5 Biggest Takeaways from Denver Broncos' Preseason Game vs. Houston Texans
The Denver Broncos played their second game of the preseason against the Houston Texans on Saturday night. After falling behind in the second half, the Broncos were able to pull off the win. They beat the Texans 14-10 on Saturday night and are now undefeated through two weeks of the preseason.
The Broncos’ first-team offense totaled 81 yards (52 passing, 29 rushing) in four series in the first half. Denver’s average starting field position during those four drives was its own 14-yard line.
Peyton Manning played for the first time this preseason, and he reflected on the starters' performance after the game.
“We had some self-inflicted wounds that kept us from moving the chains and keeping the drives alive. When you only play four drives, it’s hard to overcome them.”
Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Broncos’ second preseason contest.
The Shotgun Formation Remains
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Peyton Manning made his preseason debut against the Texans, and the team didn’t waste any time featuring him in the shotgun formation. In fact, the first play of the preseason for Manning came from his familiar position about seven yards back from the center.
The Broncos offense under Gary Kubiak looked a lot like the scheme we saw last year. Manning was in the shotgun, and the team was using the no-huddle offense to move the ball quickly down the field.
The first-team offense stalled against the Texans because of penalties and dropped passes. Kubiak understands the team didn’t help out Manning as much as it could have.
“I thought he operated fine," Kubiak said. "We didn’t help him in a couple of situations. On third down, we had a couple of big drops on the three or four series that he played. But I thought he was sharp in running the group and running the no-huddle for the first time out.
"We’ve just got to grow off of that and come back next week and play a little bit more.”
It was an interesting debut for Manning, to say the least. Instead of handing off the ball in a balanced system, the offense leaned on the pass more than some expected. That is part of the game plan with Manning this season. The team will use different facets of the offense to attack opponents in 2015.
C.J. Anderson Looks Stronger Than Before
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A minor ankle injury in the preseason opener kept us from seeing starting running back C.J. Anderson for more than a small handful of snaps. He didn’t miss a day of practice, though, and we got to see a glimpse of what he’ll do in the regular season on Saturday night.
Anderson did a good job of hitting the hole at the right time. He shows good patience as a runner, allowing his blocks to fully develop before bursting to the spot. He will also look for the cutback lane as he’s running, and he has the change-of-direction ability to quickly take the ball on a different path.
Against the Texans, Anderson finished with 24 yards on only four carries. That’s good for a healthy average of six yards per carry. He also caught one pass for three yards.
Anderson had two runs that won’t appear in the box score called back because of holding penalties. He understands that’s going to happen.
"We can clean up some of that," he said. "Some of that is on me making the right cut. I was reacting to things. We always say, 'if you’re gonna go outside, react to this,' but it was called holding, and that’s what happened on both of them.
"Those things happen. I think we probably slowed into things, but we can start faster as an offense and we’ll be fine."
On the night, Anderson felt better than he did last week against the Seahawks when he was under the weather.
“I felt good, I felt fast, I felt quick, I felt like myself, I wasn’t sick. I didn’t have the flu to deal with, so I feel good.”
With Anderson as the top back, the Broncos can lean on him in any situation. He’ll be a big part of what this team does in 2015, and there’s a chance he could lead the league in rushing with this opportunity, his skill set and this system.
Ronnie Hillman Is Cementing Himself as the Backup
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While Anderson is locked in as the starter, his primary backup was unknown entering training camp. That is no longer a mystery after two preseason games—Ronnie Hillman is that player.
Hillman rushed for 66 yards on eight carries against the Seahawks in Week 1. He followed up that performance by leading the team in rushing again. This time, he ran eight times for 54 yards against the Texans.
Everyone knows that Hillman is the speed back. He has an element to his game that no other back on the roster has. That speed helped him gash the Texans on Saturday night, but we also saw Hillman run with a bit of power between the tackles.
Kubiak confirmed that Hillman is rising up the depth chart with these performances in the preseason.
“He’s moved himself up. He’s had a really good camp. He’s the guy in the group that has a little bit different—I don’t want to say talent; you know what I mean—the gear to get the ball to the edge so he’s responded, he’s had a really good camp.”
Kubiak emphasized, “He deserves more reps and he’s playing like that he’s going to continue to get some more.”
Hillman’s speed and big-play ability give the team a different look on offense. Denver will be able to pick and choose the best times to use him during a game. It’s a great asset to have as the regular season marches on.
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Owen Daniels Is the Top Tight End
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The Kubiak system uses the tight end position early and often. We saw that last week as Virgil Green caught five passes for 45 yards and one touchdown against the Seahawks. He did that with Owen Daniels watching from the sidelines. Like Manning, Daniels played for the first time in the preseason against the Texans.
Daniels was targeted five times and caught four passes for 25 yards. Green did not get targeted once with the first-team offense on the field. He was tasked with blocking, while Daniels was asked to get open underneath.
After the preseason opener, some wondered if Green could play a larger role than originally thought. During training camp, Daniels has been the most heavily targeted tight end, and Green has been primarily used as a blocker. As Manning and Daniels made their preseason debut, we see that’s still the case.
Daniels expressed a feeling of satisfaction when talking about being in the huddle with Manning.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s all it is cracked up to be. He’s all he’s advertised to be. Obviously, you go through everything he’s done in his career, but he challenges you, holds you accountable, you got to make sure you’re doing everything in the right way or you’re going to hear from him.”
Daniels continued, “That’s what you want out of a leader. Just trying to be at the right place for him and do the right thing out there for him.”
Yes, Green is an underrated receiver who could be utilized more as a pass-catcher if asked to. However, he’s such a good blocker that his best way to help the team is by staying in to block.
Daniels is the top tight end in Denver, and he has quickly built strong chemistry with Manning this offseason. That connection should carry over into the regular season.
Shaquil Barrett Should Make This Team
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For two weeks in the preseason, second-year linebacker Shaquil Barrett had made impact plays for the Broncos. Against the Seahawks in the preseason opener, he finished with four tackles, four quarterback hits, one sack and one forced fumble. Against the Texans, he had two tackles, two quarterback hits, one sack and one forced fumble.
These are the types of performances that could earn him a spot on the 53-man roster.
He was acquired as an undrafted free agent after the 2014 NFL draft. The former Colorado State star had a reputation for making big plays at the right time. He didn’t make the 53-man roster as a rookie, but Denver decided to keep him around as a developmental prospect on the practice squad.
Now, Barrett is making the most of his opportunity.
This team is going to feature an aggressive defense under Wade Phillips. His 3-4 scheme should put a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2015. Having a deep group of pass-rushers will only help the team get after the quarterback with a fresh rotation.
Von Miller talked about the differences in Phillips’ defense compared to what the team utilized under former defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.
“I think more with Coach Phillips, we just don’t sit around and wait for stuff to happen. We had a lot of good players last year so it’s easier to sit back and try to wait for somebody to make a play. With Coach Phillips, you going to go out there and manufacture a play, and that’s what I like about the defense.”
After two strong performances in the preseason, Barrett may be in line to make the final roster because of his disruptive skill set.
All quotes and injury/practice observations were obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information was provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats were via ESPN's employees-only database.
Contract and salary-cap information was provided by Spotrac. Transaction history was provided by Pro Sports Transactions.
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