The Denver Broncos started fast and never looked back, beating the Atlanta Falcons27-7 in Week 1 of the preseason on Friday night.
Several questions were answered and asked during the win. We take a look at the five biggest takeaways from the Broncos' win.
1. Davis Webb is not afraid
Davis Webb called one heck of a first half, balancing the rush and pass fairly equally. And it was effective. The first drive of the game was a six-play, 69-yard masterpiece. Jarrett Stidham went four-for-four on the drive, ending with a touchdown. That is the big play potential of this offense, and what fans hope to see out of the team moving forward in 2026.
2. Special teams was not so special
The Broncos' field goal unit in particular had a rough second half. Long snapper Luke Basso skipped a snap to punter Jeremy Crawshaw on a hold, and offensive lineman Matt Peart ran on late, causing the unit to rush through a field goal attempt. Both of those attempts drew zero points. Even though the game was out of hand, in a close regular season contest, those miscues could mean the difference between winning and losing.
3. Jarrett Stidham is the clear No. 2
After facing Atlanta's first and second-team defense, Stidham showed why he was the leader in the quarterback competition. He was calm, effective and led the offense with poise. Stidham also had two passes dropped, so his statline could have been even better. Stidham scored on three of six drives in the first half. Ehlinger, to his credit, did what he could to lead the Broncos into scoring position, and could have had more points if not for the special teams miscues listed above.
4. Riley Moss could be really good in 2026
Riley Moss is making it really hard for the Broncos to not give him a new contract past 2026. Moss intercepted a Cooper Rush pass off a deflection. Moss has been having a breakout camp as well, and could add significant value to an already top-tier secondary, if he just cuts down on the penalties. He was not flagged in Friday's victory.
5. The rushing attack showed up!
Webb also managed to do something coach Sean Payton has had trouble with: he committed to the run. One of the best examples of this was when RJ Harvey took the ball on three straight plays, single-handedly getting a first down. Rookie Jonah Coleman also had four rushes for 24 yards, showing explosive playmaking ability. The Broncos also added a wrinkle when Webb called a jet sweep to undrafted free agent Cameron Ross, a run which netted 28 yards, and led directly to a touchdown. Committing to the run game will be key to wear down opponents and open up the deep passing game. The Broncos tallied more rushes than passes (38 rushing attempts to 29 passing) for the first time in a long time.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 5 takeaways from Broncos’ 27-7 preseason win over Falcons