson hauled in a 46-yard touchdown pass from Wilson in the fourth quarter.

Blake Watson (66.3) was the team’s best running back, but Tyler Badie (65.9) and Audric Estime (64.2) were not far behind.

The team’s worst-graded players on offense were wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (42.8), tight end Thomas Yassmin (46.4) and offensive lineman Oliver Jervis (57.9).

On defense, linebacker Levelle Bailey (88.6) was the team’s top-graded defender, a grade that was surely aided by a 94-yard pick-six. Up next on defense were linebacker Justin Strnad (79.8), cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (77.9) and safety Keidron Smith (74.6).

Denver’s worst-graded defenders were linebacker Andre Smith (29.8), defensive lineman Angelo Blackson (36.1) and linebacker Alec Mock (40.7).

On special teams, Trent Gill (61.6) was given a slight edge over Riley Dixon (61.2) in the punter battle.

You can view all the grades on the paid version of PFF’s website.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ preseason finale

The Broncos looked good in their preseason finale on Sunday. Here are five quick takeaways from the game.

The Denver Broncos wrapped up preseason with a 38-12 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways from Denver’s preseason finale.

1. Dondrea Tillman impressed: The ex-UFL pass rusher finished the day with five tackles on defense — two behind the line of scrimmage — two pass breakups (one saved a touchdown) and a tackle on special teams to boot. If there’s not room for Tillman on the 53-man roster, he will undoubtedly be a top candidate for the practice squad.

2. Keidron Smith finds the ball: Smith grabbed an interception in each of the team’s first two preseason games, then he recovered a fumble on Sunday. The Broncos might not have room for five safeties on the active roster, but Smith is giving them a tough decision.

3. The punter competition is a toss-up: Riley Dixon is the incumbent veteran with a larger body of work, but Trenton Gill showed off his strong leg against the Cardinals. Both players got two punts on Sunday — Dixon averaged 45.5 per boot and Gill averaged 61.0 yards per boot (helped by a 73-yard long). Gill is younger and cheaper than Dixon, so he might have a legitimate chance to make the squad.

4. Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Samaje Perine were healthy scratches: The Broncos held out a host of players on Sunday, including nearly all of their starters. Usually, snaps in the fourth preseason are divvied up among bottom-of-the-roster players attempting to make the team. The fact that Humphrey and Perine were both inactive suggests either they are making the team or the Broncos plan to put them on the trade block and didn’t want to risk injury.

5. Three QBs will make the 53-man roster, unless…: After Sunday’s game, Broncos coach Sean Payton essentially confirmed that Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson will all make the active roster. That settles that. Unless it’s an elaborate scheme by Payton in an effort to trade Wilson. We’ll find out for sure when Denver sets a 53-man roster on Tuesday.

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Broncos injuries: Good initial news for CB Damarri Mathis

Broncos CB Damarri Mathis (ankle) had X-rays come back negative on Sunday. “I don’t think it’s anything significant,” Sean Payton said.

Story update: An MRI on Monday revealed that Damarri Mathis has a high ankle sprain. His timeline for a return is uncertain. See our original post below. 

Denver Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis suffered an ankle injury early in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Mathis was carted off the field and underwent X-rays, which came back negative. There’s still more testing to be done, but that’s a positive early sign.

“The images were real positive, so I don’t think it’s anything significant,” coach Sean Payton said when asked about Mathis on Sunday night. “That’s good news.”

Elsewhere on the injury front, Denver pass rusher Durell Nchami suffered a hamstring injury and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett injured his leg. Dorsett later returned to the game. There’s been no word yet on Nchami’s status.

When the Broncos set a 53-man roster on Tuesday, they are allowed to place two players on injured reserve with a designation to return. If Mathis is placed on IR with such a designation, he would be eligible to return after four weeks. That’s a moot point, of course, if it’s not a serious injury.

