Broncos at Falcons: Final Predictions & Bold Takes

What will Sean Payton do with his hands on Friday night?

The Denver Broncos are taking on the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. And for the first time in many moons, Payton won't be calling the plays on offense; that'll be new offensive coordinator Davis Webb.

Forget the score. Of course, both teams would prefer to emerge victorious, but that directive takes a back seat to the personnel evaluations, roster battles, and, in the case of the Broncos, the new coaching wrinkles under the microscope in Atlanta.

With that said, it's time for our final, bold Broncos predictions for the preseason opener. Let's dive in!

Broncos Eclipse 400 Total Yards And 30 Points

Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb calls plays vs. the Arizona Cardinals in preseason action. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Webb makes his presence felt out of the gates. In his one-and-only opportunity to call plays last summer, as the Broncos' then-pass game coordinator, Webb turned in a masterful performance.

The Broncos totaled 562 total yards of offense and scored 27 points against the Arizona Cardinals. Denver had 23 first downs — 27 if you count penalties — vs. Arizona. Fast forward to Friday night in Atlanta, and the Broncos come close to those numbers again.

The quarterbacks will pass for 275-plus yards and the run game will total 130-plus yards. In his first preseason game as the offensive coordinator, Webb alleviates any lingering concers within Broncos Country about Payton giving up the play-calling.

Jarrett Stidham Sends Message With 150 Yards and Two TDs

Stidham has arguably been eclipsed in training camp by Sam Ehlinger, even though the Broncos' first unofficial depth chart remains unchanged from the end of the 2025 season. In a game situation, Stidham has the opportunity to showcase the slight edge he has over Ehlinger in the experience department, and mind-melds with Webb.

Stidham leads the Broncos to a comfortable first-half lead, passing for a pair of touchdowns and 150-plus yards before the half. The onus falls on Ehlinger to show something in the second half with the third-teamers, and...

Ehlinger Answers With 125 Yards and a TD

Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) runs against the San Francisco 49ers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ehlinger is a gamer. He's best when the play breaks down, and he's able to work off schedule. Camp practices are more formulaic, but in the games, the young quarterback can trust his instinct a bit more without fear of reprisal from the coaches yammering in his ear to stay in the pocket.

Ehlinger's offense is even more productive that Stidham's, but the third-team quarterback finishes with slightly lower individual stats. Still, for a second-half performance with the threes, finishing with 125-plus passing yards and a touchdown will be equally impressive for Ehlinger, especially considering...

Ground Game Comes Alive in Second Half: Hello, Jonah Coleman

Time will tell exactly how many snaps and touches Coleman gets in Game 1, but I'm going to assume most of his action comes in the second half, as he's still "unofficially" at the bottom of the depth chart. He is a rookie, after all.

With Ehlinger under center, the Broncos' ground game comes alive in the second half, with Coleman rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown. Keep an eye on Cody Schrader, too, who's battling for a practice squad spot. Schrader should get some second-half action.

Pat Bryant Translates Camp Fire to the Preseason With a TD

Bryant has been the star of Broncos camp. With that precedent set, he also catches the first touchdown of the summer before sitting down for the night.

Stidham finds Bryant in the red zone to get the Broncos rolling against the Falcons. Will Troy Franklin get in on the action? Time will tell.

Dallen Bentley — Not Justin Joly — Shines at TE

Joly has tremendous upside as a receiving tight end, but his learning curve has been vast. The assimilation process has been no different for Bentley, though he came from a physical program at Utah and brought just a bit more meat on the bone to the NFL as a blocker.

I'm not saying Bentley goes off in Atlanta, but when the dust settles, he'll outshine Joly. From there, the onus falls on Joly — a fifth-round pick — to step it up in Game 2 vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Jonah Elliss Gets Broncos' First Sack of the Summer

We don't know how much Elliss will play in this game, but based on what we've seen in camp, when he is on the field, he'll be productive. The third-year outside linebacker notches the Broncos' first sack of the preseason.

We'll also get some long looks at Que Robinson and Drew Sanders as depth rush linebackers. I'm intrigued to watch both of them, but Sanders, in particular, will have my eye. He needs to make up for lost time.

Red Murdock Forces a Fumble

Red Mudock. — Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Red Murdock practices during rookie minicamp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. | Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

As the FBS' all-time leader in forced fumbles, predicting that Murdock punches the ball out in his first game as a Bronco might seem like low-hanging fruit, but it's actually the opposite. With so much to assimilate as a rookie, Murdock has been swimming a bit in practice, but the last week or so has seen things slow down for him.

In his first game, Murdock punches the ball out, showing the Broncos that he's as advertised in that department.

Kris Abrams-Draine Notches the First Interception

Abrams-Draine has put together a strong camp. The third-year pro makes his presence felt on Friday night by notching the Broncos' first interception of the summer.

The Broncos have focused on takeaways this summer, and we're going to see that come out in the wash right away, starting in Atlanta.

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