The Week 2 preseason game is over, and the Denver Broncos had some really good plays, a few bad plays, and the offensive line was on notice. Head coach Sean Payton wanted the first-team unit to play around 20 snaps. Quarterback Russell Wilson played on 12 offensive snaps and was good.
#Broncos HC Sean Payton on Russell Wilson performance #DENvsSF
"It was part of the plan going in to play him 15 [snaps] or so and then get [Jarrett] Stidham some work with the first group before we made the overall change and then keep Jarrett in there." https://t.co/IF8pMtmz7O
— Travis Jacque' Rose (@JacqueRoseTV) August 20, 2023
Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham played two quarters and was better than last week. That was good. His 7.6 yards per attempt came with zero interceptions and 130 yards on 12-of-17 passing attempts.
The Denver Broncos preseason Week 2 game against the San Francisco 49ers was supposed to be a harder test than the Week 1 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. The Broncos’ first-team offense played better, albeit with Wilson only playing 12 snaps and Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy taking snaps with Stidham.
Russell Wilson’s opening and only drive of the night vs the 49ers Starting defense!#BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/0ta8wUWQKL
— Apollo (@vspapllo) August 20, 2023
The Broncos offensive line wasn’t bad against the 49ers’ first and second defense. This is the good, the bad, and the offensive line in the Broncos’ second preseason game.
Denver Broncos The Good, the Bad, and the Offensive Line
The Good
The Broncos run game was good in so many ways. The return of Javonte Williams was good in his first game since his torn ACL in Week 4 last season. Payton initially wanted Williams to play “maybe four carries and a catch .” Williams played 13 offensive snaps. He ran eight routes on five targets with four receptions, and his five targets led all Broncos’ players. He had three carries for 12 yards. His three carries were tied for second most on the team. Williams looked good, and that’s good for the Broncos.
Rookie Jaleel McLaughlin was really good in every facet of the game. He had two targets, two receptions for eight yards, and a receiving touchdown. McLaughlin led the team in rushing attempts (7), averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. His 45 rushing yards were tied with Tony Jones for a team-high, and McLaughlin’s rushing touchdown gave him two touchdowns for the evening. McLaughlin also excelled in his kick-return duties.
Shifty 'Leel! 🙌@Speedkills2k_ | 📺: 9NEWS pic.twitter.com/Ax7IGLskn4
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 20, 2023
Wilson joined in the run game looking more mobile than he did all last year. Wilson was able to release from the pocket when he felt pressured. His three rushing attempts for 25 yards included an impressive 17-yard run. Wilson led the run game in yards per attempt averaging 8.3 on his three runs.
The Bad
The state of the tight end room is bad if you are fantasy football dependent on the position. As of this posting, there are currently six tight ends on the Broncos depth chart. Last week it was Adam Trautman with three targets and two receptions for 18 yards.
This week, Nate Adkins led the tight end group with three targets and three receptions for 17 yards. Greg Dulcich had one target and one reception for five yards. Dulcich is still absent when the team is in 11 personnel on first and second downs. Albert Okwuegbunam was on the field for one target and zero receptions.
The fantasy football target pool is already shallow. Payton is just having the Broncos tight ends muck up the water.
From a non-fantasy standpoint, the third-string defense once again was bad. This defense once again gave up a lead in the game’s final minutes. It was bad.
Lance to Latu for the score!
📺 #DENvsSF on KPIX
📱 NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/lzCUBpNS8A— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 20, 2023
Denver Broncos Offensive Line
Mike McGlinchey was once again unable to play with an injury. Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry III, and Quinn Meinerz were better. The offensive line surrendered two sacks in pass blocking, but against a better front seven, it feels a little less earth-shattering. On the brighter side, left guard Meinerz did not allow pressure on his 13 offensive snaps.
The run blocking improved with the run game collecting 31 more rushing yards (153 to 122) on just three more carries (25 to 22).
And Finally…
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Alex Gibbs, who had a profound impact on the Denver Broncos & the @NFL as an offensive line coach.
Our hearts go out to Alex’s wife, Trina, and the entire Gibbs family as well as Alex’s many former players and fellow coaches. 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/lL0050xdt0
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 12, 2021
Main Photo: Stan Szeto – USA Today Sports
