3 Concerning Takeaways from Broncos' 42-15 Preseason Loss to Bills

What did we learn from Denver's preseason beatdown suffered at the hands of the Bills?

Seemingly on a dime, the mood in the Mile High City went from one of cool, collected confidence to one of apprehension and anxiety. After the Denver Broncos got boot-stomped by the Buffalo Bills 42-15 in preseason Game 2, old misgivings have risen back to the surface for many fans. 

Considering that it's the preseason, should fans be affected that much by an ugly preseason loss wherein next-to-zero starters played? On the surface, the answer is no, but I understand the mood shift in Broncos Country because it wasn't just that Denver got blown out in an exhibition game; it's how it happened. 

The Broncos gave up the ghost early against the Bills. Threw in the towel. Curled up and died. And the coaches couldn't motivate them back into focus. 

Suddenly, all the storylines about the affable player's coach Nathaniel Hackett, who'd rather hug it out than drop the hammer, and the walkthrough-level intensity of so many training camp practices, have been cast in an entirely different light. And understandably so. 

The argument pointing to the Los Angeles Rams' 2021 preseason as the rationale for not reacting at all to Denver's ugly performance in Buffalo is alluring and convenient. Sure, the Rams went 0-3 last year in the preseason, averaging less than 12 points per contest, and quarterback Matthew Stafford didn't take one snap. That team went on to win the Super Bowl. 

But I question the wisdom of citing one outlier season of a World Champion team as any sort of meaningful precedent vis-à-vis the Broncos' 2022 preseason, especially in the wake of the past six seasons. The truth is, Hackett's team looked woefully unprepared and uninterested in playing football on Saturday in Upstate New York, and nearly half of those players will be on the Broncos' 53-man roster come September. 

To me, it's not a question of whether fans should be concerned. The question is, to what degree? 

There's no need to knee-jerk. Broncos Country absolutely should back away from the cliff. But Saturday was a bit of an eye-opener. 

The focus now shifts to Coach Hackett to see how he and his staff respond to the first adversity of his tenure in Denver. One last week of preseason might not be enough time to fix all that was wrong in Game 2, but if the Broncos don't quickly address it, what's plaguing this team in August could linger well into September and beyond. 

What are the biggest issues Game 2 exposed for Hackett to fix? Let's dive in. 

Too Much Carrot, Not Enough Stick?

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It's gut-check time for the Broncos' coaching staff. It's one thing to take a 'love 'em up' approach to connecting with players as a coach, but you have to also possess the propensity in equal measure to hold a guy accountable. 

We know Coach Hackett is a player's coach. But can he also be that tough enforcer who can put players on notice if and when the situation calls for it? 

It didn't feel that way in Buffalo. When a team gets punched in the mouth like the Broncos did in Buffalo, and goes into a shell, it's incumbent upon the coaches and player leadership to rally the troops and galvanize them back into the moment. 

Hackett and company seemed ill-equipped to do that in Buffalo. And among the second and third-team players, there didn't seem to be any leaders, who also happened to be suited up and on the field, capable of lighting a fire among the Broncos' ranks. 

Now, if that was a regular-season game, I'd still have the same question relative to the coaches, but we know the leadership question at the player level would be different with captains like Russell Wilson, Dalton Risner, Justin Simmons, and Kareem Jackson on the field of battle along with everyone else. I'm not too worried about leadership at the player level come September, but Hackett and the coaches have much to prove. 

Understanding how to balance the carrot or the stick approach as a leader is key to being effective. The jury's out now on Hackett's wherewithal to walk that razor's edge. 

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Sure Would be Cool to See that Wide Zone

Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK

In Game 1, the Broncos' offensive line was horrendous, especially as run blockers. That only continued in Buffalo. I expected the Bills' first-team defense to get after Denver's second-team O-line, but when Buffalo rolled its twos and threes out there, it didn't get any better. 

Perhaps that's because the Bills have a significantly deeper roster than the Broncos. Even if so, Denver's play upfront was highly concerning. Denver totaled 32 rushing yards on 17 attempts (1.9 avg). That was on the heels of averaging 1.8 yards per rush in Game 1 vs. Dallas. 

One could barely call that an improvement. It was equally bad. Most of the offensive linemen who suited up for Denver on Saturday won't make the 53-man roster but there are a handful who will, including Graham Glasgow, Calvin Anderson, Quinn Meinerz, and perhaps Cam Fleming. 

On one hand, we knew going in that assimilating Hackett's wide zone rushing attack would take time. There would be growing pains. On the other, failing through two preseason games to even average three yards per rush is bad enough to warrant concern. 

If the twos and threes are struggling to implement Hackett's scheme, and O-line coach Butch Barry is failing to teach the technique and properly prepare the backups for battle, why should anyone believe it'll be any different with the first-teamers? 

Horrendous Tackling & Poor Technique

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Denver's entire front seven was a sieve in Buffalo. The defensive line consistently got blown off the ball, while the off-ball linebackers couldn't fight off blocks to save their lives. 

Buffalo scored a touchdown on a whopping six straight possessions to start the game. A big reason for that was how soft the Broncos' defense was upfront. 

When an opposing ball-carrier doesn't meet first contact until well into the second level of the defense — Houston, we've got a problem. Adding insult to injury, the Broncos' linebackers and defensive backs seemingly forgot how to tackle. There were way too many whiffed tackles. 

Buffalo rushed for 208 yards on just 27 carries (7.7 avg). I lost count of the number of missed tackles the Broncos were guilty of. 

This all calls into question Coach Hackett's more lackadaisical approach to practice and the walkthrough-level practices that perhaps peppered training camp too often. Again, it's about balance. 

How does a coaching staff walk that line of designing training camp practices in a way that a.) minimizes the likelihood of injury while b.) still prepares the players from a technical and game-speed/game-intensity standpoint? Hackett thought he had that figured out, but the results on the field in Buffalo would beg to differ. 

This team lacked discipline, fundamentals, technique, grit, and anything even remotely approaching intensity. Back to the drawing board, coach. 

Bottom Line

Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK

Again, it's too early to go careening off the cliff in collective knee-jerk fashion. But don't let anyone gaslight you. The Broncos were horrendous on Saturday. 

It was bad enough to warrant legitimate concerns. But Hackett and company have time to course-correct and re-approach things. 

Remember, the Broncos ran a very basic form of offense and defense (but so did the Bills). Hackett and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero aren't about to show their schematic hand to the 31 other teams that will pore over the film of each and every preseason game. 

But the same holds true for Denver's opponents. The preseason is a good indicator of the overall spiritual constitution of a team, if nothing else. And two games in, Hackett's mettle and forward-thinking approach to coaching is fairly under scrutiny. 

The preseason might not count, but it does matter. The Broncos have one game left to go, and then these games are going to count. 

There's no question that Denver has a very talented roster, but if these two preseason games have taught us anything, it's that it's uncomfortably top-heavy. It takes elite depth to go the distance in the NFL, and the Broncos' roster, from player No. 23 to player No. 53, is being viewed in a different light. 

Honestly, the Broncos have enough depth to contend. It might not be elite, but the Broncos have some raw, young starters in the making. 

The issues I saw on Saturday are mostly those of the intangible kind. And that speaks more to coaching. That should be encouraging because it's easier to course-correct and tweak those types of issues than it is to find great talent/depth sitting on the street. 

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