5 Burning Questions Coming Out of Broncos' First Preseason Game
With the preseason underway, Denver Broncos fans were elated to see their team take the field on Saturday in Minnesota. It gave fans a chance to see how this team is shaping up in the wake of a dismal 2020 season replete with heart-breaking injuries and a pandemic that had the team learning on the go.
This year, the Broncos are poised to heal up and learn from their past mistakes in an effort to right the ship. On the heels of Denver's impressive 33-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, here are five questions every Broncos fan should have burning in their minds.
Which QB is Right for the Starting Job?
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The most talked-about topic coming into the 2021 season centered around which signal-caller will start for the Broncos. This offseason, the team decided to trade for Teddy Bridgewater for two reasons: to push Drew Lock into taking that next step into becoming a productive quarterback and to be a failsafe if the incumbent continues to get in his own way turnover-wise.
The Broncos raised the floor of their QB room by adding Bridgewater and that was evident in preseason Game 1. Lock had himself a day, eclipsing 100 yards passing on just seven attempts and tossing two scores while not turning the ball over. Meanwhile, Bridgewater entered the game in the second quarter in relief and kept the Broncos' offense moving, orchestrating multiple scoring drives, including a touchdown pass to Trinity Benson.
Both QBs moved the ball, scored points, and finished with a rating north of 144.
The quarterback battle will continue to play out over the preseason as both players will keep splitting first-team reps 50/50 and rotate starting the games. In the meantime, Broncos Country will be waiting on pins and needles for the coaches' decision on who will captain the offense going into the highly anticipated 2021 season.
Is Pat Shurmur the Right Man to Direct the Offense?
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The Broncos decided to hire a highly sought-after offensive mastermind following the 2019 season. Broncos Country was elated with the decision, but as the 2020 season progressed, fans soon change their tune when the team's offense floundered and struggled to get into the end zone.
Shurmur failed to play to the strengths of his personnel with his play calls. One example being, he was unable to get the talented receiving running back Melvin Gordon more involved in the passing game, resulting in the veteran's lowest output in production in some time.
The fault wasn't only with Shurmur as Lock consistently shot himself in the foot, taking unnecessary risks instead of what the defense gave him — frequently resulting in turnovers that often gave the opposing team terrific field position. Shurmur and his offensive playmakers will need to find a way to get on the same page, or the Broncos' offense is doomed to repeat the past, and Shurmur, Lock, and Gordon will be looking for new jobs in 2022.
Will Von Miller & Bradley Chubb Return to Form?
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In the 2018 NFL draft, Bradley Chubb fell to pick No. 5 overall and the Broncos jumped at the chance to draft him as he was projected to be the first defensive player taken well before Denver went on the clock. When the Cleveland Browns decided to draft cornerback Denzel Ward at pick No. 4, Denver viewed it as a no-brainer to select Chubb.
Chubb was impressive in his rookie season, racking up 12 sacks. Chubb and Miller combined for 26.5 sacks that year and expectations were high for the dynamic duo.
However, as soon as Broncos Country's hopes skyrocketed, they soon came crashing down as Chubb and Miller each suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons. Now fully healthy and hungrier than ever, the duo is poise to continue with its dominant ways.
The key to Chubb and Miller to recapturing their dominance is Denver's depth at the position. Players like Malik Reed and the combination of rookies Jonathon Cooper and Andre Mintze will hopefully allow Chubb and Miller to ease back into regaining their pass-rushing form, though the trio was only able to notch one sack in Minnesota (Mintze).
How Will Patrick Surtain II be Used?
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The Broncos decided to draft the cornerback phenom out of Alabama instead of a quarterback in April. Surtain is an excellent defensive back who possesses the size to be used all over the field.
He was thought to be slotted to play boundary corner, but with his size, Surtain matches up well with tight ends as well, which will come in handy as the AFC West has some of the most dangerous receiving tight end threats in the NFL. With Surtain checking in at 6-foot-2, Denver hopes he can minimize the effect of tight ends like Travis Kelce and Darren Waller.
If so, it will be a huge detriment to the Broncos AFC West foes. In preseason Game 1, Surtain was used exclusively as a boundary corner with the Broncos resting starters Kyle Fuller, Ronald Darby, and Bryce Callahan so it's still too early to say where Vic Fangio ultimately envisions the rookie fitting into the defense.
However, Surtain's pick-six and two pass break-ups in his NFL debut on Saturday were encouraging, to say the least.
How will Jerry Jeudy Perform in 2021?
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The Broncos drafted the gifted route runner Jerry Jeudy out of Alabama in the first round in 2020 and his crisp routes had defensive backs tripping over their feet, trying to stay step for step with him, and failing on most occasions. He stepped on the field without missing a beat as a rookie.
With that being said, Jeudy was unable to meet expectations when it came to his play, as he had multiple drops at crucial times in the game. He has been putting in extensive amounts of time with the jugs machine to help nullify his drops.
In training camp, it seemed to be paying dividends but in vs. the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, it was hard to say whether Jeudy's butterfingers are behind him as there were a couple of questionable opportunities to catch a big-time pass that either slipped through his fingers or glanced off the tip.
If Jeudy continues to put in the work, and it carries over to the field, look for him to have a big year and put defensive backs on the wrong side of highlight film. Even the most seasoned veterans have been put on skates as they attempt to cover the route running specialist.
Bottom Line
On paper, the Broncos seem to have a roster that can compete with anyone in the league, assuming they get their quarterback problem resolved. If Denver's previously injured players can return to form, and its young core continues to develop, the NFL is in serious trouble as the Broncos have the talent to be a serious problem for years to come.
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