5 Biggest Takeaways from Denver Broncos' Preseason Game vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Denver Broncos stayed undefeated in the preseason as they beat the San Francisco 49ers 19-12 on Saturday night. The Broncos aren’t lighting up the scoreboard yet this preseason, but they are running the ball well and playing strong defense.
Nevertheless, some fans are worried about that the first-team offense with Peyton Manning under center has yet to score a touchdown. Two games have passed, and the Manning-led offense has yet to get in the end zone.
Head coach Gary Kubiak talked about any concerns with the offense after the game.
“There are a lot of things that concern you on a regular basis. The biggest thing offensively is we don’t have a lot to show for some of the good things that are going on. You hold the ball for 20 minutes in the first half, you’re over 50 percent on third downs, you think you’d be scoring some points.”
Kubiak explained: “That’s the thing that’s discouraging. I had us in a couple of tough situations that I’ve got to do a better job of with our quarterback. There are things that we can fix. Now there needs to be a sense of urgency. We’ve got a couple weeks yet to get some things cleaned up.”
The coach emphasized the positive: “We’ll get there. We’ll just keep working. I’ve got confidence in the people doing it and the guys coaching it and we’ll get there.”
Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Broncos’ third preseason contest.
This Pass Rush Is Amazing
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The Broncos did not give 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick much time to throw on Saturday night. He was under duress most of the night as Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were in his face early and often. Both Miller and Ware collected one sack apiece in the first half. Ware’s sack was in the end zone and resulted in a safety.
Miller talked about Ware’s big play.
“That’s what it’s all about. To be a great defense, you have to make great plays and that was a great play by DeMarcus. During the regular season, we have to get a whole bunch of those.”
Miller continued: “That’s where our mindset is. Preseason, it’s been good, we got a lot of work in and still have another game next week, but we’ll be ready to go for the regular season.”
The identity of this team could be featured with the defense. The way these pass-rushers are playing, opponents may not have much time to air it out. Opposing quarterbacks (and offensive linemen) are going to be quite concerned about what they’ll have to face when going up against the likes of Miller and Ware.
During the preseason, the Broncos have been terrorizing quarterbacks. They added to their NFL-leading sack total (14) with two first-half quarterback takedowns. Their pass rush also helped hold San Francisco to 1-of-5 on third-down conversions.
This game yet again emphasized what the Broncos defense is building in 2015.
C.J. Anderson Is a Three-Down Back
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The Kubiak system is all about running the ball often, and the first team’s workhorse against the 49ers was C.J. Anderson.
In addition to running the rock, Anderson looked good as a receiver out of the backfield. He was targeted three times and caught all three passes for a total of 22 yards.
He knows the first-team offense must make improvements with the regular season fast approaching.
“We just need to score, " he said. "We’re doing everything we want to do, but in Houston we had four possessions and zero points. Today we had possessions were moving the ball, but had a turnover here, penalty there. We’re just killing ourselves.”
Anderson concluded: “It’s not like the defense is beating us. We’re beating ourselves up. It’s something we need to work on.”
He feels like got into a rhythm with the 13 carries and three receptions he had on Saturday night. However, he would have liked to have touched the ball more.
“I wanted the ball a little more,” he said with a smile.
With his skill set, dedication to football and performance this preseason, Anderson deserves as many touches as he can possibly get in 2015.
Peyton Manning Looks Rusty
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While the defense and the rushing attack were solid, quarterback Peyton Manning struggled in the first half.
He attempted 21 passes, completing 14 of them for 124 yards. He didn’t throw any touchdowns despite getting close a couple of times, but he did throw an interception in the back of the end zone. He targeted Demaryius Thomas on a lob pass to the back corner, but the ball seemed to have a little too much air under it.
The Broncos offensive line did not help Manning stay upright. He was sacked three times on the night, and those plays hurt the rhythm the first-team offense was trying to establish.
Kubiak believes that Manning is comfortable in the new offense: “I think he’s fine. We went back to some no-huddle stuff. Obviously, those are things he’s extremely comfortable with. All three [of Manning’s sacks] of them came with him under center.”
Kubiak concluded, “I feel pretty confident that from a coaching standpoint we can go fix those things.”
Manning expressed confidence in working from under center.
“I’m pretty comfortable doing that," he said. "I’ve been doing that for a long time. I’ve been in the shotgun a little bit more as of late, but I’ve definitely played under center a lot in my career, so I feel pretty good doing that.”
Both Kubiak and Manning don’t seem to be concerned by the lack of scoring from the first-team offense. They both expressed confidence that this offense would do a better job going forward.
The preseason helps to knock off rust, and that’s what Manning will continue to do.
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Jordan Norwood Impressing
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With Emmanuel Sanders out against the 49ers, wide receiver Jordan Norwood had the chance to show his stuff. Cody Latimer was moved to the outside opposite Demaryius Thomas while Norwood lined up in the slot when the team used three-wide receiver sets.
Norwood proved to be a reliable receiver for Manning. He was targeted four times and hauled in all four catches. He had 38 receiving yards, and that was the most of any Broncos receiver in the game.
Kubiak believes that Sanders will be back soon: “He worked today. He came to the stadium. He ran routes for about a half hour. [He] was very positive. Had it have been a regular-season game, I believe Emmanuel would have been very close to playing or pushed to play, but we’re right on schedule to where we want to be.”
Kubiak emphasized, “He should be back on the field this week.”
Sanders, Thomas and Latimer will be the main three receivers for the Broncos this year. Behind those three, there could be a spot for a player such as Norwood.
The reserve wide receiver positions are wide-open right now. The Broncos may end up with five or six receivers this season. Norwood is doing his best to prove that he belongs in that group.
The Defense Is Hyperaggressive
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A hallmark for the Wade Phillips defense is aggression, and there’s no question this Broncos defense is going to have plenty of swagger in 2015.
The aggression of this defense was evident on a play early in the game. San Francisco running back Reggie Bush was running near the sideline when he attempted to leap over cornerback Aqib Talib. Bush didn’t get high enough to clear the defense. Instead, Talib grabbed Bush around the waist and essentially bodyslammed him to the ground.
Rookie linebacker Shane Ray—who is known for being superaggressive—believes this team is coming into its own: “I think I’m just becoming more comfortable. With each week that has gone by, I’ve gotten better with my technique, I’ve gotten better with what my coach says I need to work on and I’m slowly, but surely, incorporating that into my game plan and how I play.”
Ray continued: “I think today, I was just able to show some more steps that I’ve been taking. It’s a continuous process; I want to continue what I’ve been doing and just be better than I was before.”
The addition of Ray is just a small indication of how aggressive this defense is going to be this season.
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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