Saturday night, the Denver Broncos continued their streak of preseason dominance with a 27-7 detonation of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Broncos’ six-game preseason win streak is now the league’s longest active streak in the exhibition.
Unsurprisingly, the game was chock-full of wow-ing displays from some of the Broncos’ key young stars, though the game wasn’t all positive.
Who stole the show, and who fell short of expectations? Let’s take a look.
Stock Up
The Denver Broncos' Pass Catchers
Along with Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, Bo Nix was a winner on Saturday night, despite not even playing, because it seems he has a tremendously exciting cast of pass-catchers to work with.
Evan Engram immediately endeared himself to Broncos Country, taking his first target in orange and blue for a 58-yard gain, with 52 of those yards coming after the catch. Nix didn’t have anything like that at the tight end position last year.
Based on the early returns, Troy Franklin has taken a year-two leap Broncos Country has seldom ever seen. His added strength and improved frame have made him an even more deadly separator, a more reliable target at the catch point, and a more terrifying ball carrier. He’s already made multiple catches this preseason that last year’s version of Franklin never would have come down with. Plus, he’s lining up both in the slot and on the outside, which could help resolve some of the team’s logjam inside.
Pat Bryant has also dramatically outperformed expectations during his preseason stints. After adding four more catches for 70 yards on Saturday, Bryant now has six catches this preseason, with all six converting first downs. Along with Franklin, Bryant has also been a positive presence as a blocker, improving his chances of seeing early playing time.
Even UDFA Courtney Jackson stood out, demonstrating a versatility and return ability that could make him valuable as a depth option, especially if Denver doesn’t want to continue to expose Marvin Mims to special teams hits. Fellow UDFA Joaquin Davis looks like a rare athlete, which should help his roster case.
The Denver Broncos’ Edge-Rusher Rotation
This preseason has been outstanding for the Denver Broncos’ pass rush, particularly the edge-rushers, and that was no different in Week 2.
Jonah Elliss added three more pressures, bringing his tally for the exhibition period to five total pressures. He didn’t finish any in a sack this week, but he did force the Cardinals to take an intentional grounding penalty and was a constant disruptive presence for the defense. Along with that drive-killing penalty, Elliss ended two more Cardinals drives – once with a tackle for loss that brought up third-and-long, and another time with back-to-back pressures on second and third down.
Dondrea Tillman and Que Robinson also continued to showcase the depth of the room. Tillman had a massive tackle for loss that led to an Arizona punt, while Robinson created four total pressures and stuffed a run
Finally, 9News’ Mike Klis put the cherry on top by reporting during the game’s broadcast that he expects the Denver Broncos and Nik Bonitto to come to terms on a contract extension before the start of the season. If the Broncos can sign Bonitto before Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson sign, it’ll save the team millions of dollars per year over the coming seasons.
Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger & Davis Webb
There’s no need to get ridiculous and try and drum up a QB controversy, but Denver’s QB room had a great night against the Arizona Cardinals.
Jarrett Stidham opened the game with four scores on five drives, totaling 24 points, and he managed to get the Broncos in position for another score as the first half expired, though Wil Lutz couldn’t connect on the field-goal attempt.
Stidham’s crisp decision-making all preseason makes it clear how much more comfortable he is in Sean Payton’s offense now than he was back in 2023. If Bo Nix does miss time this season, Stidham looks the part of a backup you can trust to keep the ship afloat for a brief window until the starter returns. He finished the night 16-for-23 for 242 yards and two TDs.
Sam Ehlinger also had a strong night, making it easier to imagine him gobbling up a roster spot to be used as the team’s emergency quarterback.
Davis Webb might have had the best night of any member of the room, though, as he called an offensive masterclass in his first-ever opportunity to call plays. Against the Cardinals, the Denver Broncos averaged 0.22 Expected Points Added (EPA) per play. Last year, the Baltimore Ravens led the league with an average of .20 EPA per play.
Before long, Webb will be an offensive coordinator, either in Denver or elsewhere.
R.J. Harvey
Although he only had three carries in the Week 2 romp over the Cardinals, R.J. Harvey still managed to impress.
The critiques about him being too willing to bounce his carries outside in his debut were overblown, but nonetheless, in his second preseason game, he was even more disciplined with the lanes he chose.
Harvey’s underrated vision, patient run style, and sneaky power were especially apparent on his 8-yard touchdown run.
Now, if Harvey can prove to Sean Payton and Co. that they can trust him in pass protection, nothing will be stopping him from becoming the clear top option in the backfield.
Stock Down
Penalties
The Denver Broncos’ second preseason game was so strong that there aren’t many things to complain about.
That said, the ridiculous number of procedural penalties, particularly on offense, was extremely concerning. In the first half alone, the offense had four such penalties, costing the team 20 yards. The most costly example might have taken points off the board, too, as a false start from Alex Palczewski on 4th-and-1 forced the Broncos to settle for a field goal instead of keeping the offense on the field.
With the game primarily featuring backups, this isn’t too alarming, but it is a red flag to watch once the regular season starts.
Damarri Mathis & Jahdae Barron
Damarri Mathis’s days on the Denver Broncos’ roster are numbered after a rough showing against the Arizona Cardinals. Mathis was targeted twice this weekend, allowing a reception both times, with one of those resulting in Arizona’s lone score of the game.
So far this preseason, quarterbacks are 3-for-4 for 43 yards and a touchdown, good for a passer rating of 149.0, when targeting Mathis.
To make matters worse, Mathis left the game early with an ankle injury.
Jahdae Barron’s performance was nowhere near as troubling. In fact, he’s had a solid preseason so far.
Still, it’s mildly disappointing that he has yet to assert himself as a starter, considering Denver’s lofty draft investment. The Broncos sold the selection of Barron, despite him not playing a position of need, because he was simply too good a prospect to pass up. So far, Broncos Country has yet to see the returns on that promise.