The Denver Broncos are one of the two teams in the NFL that have already played their first preseason game of the new campaign. Denver faced the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL's annual Hall of Fame game in Vic Fangio's coaching debut.
The Broncos won the game by the score of 14-10 after Juwann Winfree caught a spectacular tipped pass in the end zone with one-minute and 26 seconds remaining. The touchdown actually came on a fourth and fourteen situation in the red zone.
Barely any of the starters played and it showed as the team never got a rhythm going on offense. Fangio is hoping for a better start for the offense in their second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.
This will be the first time we will see Joe Flacco take the field as the starter after sitting out of the Hall of Fame game. Other starters will likely play but their reps will probably be limited ahead of the regular season games that begin in September.
After a nonchalant outing in the Hall of Fame game, the Broncos are hoping to improve in all three areas of the team. Here are three areas to focus on for the Broncos in their second preseason game against the Seahawks.
3. Protecting the Quarterback
In their first preseason game, Denver slightly struggled to protect the quarterbacks who received reps under center. As a team, the Broncos allowed three sacks in the game and there was constant pressure in the pocket.
This offseason, John Elway made it the main focus of theirs to improve the right side of the offensive line. First, the team signed Ja'Wuan James in free agency from the Miami Dolphins to start at right tackle.
Then, the Broncos drafted Dalton Risner with the 41st overall pick to pair him with James on the right side of the line. Last season, Denver was actually one of the best teams at protecting the quarterback, allowing 34 sacks (22nd in NFL).
With the addition of Mike Munchak as the offensive line coach, Denver is hoping to be the best offensive line in football. They can show their improvements as a unit against the Seahawks in Week 1 of the preseason.
2. Getting to the Quarterback
On the other side of the ball, the Broncos are known for getting after the quarterback. Russell Wilson won't play in the Seahawks preseason opener but there are two quarterbacks behind him who have started before.
In their first preseason game, the Broncos tallied three sacks as a team. None of the starters played so it was nice to see some of the depth guys find their way into the backfield.
Now, against the Seahawks, Fangio said that Von Miller and the other starters will play some. It's likely they only get a series or two before the rookie head coach pulls them out.
Regardless, the Broncos want to display their dominance by providing pressure on Paxton Lynch and Geno Smith. The players on the Broncos will likely be extra motivated to take down Lynch after being a failed first-round pick for Denver.
1. Better Play at Quarterback
As you can see, the common theme for the Broncos in their second preseason game is the quarterback position. Again, this will be Flacco's debut for the Broncos since they traded for him.
Against the Falcons in the Hall of Fame game, Kevin Hogan began the game as the starting signal-caller. Hogan completed five of his eight attempts for just 37 yards. The other two quarterbacks that played didn't fare much better either.
After Hogan, rookie Drew Lock took the field for the first time and he looked uncomfortable in the offense. The Broncos second-round pick completed seven of his 11 attempts for just 34 yards. Lock missed a few wide-open receivers after rushing throws in the pocket.
With Flacco playing a series or two, the offense should get off to a better start than last week. If not, Denver better figure things out before they face the Oakland Raiders in Week 1 of the regular season.
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