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15 photos from Broncos’ preseason win over Cardinals

The Broncos defeated the Cardinals 38-12 in their preseason finale on Sunday. Here are our favorite photos from the victory.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Arizona Cardinals 38-12 in their preseason finale on Sunday afternoon. Here are our favorite photos from the victory.

Twitter reacts to Zach Wilson’s performance in Broncos’ preseason finale

That was an impressive performance from Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson!

Denver Broncos third-string quarterback Zach Wilson posted an impressive stat line in the team’s preseason finale on Sunday, going 16-of-25 passing for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. Wilson also rushed twice for 22 yards and a score in a 38-12 victory.

Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted to Wilson’s performance on Twitter/X on Sunday afternoon.

Following his performance against the Arizona Cardinals, Wilson seems likely to make Denver’s 53-man roster. Broncos coach Sean Payton has hinted that all three QBs — Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Wilson — will make the active roster. Denver’s cuts could begin as early as Monday.

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Twitter reacts to Broncos’ preseason win over Cardinals

The Broncos defeated the Cardinals 38-12 in their preseason finale on Sunday. Here’s how Twitter/X reacted.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Arizona Cardinals 38-12 in their preseason finale on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted to the game on Twitter/X.

With preseason now wrapped up, Denver will turn its attention toward roster cuts. The Broncos have until Tuesday afternoon to finalize a 53-man roster for the 2024 regular season.

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Broncos dominate Cardinals 38-12 in preseason finale

The Broncos dominated the Cardinals in their preseason finale on Sunday, wrapping up the summer with a 3-0 record.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Arizona Cardinals 38-12 in their preseason finale at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday afternoon. With the win, Denver finished preseason with a perfect 3-0 record.

The Broncos rested most of their starters, including quarterback Bo Nix. Jarrett Stidham got the nod for the first series on Sunday and he led a 10-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a three-yard Audric Estime touchdown run to give Denver a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Stidham played just one drive before being replaced by Broncos third-string quarterback Zach Wilson. In the second quarter, Wilson threw a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end/fullback Nate Adkins to make it 14-0 following an 11-play, 77-yard drive.

Later in the second quarter, linebacker Justin Strnad forced a fumble that safety Keidron Smith recovered at Denver’s three-yard line. That marked Smith’s third takeaway of preseason after he previously grabbed an interception in each of the team’s first two preseason games.

Cardinals veteran kicker Matt Prater kicked a 50-yard field goal late in the first half to make it 14-3 going into halftime. Broncos kicker Wil Lutz matched that kick with a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-3 in the third quarter. Prater later added a 24-yarder to make it 17-6.

Late in the third quarter, Wilson scored on a one-yard QB sneak to increase Denver’s lead to 24-6. Arizona matched that score with a Hassan Hall touchdown run to cut the deficit to 24-12 (their two-point attempt failed).

In the fourth quarter, Wilson threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Johnson to increase the lead to 31-12.

Broncos linebacker Levelle Bailey then grabbed an interception and returned it 94 yards for a touchdown to make it 38-12, which ended up being the final score.

Wilson finished the game 16-of-25 passing for 251 yards with two touchdown passes. He also rushed twice for 22 yards and a score.

On the injury front, Denver cornerback Damarri Mathis suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter and did not return. Broncos pass rusher Durell Nchami also suffered a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett left in the third quarter with a leg injury but later returned.

After wrapping up preseason on Sunday, Denver will now turn its attention toward roster cuts. The Broncos have until Tuesday afternoon to finalize a 53-man roster.

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WATCH: Broncos QB Zach Wilson runs for TD vs. Cardinals

Broncos QB Zach Wilson scores from one yard out and Denver now leads the Cardinals 24-6.

Following Zach Wilson’s 37-yard pass to Brandon Johnson that set the team up with good field position, the quarterback punched it in himself from one yard out for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page:

Wilson’s one-yard touchdown run extended the Denver Broncos‘ lead over the Cardinals to 24-6 late in the third quarter.

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