The Denver Broncos won their first preseason game of the 2026 season against the Atlanta Falcons 27-7 on Friday evening at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
With Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix sitting in Georgia, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger split halves in a true mano-e-mano battle for the No. 2 spot on the roster.
The Broncos started hot, going right down the field with Stidham leading a six-play, 69-yard drive, highlighted by a bomb from Stidham to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who caught the ball at the one, leading to a touchdown run from fullback Adam Prentice.
Denver’s defense continued their dominant streak, allowing just one first down in two drives to the Atlanta starting offense led by Tua Tagovailoa. After a second Atlanta punt, kicker Wil Lutz booted a 43-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0.
The defense stayed hot, as Falcons backup quarterback Cooper Rush immediately threw an interception to training camp standout Riley Moss. The Broncos capitalized on the turnover, with Stidham throwing a five-yard touchdown to Jaleel McLaughlin to make the score 17-0.
The Falcons offense continued to sputter, until their second-to-last drive of the first half, where they got down to the Denver 7. That’s where the drive ended for them; linebacker Karene Reid tipped a Rush pass at the three, and second-year cornerback Jahdae Barron took it the other way for a pick-six with 1:28 left in the first half. At halftime, the score was 24-0.
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger came in the second half after a Falcons punt to start the third quarter. His first drive delivered a 20-yard strike down the field to undrafted wide receiver Joseph Manjack, and the Broncos made their first major mistake of the game when Luke Basso skipped a snap to holder Jeremy Crawshaw, and the drive camp up empty-handed.
After another Falcons punt, McLaughlin fumbled inside the Denver 20, leading to a quarterback sneak by Falcons quarterback Jack Strand, breaking the shutout, and the score was 24-7.
On the third Ehlinger drive, the field goal operation once again came out a mess. Matt Peart ran on late, and Lutz missed a 55-yard field goal. Atlanta couldn’t take advantage, and punted again.
On the fourth drive, Ehlinger was aided by defensive penalties, driving down the field, where Lutz and the field goal operation finally put a good rep on tape, increasing the lead to 27-7.
With the victory, the Broncos have won eight straight preseason contests dating back to 2023, the longest such streak in the NFL.
The Broncos will face the Green Bay Packers next week at Empower Field at Mile High.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos defeat Falcons 27-7 in Week 1 of NFL preseason