2016 Broncos Season, Pre-season, week 2


It was the first home game of the year for Denver, and it wasn't pretty.

Pre-Season Week 2: San Francisco 49ers 31, Denver Broncos 24
Pre-Season Record: 1-1 (0-1 home)
Key Play: In the fourth quarter, leading 24-17, 49ers quarterback Christian Ponder connected with Dres Anderson on a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the game away for the 49ers.

Recap: There was some to like Saturday night, but there was a whole lot more to be skeptical about. Denver's offense doesn't look great, and that's partly due to the quarterback battle, which remains as unsettled as ever after the game. Part of it was the sloppy performance on defense. Granted, much of that came with role players and guys just trying to make the squad in the game, but it was still a poor showing. From a shut out a week ago to getting torched for 31 points at home on Saturday. There's a lot for the Broncos to clean up before the regular season begins in 18 days.

Quarterback Competition:
Trevor Siemian — 10-for-14, 75 yards, one interception
Mark Sanchez — 10-for-17, 120 yards, two fumbles
Paxton Lynch — 15-for-26, 113 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

About: The quarterback competition took an ugly turn on Saturday night. Siemian started and looked great on the opening drive. Then he couldn't get anything going, and threw a pick-6. Sanchez came out and looked good until he got to the Red Zone, where he fumbled twice under pocket pressure. Lynch arguably looked the best, but it came against weaker competition. So, in other words, we're no closer to knowing who will start, or who should.

Game Balls:
* CJ Anderson — He got paid during the off-season, and he showed why on Saturday. He carried six times for 30 yards and one big touchdown.
* Virgil Green — Conventional wisdom has been that Jeff Heuerman would be the go-to tight end. But Green looked good, grabbing four passes for 57 yards.
* Zaire Anderson — Playing to have a shot at the starting job, Anderson was great on Saturday, forcing a pair of fumbles and making his presence felt all over the field.

Lingering Questions:
* Quarterback — Who starts for the Broncos? They don't need excellence, but they need competence and somebody who won't turn the ball over. We haven't seen that so far.
* Injuries — The Broncos depth is becoming a question. Injuries on the offensive and defensive line have left the Broncos thin in both units. We have good top line talent, but what happens if more injuries occur. This could be a place where the Broncos make a move post cut downs.
* Tough decisions — The Broncos have a lot of talent at running back and wide receiver, but they can't all be kept. Who will make the team? This will be the roughest spot to make cuts.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Broncos Draft Targets

Favorite Westerns, No. 43