Broncos Dominate Vikings: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

The Denver Broncos defeated the Minnesota Vikings 34-6 in their final preseason game of 2026.

Several of Denver’s backups made a compelling case to make the 53-man roster or, at the very least, the practice squad. Unfortunately, even in a dominant game, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.

The deadline to trim the roster down to the final 53 is Sunday at 2 pm MDT, so with that said, let’s dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Broncos’ performance in the preseason finale.

The Good: Sam Ehlinger & Cody Schrader

Cody Schrader and Sam Ehlinger — Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) hands the ball off to running back Cody Schrader (25) in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After an ugly interception, Ehlinger shook off the nerves and finished the night 15-of-20 for 233 yards and three touchdowns. His most impressive play came on a 14-yard throw across his body to a wide-open Schrader in the end zone.

Ehlinger later hit a wide-open Justin Joly for an 88-yard touchdown on a busted coverage to officially put the game out of reach for the Vikings. It’s unlikely the Broncos carry a third quarterback on the roster, and with Jarrett Stidham starting ahead of Ehlinger in every preseason game, the former Longhorn may be on the outside looking in.

Time will tell whether tonight’s performance makes Sean Payton reconsider who his backup quarterback is.

Cody Scrader gets rewarded for a great night as Sam Ehlinger showcases his off-schedule "superpower" pic.twitter.com/3KGPeUC6hv
— Mile High Huddle (@MileHighHuddle) August 29, 2026

Schrader had an excellent game himself as a workhorse offensive weapon. He rushed for 42 yards on 13 carries and caught six passes for 90 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.

Schrader's ability as a runner, receiver, and blocker makes him a valuable asset for the Broncos, although he’s likely bound for the practice squad and not the 53-man roster.

The Bad: Jahdae Barron

The 2026 preseason has been one to forget for the former first-round pick, and Friday night was unfortunately no better. Barron has struggled to wrap up when tackling and sometimes outright misses his man.

His body language wasn’t very encouraging either; he looked disinterested and even dejected at times. Barron may have been a first-round pick, but that doesn’t mean he can sit on his hands and be gifted a starting spot; he has to take it, and thus far he hasn’t proved that he should even be ahead of Kris Abrams-Draine.

Time could be running out quicker than expected if Barron doesn’t step his game up going forward.

The Ugly: Marvin Mims Jr.'s Injury

Marvin Mims Jr. jumped up for a terrible sideline pass from Jarrett Stidham and came down awkwardly on his foot. Mims limped to the medical tent and ultimately to the locker room, where he was further screened and didn’t return to action.

Coach Payton said that Mims has a bruise and will be fine, which is fantastic news. Even with that said, Mims was injured for most of training camp, and another setback is annoying, to say the least.

He’ll have just over two weeks to get right, but it’s hard to avoid the feeling that he won’t be 100% heading into Week 1. And we can only wonder how it might affect the roster math, especially with undrafted rookie Kolbe Katsis punctuating his preseason with his best game as a returner against Minnesota.

The Takeaway

The Broncos will now turn to trimming their roster down to the final 53, and given some of the performances this preseason, they’ll have their work cut out for them.

It’ll be difficult to release some of these playmakers out into the wild, but with how stacked this roster already is, there’s little wiggle room to keep emerging players.

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