5 Biggest Takeaways from Denver Broncos Preseason Game vs Arizona Cardinals
The Denver Broncos wrapped up their preseason with a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. For the first time this preseason, the Broncos lost a game. They fell to the Cardinals by a final score of 22-20.
Head coach Gary Kubiak talked about a few standout players after the game.
“48 [OLB Shaquil Barrett] continues to stand out for me. He’s had a great preseason. I think [WR Andre] Bubba’s [Caldwell] had a good preseason. [WR] Bennie Fowler stood up, made some tough plays in the game.” Kubiak concluded, “Those are just some guys that jump at me right now.”
There were more than a few jobs on the line in the final preseason game. You could feel the tension in the air at Sports Authority Field at Mile High as the Broncos players on the roster bubble did their best to make a positive impression.
Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Broncos’ fourth preseason contest.
Brock Osweiler Finishes Strong in the Preseason
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It should come as no surprise, but quarterback Brock Osweiler has a rocket arm that he can use to stretch the field. This was immediately evident in the game against the Cardinals, as the Broncos first play from scrimmage was a 78-yard touchdown pass from Osweiler to receiver Andre Caldwell.
Osweiler was surprised by how wide open Caldwell was on that play.
“He was wide open. Those are the ones where you see them so open, you’re like, ‘Hey, just put the ball on him.’ You don’t want to miss him.” Osweiler continued, “Bubba ran a great route. The line gave me some time. It was just a great play to start the game.”
Overall, the preseason was quite productive for Osweiler.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Broncos may decide to offer Osweiler a contract extension after four games in the preseason where he looked good on the field. In four games, Osweiler played 131 plays, moved the team for 717 yards, picked up 40 first downs and scored 49 points.
As a passer, Osweiler completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 484 yards with three touchdowns and only one interception. He had a preseason passer rating of 94.2, and Osweiler looked more comfortable as the preseason rolled on.
Now that the preseason is done, we’ve seen the last of Osweiler unless there’s an injury to Peyton Manning. The Broncos should have confidence that Osweiler could fill in admirably if called upon. They may feel confident enough in him to sign him to an extension that guarantees he’ll be the quarterback of the future.
Trevor Siemian Cool Under Fire
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The Broncos picked up Trevor Siemian in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft. Coming out of Northwestern, Siemian wasn’t overly productive on film. However, during training camp and the preseason he’s shown the ability to play cool under fire.
Siemian is just looking to improve every day.
“From the day I got here in OTAs until today, I’m just trying to take that mindset and get a little better each day and stack good days together. Definitely a long way to go, but I think I’ve made some progress.”
Siemian finished the Cardinals game with 104 yards passing, one touchdown pass and one interception. He’s got arm talent, and Siemian can make every throw required in the NFL. Siemian’s composure helps immensely—especially when he makes a mistake on the field.
The rookie quarterback has no idea if he’ll make the final roster.
“That’s over my pay grade. I don’t know. I’ll just make the most of my opportunities and go out there and play when I can.”
All indications point to the Broncos keeping Siemian around as the team’s third quarterback.
Backup Pass-Rushers Coming Through
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The defense is going to be much more aggressive this season. The Broncos starters feature elite-level talent like linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. This preseason, the Broncos backup pass-rushers have shown that they can be a force to be reckoned with too.
Linebackers Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray have been outstanding this preseason. In four games, this duo has terrorized backup quarterbacks and offensive linemen. In the game against the Cardinals, they seemed to turn up the heat.
Barrett feels good about his performance.
“I always just come out. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m just going to come out and do my best. I’m pretty confident I can beat the tackle once a game. If I can beat him once and get a sack on it, that’d be a good accomplishment.” Barrett concluded, “I just came out there and gave my most 100 percent effort and it happened.”
Entering this preseason, many expected Shane Ray to shine through as the team’s part-time pass-rusher behind Miller and Ware. He’s done that, and Ray certainly looks like a player who is going to put quarterbacks under duress early and often.
Barrett was a bit of a forgotten man to start training camp. Now he’s done his best to make the 53-man roster, and Barrett looks like a player who can also work well as a reserve—and impact player—in 2015.
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Kapri Bibbs Put on a Show
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In order to make the final roster, running back Kapri Bibbs needed to impress as a runner, receiver, pass-blocker and on special teams. On Thursday night against the Cardinals, Bibbs did just that.
He was the most impressive runner of the night for the Broncos, finishing with 27 yards rushing on only six carries. While Montee Ball struggled to find running room, Bibbs didn’t seem to have that problem.
He was targeted one time on the night, and Bibbs hauled in the pass for a 2-yard gain. Bibbs had struggled in pass protection during training camp, but he did a better job at protecting the quarterback in this game.
Bibbs feels great heading into the roster-trimming period over the next 48 hours.
"I'm real confident. I knew once I got my opportunity to go out there and run that ball, I knew what I was going to do, and I just made sure—the last three preseason games, I didn't get a chance to touch the ball. I just knew if they gave me a chance to run it, that I've got to leave it all out there and show them what I'm capable of."
Bibbs even made a standout play on special teams. On a Cardinals punt return, wide receiver Trevor Harman tried hurdling over Bibbs near the sideline. Bibbs grasped his man and basically body-slammed him to the ground.
"Yeah, he definitely tried to hurdle me. I don't know what he was thinking; I was standing straight up. It’s not like I was going for his ankles or anything. He just, I guess he just thought he had hops and tried to go right over me."
Bibbs may have done enough in all facets of his game to make the final roster.
This Team Needs Offensive Line Help
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As the game against the Cardinals went on, it became clear this team needs help on the offensive line. The starting five up front should be more than fine, but the reserves leave a lot to be desired.
Swing tackle Michael Schofield is a player the team is counting on more than ever. The third-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft didn’t play a game last year as a rookie, and this year some thought he could be in the mix at right tackle. Instead, the team made the move to add Ryan Harris to the roster as the team’s starter.
Veteran Chris Clark was traded away to the Houston Texans, and this move catapulted Schofield into his current reserve/swing-tackle spot. Schofield struggled mightily on Thursday night, and this team may be forced to scan the waiver wire for free agents who can help.
Kubiak admitted the team may not be done adding talent—even as roster cuts are due.
“I think we know we're young. That's been from the start. I think the depth is a key. We're going to do everything we can to make our football team better. I think we're going to look at every position, not just one or two, with what's out there from a cuts standpoint.”
Kubiak continued, “Some of our young guys have played well throughout the course of preseason. I should mention this to you. We put [C/G] Max [Garcia] at center in the second half. I know you all saw that, so he's had about three days playing there. That's on us as coaches. That's tough on him. We went ahead and let Dillon Day come in and play in the fourth quarter.” Kubiak admitted, “We probably put him in a tough situation, too.”
Expect the Broncos to look for offensive line help—and maybe a tight end—when other teams trim their rosters before Saturday’s deadline.
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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