The Denver Broncos played their defensive starters against Atlanta, and the results weren't pretty for the Falcons.
Preseason games don’t have much meaning, but the Denver Broncos opened their season as defending AFC West champs with a statement win against the Atlanta Falcons, 27-7, as they played a full complement of defensive starters to limit Atlanta to just 25 net yards of offense in the Falcons’ first four possessions, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.
The game also featured a battle of backup quarterbacks, as Bo Nix sat this one out and Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger played a half each. It was Stidham who showed out as the Broncos romped to a 24-0 first half lead, with Stidham completed 8-of-15 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.
“He's really good with the operation,” coach Sean Payton said about Stidham. “I thought he handled it well.”
Ehlinger did a nice turn in the second half as he completed 10-of-14 for 67 yards, but Stidham probably cemented his status as Nix’s primary backup with his effort.
Payton also praised the running backs, with the running game being a point of emphasis in training camp as the Broncos try to run more between the tackles. Running back J.K. Dobbins sat this one out after sustaining a soft tissue injury during the week, as RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman took over, with Coleman getting 24 yards on four carries as Payton commented on the rookie’s debut.
“Just what we’ve been seeing, right?” the coach said. “And you see enough of it and you’re like alright … I liked his balance coming out of some of the tackles. I thought overall that group had a good night.”
The defense also had a good night as they dominated the Atlanta offense and flummoxed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The lowlight for the Falcons was an interception by Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron off Cooper Rush that he returned 97 yards for a touchdown to punctuate the scoring near the end of the first half, as Denver limited Tagovailoa to just 22 yards passing in his Atlanta debut.
"Frustrated and disappointed at the way things happened tonight as we went out there," Tagovailoa said in a piece written by Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
Cornerback Riley Moss also had an interception as he battles to keep his job, as the feisty Denver defense picked up where they left off last year. Payton will doubtless find plenty to pick at when he sees the tape, but he has to be hoping the Broncos will get a more competitive effort from the Green Bay Packers when they come to Mile High on Friday.
