The first week of the preseason is in the books for the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, the Broncos fell to the Arizona Cardinals, 18-17. This one-point loss can’t linger long as Denver plays the San Francisco 49ers in one week. Let’s take a look at what worked and what didn’t, the positives and negatives from the Denver Broncos preseason Week 1, the beginning of the 2023 NFL Preseason.
Positives and Negatives from the Denver Broncos Preseason Week 1
Positives: Health, Wilson, and Solid Defense
The biggest positive from the Denver Broncos first preseason game is the lack of serious injuries. Some players were hurt, unfortunately, but fans hope that it isn’t anything serious. Defensive lineman D.J. Jones suffered a concussion. Linebacker Nik Bonitto injured his hip. Linebacker Josey Jewell was poked in the eye. None of the injuries appear to be severe, at least that is the hope of the coaches, the team, and the fans.
Another positive was the play of quarterback Russell Wilson. He began the night slowly, with major pressure from the Arizona Cardinals defensive line. But later in the first half of the game, Wilson was able to connect with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for a touchdown. Wilson finished 7/13, 93 yards, and a touchdown. Jeudy also had a good game despite one drop, logging two receptions, 40 yards, and one touchdown.
The starting defense also played well as a unit, allowing zero points scored in the first half of the game. Cornerback Essang Bassey had an interception and defensive lineman Elijah Garcia had two sacks. At running back, Samaje Perine showed power while Jaleel McLaughlin showed speed.
Negatives: Special Teams, Offensive Line, QB Depth
One of the glaring negatives for the Denver Broncos was at kicker. Two kickers are competing for the starting position, Brett Maher and Elliott Fry. Maher missed both his field goals, one of them being blocked. Fry missed his first field goal but made his second, a 55-yarder. Neither kicker established himself as the starter moving forward.
Also, the offensive line played poorly for quarterback Russell Wilson. Without starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the line failed to protect Wilson often during the team’s first drives, forcing him to scramble and throw incomplete passes. With McGlinchey back soon and with more preseason games under their belt, the offensive line should improve.
Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham played poorly, going 5-15, 50 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. Third-string quarterback Ben DiNucci fared better, but more practices and games will be needed before the final decision on Russell Wilson’s backup will be made.
Denver Broncos Preseason: Moving Forward
The positives and negatives from the Denver Broncos Preseason Week 1 matter, but they also have to be put immediately behind. The team has another game next week and then one final preseason game the week after that. Then the 2023 season begins in earnest, so the team must learn from what they did in the past but immediately move forward. Each week brings a new matchup and a new challenge, so it’s up to every player on the team to rise up to that occasion and take the field for that game. The 2023 season is right around the corner, and every team is scrambling to prepare for an extremely competitive year.
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