Instant reaction: Broncos earn decisive victory over Falcons in preseason opener

The Denver Broncos started off the preseason the right way. When the clock struck zero, the Broncos had notched a decisive 27-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It was abundantly clear who was the better coached team in this one. Here are several instant reactions from their first preseason game.

Broncos’ offense looked sharp in the first half.

One of the key storylines to watch in tonight’s game was how Denver’s offense would perform with Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb calling plays and Jarrett Stidham getting the start. All things considered, I’d say they looked quite good in their first preseason game.

The Broncos started out hot with a six-play drive that went 69-yards for a score. That’s exactly the type of execution you want to see. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton impressed early on, hauling in a big 40-yard catch that put the team in scoring position. The first drive would result in a 1-yard touchdown run by fullback Adram Prentice.

Overall, I felt Stidham performed well in the first half. He did a good job working different levels of the field. Four different receivers had receptions of at least fifteen yards. He looked sharp with a clean pocket, but had a few errant throws when pressure got to him. Overall, the veteran backup went 9-of-15 for 131 yards and 1 touchdown.

The Broncos had a whopping 31 plays on offense in the first half. They averaged nearly seven yards per play and accrued 14 first downs. Their rushing attack was also successful with 17 carries for 94 yards. By the end of the first half, Denver amassed 225 yards of total offense and put 17 points on the board.

Jonah Coleman’s NFL debut showed some promise, but also one big concern.

Rookie running back Jonah Coleman was one of the players I was keyed in on for tonight’s game. The former Washington Huskies standout had six carries in his NFL debut for 24 yards—a six yard per carry average. Personally, I thought he would get more opportunities than that. Even so, his decisiveness and burst at the line of scrimmage was evident. Additionally, his low center of gravity and penchant for breaking tackles stood out.

The aforementioned are all reasons why Coleman should be a quality contributor in the Broncos’ rushing attack this season. However, he had several whiffs in pass protection. That’s typically an area that takes young running backs time to get the hang of. Nevertheless, he will need to improve upon that aspect of the game to see more playing time during his rookie season.

Denver’s defense reels in a few big turnovers.

Finding a way to create more takeaways has been a focal point for the Broncos’ defense this offseason. After being in the bottom five last season with just 14, finding a way to get better in that aspect will be mission critical for sustained success in the regular season. They didn’t disappoint tonight.

Cornerbacks Riley Moss and Jahdae Barron both hauled in first half interceptions. Barron, a player I highlighted in my players to watch article, came up big tonight. I was impressed with how he played in the first half. In the right spot at the right time, Barron took a deflected pass by linebacker Karene Reid and returned it the distance for a 97-yard pick six.

That play kept the Falcons off the board and put the Broncos up 24-0 near the end of the first half. It’s still unknown what kind of snap share Barron will have this season, but if he continues to make plays like that—Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph may have a hard time keeping him off the field.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

• Is there actually a real competition at backup quarterback? Several reports mentioned how Sam Ehlinger has been on par, if not better than Stidham during training camp. While they had different units and tiers of talent playing with them, Stidham certainly looked much better in tonight’s game. Sure, there is still time to go, but I’d wager the thought of the battle being close may have been slightly exaggerated.
  
• It’s definitely not time to hit the panic button, but the two snafus on the Broncos’ field goal units tonight were concerning. On numerous occasions last year, the special teams had execution problems. Special Teams Coach Darren Rizzi will need to work out those kinks before the regular season begins. Denver can’t afford to have those mistakes when the stakes actually matter.
  
• One of the big camp battles for the Broncos is at inside linebacker. Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are the starting duo, but who will wind up backing them up remains to be seen. Based off tonight’s performance, seventh-round draft selection Red Murdock may have an inside track for one of the spots. He played a lot of snaps and had 7 tackles tonight. I thought he played well moving downhill and did a great job diagnosing plays against the run.