Broncos' Biggest Risers & Fallers in 21-20 Loss to Niners
There were some fireworks in the Denver Broncos' second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers. The first and second-team offense looked good after a shaky performance in Game 1.
Even with two touchdowns and two field goals, the Broncos fell to the Niners on a last-second field goal, 21-20. A loss in the preseason is meaningless, but understanding how players, especially roster bubble guys, fared is important.
One way to gauge that is with a risers and fallers stock report. So without further ado, here are three players who ascended and three who did not help their cause.
Riser: Jaleel McLaughlin | RB
The Broncos' initial depth chart at running back was a head-scratcher, as McLaughlin was listed last. Since that depth chart came out, he has made sure that the coaches can't keep him that far down the list.
McLaughlin was an electric runner, receiver, and returner versus the Niners. He scored two touchdowns, one on a rush and another on a reception, where he juked the defense and walked into the end zone.
The undrafted rookie added a 44-yard kick return for good measure. He bobbled a kick early in the game but recovered the ball. That single mistake was overshadowed by an incredible night of 45 yards rushing and eight yards receiving with the two touchdowns.
Faller: Kendall Hinton | WR
Even with the Tim Patrick injury, the Broncos have a wealth of wide receivers in the stable. Hinton has not had a great training camp, and this preseason game was a rough outing.
He was called for an offensive pass interference and a holding penalty that wiped out gains for the Broncos' offense. He didn't do anything as a pass catcher to make up for those penalties, as he had zero catches on two targets. The fact that he is no longer being used on returns dims his roster chances, to say the least.
Riser: Elijah Garcia | DL
Garcia followed up his two-sack performance last week with a tremendous performance versus the Niners. Everyone will be talking about his interception off of a Matt Henningsen tipped ball, but Garcia made more plays than just a single big one.
Garcia was putting pressure on the quarterback often and drew a holding penalty because of it that brought back a first down run by Trey Lance. Garcia ended the night with two tackles, a QB hit, and the interception. All around, it was a fabulous night for Garcia.
Faller: Tony Jones, Jr. | RB
Jones had a big 43-yard run to set up one of McLaughlin’s touchdowns, but as a big back, he could not gain the necessary yardage on two short third-down tries. At 5-foot-11 and 224 pounds, Jones is expected to get those tough yards, but he was stuffed twice.
Jones' aforementioned big run was made possible by a great block by offensive tackle Alex Palczewski rather than any significant thing that the back did. Plus, Jones was chased down rather easily, putting his top-end speed into serious question.
If not for that single run, Jones would have rushed for only two yards on the night. He was easily passed up on the depth chart by McLaughlin.
Riser: Quinn Bailey | OL
Versatility gets you a job in the NFL, especially on the offensive line. Bailey played both guard and tackle versus the Niners and was solid at both spots. Although his night wasn’t extraordinary, his versatility gives him a leg up on a roster spot.
Playing two positions will give the team flexibility at other position groups and could allow the Broncos to keep a player that they would normally have to cut for an extra offensive lineman. Bailey held up well in pass sets, and his blocking helped the running game churn out yardage.
Faller: Luke Wattenberg | C
This fall has less to do with Luke Wattenberg’s performance and more to do with the offensive linemen around him. Wattenberg had an okay night, but the issue is Kyle Fuller, who was playing as a backup guard in camp and during the first preseason game, was the backup center, instead of Wattenberg.
If Fuller can play multiple positions as well as Bailey, it likely pushes Wattenberg off the roster.
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