2017 Broncos Season, Pre-Season Week 2

The Broncos are 2-0 this pre-season, but there are still plenty of questions to answer.

Pre-Season Week 2: Broncos 33, San Francisco 49ers 14
Pre-Season Record: 2-0 (0-0 Home)
Key Play: In the first half, with time winding down, Trevor Siemian connected with Jordan Taylor on a 17-yard pass for a touchdown to push the score to 20-0 before the half.

Recap: The Denver Broncos got a win in their second pre-season game and, more importantly, might have gotten some clarity and direction in their most pressing area of concern, who will start at quarterback. Paxton Lynch started on Saturday night, going 9-for-13 for 39 yards, and rushing three times for 27 yards. On the surface, that doesn't seem too bad. But if you watched, you'd have seen a young quarterback who struggled with some decision making, had trouble with accuracy on throws down the field, and frequently panicked in dumping the ball off or running. That's not great. What compounded matters was that Trevor Siemian came in and looked much better in all phases. He went 8-for-11 for 93 yards and a touchdown. Even Kyle Sloter, who played in the fourth quarter, seemed to have a better grasp of the offense, going 7-for-7 for 50 yards. Coach Vance Joseph has suggested he's in no hurry to make a final decision, but based on what we've seen, why wait? Just make the logical choice, name Siemian the starter, and allow the team to begin to center around that. Elsewhere, DeAngelo Henderson looked good again, practically assuring he's made the team. Stevan Ridley also made a strong case, which means Jamaal Charles will have to really show something against the Packers on Saturday if he's going to make this roster. The Broncos were without many defensive starters, but it didn't matter much. They forced many turnovers and really dominated the 49ers. The first half was a shut out, and the second half saw a TD on the first drive and a 107-yard kick-off return for a touchdown, but aside from that the 49ers looked lifeless. They look like a team that was 2-14 a year ago. Hopefully Denver will show more when they battle the Packers, a stouter team, on Saturday.

Game Balls:
* Stevan Ridley. Ridley was brought in largely as a body in camp, but he's been making a push to be on the roster. He looked strong on his 14 carries for 40 yards and grabbed three passes for seven yards.
* DeAngelo Henderson. He had a couple really good plays called back due to penalty, but Henderson impressed again. As the second back in the game, he had 30 yards on six carries and 20 yards on two receptions. And, again, it should have been more.
* Shelby Harris. The reserve defensive lineman recovered two fumbles on the night, part of the Broncos five turn over performance. He is making a case to make the final roster, especially with so many banged up.

Lingering Concerns:
* The Quarterback Battle. If Joseph doesn't name a starter this week, the Broncos will be in limbo once again. That's not a great place to be.
* Special Teams. The Broncos forced a Special Teams turnover and made a lot of field goals, but they also allowed a 107-yard kick-off return for a touchdown. So it was a mixed bag.
* Offensive line. Blocking was uneven and the penalties were plentiful. This unit MUST improve, and so far it really hasn't, at least not enough.