2015 Broncos Season — Preseason, Week 3

The third preseason game is usually a regular season preview, and if that's the case, we have a great defense and work to do on offense.

Preseason Week 3: Broncos 19, San Francisco 49ers 12
Preseason Record: 3-0 (1-0 Home)
Key Play: On third and 2 from the 49ers 28, trailing 12-11, Brock Osweiler threw a bomb to the end zone to Jordan Taylor. The pass was incomplete, but drew a pass interference penalty, placing the ball at the one yard line. Juwan Thompson punched it in on the next play and scored the two-point conversion to give the Broncos a 19-12 win.

Recap: The Denver Broncos played starters for the first half. That's the last we'll see of them before the regular season opens on September 13 against the Ravens. On the one hand, at least no one was seriously injured. That's a plus. On the down side, the starting offense never produced a touchdown in the preseason. They only had a couple good drives. That's frightening. However, the starting defense has been great in the preseason, holding offenses in check. In the first half, Colin Kaepernick was unable to find any time or rhythm for most of the game. That's a promising sign. The Broncos defense looks good. Now it's just a matter of the offense — who was still without Emmanuel Sanders — to round into shape.

Game Balls:
* Jordan Norwood — Norwood looks like he might be moving up the depth chart. Playing with the ones in the first half, Manning had good rapport with Norwood, who caught four passes for 38 yards.
* CJ Anderson — In his first real extended work of the preseason, Anderson showed why he's No. 1 with 13 carries for 49 yards and 3 receptions for 22 yards. He will be a powerful weapon this season.
* Ronnie Hillman — He's going to be quite a change of pace weapon, going for 35 yards on five carries on Saturday.
* Broncos pass rush — Continues to impress and dominate. Kaepernick was 2-for-5 for 13 yards… for the first half.

Lingering Questions:
* Cody Latimer — The second year receiver was supposed to step up this year, but he hasn't looked good in preseason. I think he's in danger of slipping to fifth on the receiver depth chart.
* Brandon McManus — It's his job now, but he missed a 55-yard field goal he should have made Saturday. He was 3-for-4 on field goals, but accuracy was an issue last season…
* First Team Offense — I liked what I saw from CJ Anderson, and the team had good moments, but Peyton was sacked three times and struggled to find a rhythm. He has more interceptions than TDs in the preseason. Let's hope that changes come September 13.