Broncos Country Shouldn’t Panic After Preseason Loss to Cardinals
The Denver Broncos were defeated in their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday night, 18-17, and there’s some concern about their overall performance. The Broncos' offensive line forgot how to block against Arizona’s first and second-team defenses, the offense started with a three-and-out, and the backup defense couldn’t hang on in the fourth quarter.
These are trends that Broncos Country is all too familiar with. While it wasn’t the prettiest effort by any means, it certainly isn’t time to break the glass on the big red panic button just yet. Before you abort the mission on the Broncos season, let’s talk ourselves out of blasting off into the sun.
Friday night was the first game of the Sean Payton era, and mistakes were inevitable. When installing a new system, there will be hiccups when players match up against a team that isn’t their own for the first time. Some players shine during training camp, and the hype train starts burning coal.
However, the accurate assessment comes when cleats meet turf, and players make plays or don’t. Denver's preseason record is irrelevant, as it's an evaluation period and an opportunity to build chemistry with actual game speed.
It’s not so much about wins and losses but rather wins and learning. This Broncos team has plenty it can learn from in Arizona, which isn’t necessarily bad.
With a stud head coach like Payton, the Broncos can attack their deficiencies more effectively and reduce the damage going into their next two games. A little humble pie is just what this team needed.
The Broncos' O-line let defenders through to Russell Wilson like an outlaw kicking in a saloon door. Left tackle Garett Bolles and left guard Ben Powers looked lost against the Cardinals' front as they shot right past them to smother Wilson.
Bolles broke his leg in Week 5 last season, ending his 2022 campaign. With an injury like that, moving on mentally may take some time.
As for Powers, Denver has to believe that Friday night was an anomaly. The Broncos' O-line as a whole needs to get more reps as a unit if it's to succeed going forward.
Live reps throughout the rest of the preseason will only help them gel together. As bad as their play was in Glendale, until it becomes a trend, Broncos Country should give the O-line time to mesh with one another.
Meanwhile, Denver's defense picked up where it left off in 2022, holding the Cardinals' offense to three points through the first three-quarters of play. Things took a turn in the fourth quarter when the Broncos' third and fourth-team defense allowed 15 points, handing the Cardinals the win.
That late-game collapse on Arizona's final possession may seem concerning, but Denver was fielding a defense that featured many players who won't even be in the NFL within a month's time. No disrespect to the men who played in the final quarter, but they aren’t starters or second-teamers for a reason. The drop-off in talent is very apparent, and you can’t rely on them to seal a game.
This Broncos team has some obvious problems, but preseason is the time to iron them out. With Friday night being the very first game of the preseason, not every player would be perfect, and that’s not the end of the world.
How Payton and the Broncos respond will speak louder than their play in Glendale.
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