2014 Broncos Season, Preseason Week 2

In this space each week I chronicle the 2014 Broncos season. Here's the recap of week two of the preseason.

Preseason Week Two: Broncos 34, San Francisco 49ers 0
Preseason Record: 2-0 (1-0 Home)
Key Play: Already up 3-0, early in the second quarter on the second possession for the Broncos, Peyton Manning connected with tight end Julius Thomas on a 17-yard touchdown strike to make it 10-0. The Broncos' starting offense came out after that play, and the team never looked back. The Broncos led 17-0 at the half, and won 34-0.

Recap: Winning 34-0 is impressive, especially on the road in the opening game of a team's new stadium. That being said, it's the preseason, so let's not get too excited here. It was good to see how the Broncos would respond after a rough week. There were fights in practice, training camp ended, and Danny Trevathan — the Broncos starting linebacker — broke a bone in his knee, the first major injury of the season. So when the Broncos came out, executed on both sides of the ball, dominated the opposition, and avoided major injuries to key players, that was a good sign. The Broncos showed signs of life in the running game, had all three quarterbacks make nice plays, and stepped up on defense. The Broncos forced four turnovers, which was great, and didn't turn the ball over. They had a couple penalties, but cleaned up the spotty play from week one. And with big contributions from Brandon Marshall, Lerentee McCray, and Steven Johnson, the Broncos' demonstrated their linebacker depth. Again, there is little to quibble with when a team comes out and wins 34-0. It's the preseason, but the Broncos look motivated and ready for the regular season.

Game Balls:
* Demaryius and Julius Thomas. The Thomases are the best receivers for the Broncos, and they looked it on Sunday. Demaryius caught five more passes and looks dominate. Julius had a couple big plays, including the touchdown pass. It was good to see them ready to go.

* Cody Latimer. The rookie didn't play much of a role in the first game, but he got in on the action in a big way Sunday with a  33-yard touchdown grab. It's his only catch of the preseason, yes, but I liked what I saw.

* Brock Osweiler and Zac Dysert. The two quarterbacks behind Manning looked pretty good. Osweiler led a pair of touchdown drives, building the lead, while Dysert came in and went 8-for-11 passing, throwing for 63 yards and a touchdown of his own.

* Brandon Marshall, Steven Johnson, and Tony Carter. The young Broncos made the most of their opportunities when in the game. Marshall looked strong playing for Trevathan in the starting spot. Johnson, meanwhile, had half a sack and an interception, with Carter adding the other interception. Both are fighting for roster spots on a deep team, and both made impressions Sunday.

Lingering Questions:
* Who will return? Through two preseason games, we still don't know who will be the returners for the Broncos. No one got a kick return Sunday, and there were only two punt returns. Jordon Norwood continues to look the best, but to make the team he needs to contribute on offense. I was encouraged to see him out there with Peyton Manning, but he had a quiet day.

* Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders played in the first game but wasn't a factor, and he didn't even get into the second game. Theoretically he could be a great contributor, but it would be nice to see how he works with the offense in a game situation this preseason. I want to see more of Sanders, Latimer, and Andre Caldwell.

* The running game. Who will get the carries for the Broncos? Montee Ball is penciled in as the starter and a key contributor, but we won't see him until the regular season. I remain skeptical. I thought Ronnie Hillman and CJ Anderson looked moderately better Sunday, but neither lit the world on fire. Juwan Thompson, who has a good chance to make the roster, didn't look great Sunday, either, after a strong showing in week one. This third preseason game is a chance for the backs to show us something, and I'm hoping we see these guys take a step forward.