Gameday Open Thread | Live Blog: Broncos vs. Cardinals

We finally made it. We're on the doorstep of the regular season.

The Denver Broncos have arrived at their preseason finale and come Monday, it will officially be Week 1. But before the Broncos can turn their full attention to the Oakland Raiders, they have to handle Vance Joseph and the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason finale.

Before you yawn yourself into a good night's sleep, remember this; Vic Fangio said that there are 'double-digit' spots on the Broncos' 53-man roster that are still open and undecided. That means these young guys will be playing with fire and intensity tonight, as they battle to keep their NFL dream alive and earn a job.

This preseason has been a long slog of a summer-slate of exhibition games. Instead of the traditional four preseason games, the Broncos — by virtue of their appearance in the Hall of Fame Game — got a whopping five this year.

And the preseason has not been kind to Denver. The Broncos have suffered injuries to key players like Drew Lock, Andy Janovich, Theo Riddick, and others, this preseason.

Injuries are part of football but when they come in an exhibition game, the sting of that virulent bug is meaningless and tragic, especially when it comes to starters and key players. That's why, for the second-straight week, the Broncos will not play any starters.

We'll see a few depth players on Thursday night vs. the Cardinals, but no one the Broncos expect to have to count on this regular season. But as a preseason finale, all this being said, this one is at least a little more entertaining because it features the return of former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph.

Joseph is now the defensive coordinator under Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona and he'll get the opportunity to get some modicum of closure on his failed two-year tenure in Denver — if he can get the 'W'.

With the likes of Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien quarterbacking the Broncos, Joseph's path to victory is significantly more possible, but his Cardinals will have to overcome a raucous, albeit preseason, Mile High home crowd.

Before we get to the live blog and open thread, let me detail the five storylines I'll be monitoring tonight.

Can either Hogan or Rypien create clear separation?

Can Su'a Cravens make a strong final case for the 53-man roster?

Can DE DeMarcus Walker finish the preseason strong?

Can Rich Scangarello's offense score at least one touchdown?

Special teams: Can a returner separate and can the coverage teams show clear improvement?

I'll be live-blogging with in-game updates in real-time. Meanwhile, in the comment section below, I want to hear your thoughts, observations and reactions to tonight's game, so get ready to SOUND OFF!

All you've gotta do is click the follow button in the bottom right-hand corner of the Mile High Huddle logo/banner at the top of the site. Create a free account by logging in easily with your Google or Facebook account, and you're in like Flynn!

Just like our Broncos, MHH and our great community of readers and subscribers will utilize these preseason games as a dress rehearsal of sorts and sharpen our blogging swords in time for the regular season opener on September 9.

LOG IN and SOUND OFF in the comment section below. Start with this; what storylines are you monitoring closest tonight in Broncos vs. Cardinals?

First Quarter

Broncos receive the opening kick.

Kevin Hogan gets the start.

Hogan with a nice 15-yard completion to Fred Brown.

Follow snap, play-actin goes to Brown again, this time for 25 yards.

Hogan to Winfree on a short slant. Hogan 3-for-3 for 46 yards to open the night.

Muhammad with big separation on a third-down wheel route. Hogan over-shoots him in the end zone.

Broncos settle for three on a McManus 50-yard FG.

D. Walker gets a nice stop on opening defensive snap.

Justin Hollins with a nice third-down sack. Cards go three-and-out.

Shamarko Thomas questionable with a hamstring.

A. Johnson flagged for facemask.

Linden Stephens with a nice break on a screen, tackle for a loss.

Hundley gets Malik Reed to jump offsides.

D. Walker with some nice pressure on Hundley on third down. Cards go for it on 4th-&-2 and Malik Reed puts Hundley in the dirt! Broncos take over on downs.

Broncos stall again with Hogan missing another deep shot. And when I say miss, I mean like not even in the same solar system.

Solid punt inside the five-yard line by Wadman but Trey Marshall couldn't quite down it.

After a huge catch-and-run to the Cards TE, Josh Watson shows great effort to pursue and punch out the ball and Trey Marshall recovers.

Terrible hit-non-tackle/whiff by Cravens. Yeesh.

End of quarter. Broncos lead 3-0. Defense is making plays.

Second Quarter

Hogan gets Cards to jump on 3rd-&-12. Now 3rd-&-7. On the Cards' 32-yard line.

Hogan moves the chains. Cracraft with a couple nice grabs tonight.

Hogan with another nice third-down conversion. Hits Fred Bown again.

Hogan finally converts with his arm in the red zone. To Brown for six, fittingly.

Brown now has five receptions for 66 yards and a TD. Broncos lead 10-0.

Broncos D forces another Cardinals punt. Hogan gets another shot to build on this momentum.

Hogan's pass is fired in and tipped up and....picked off. Real bummer for a QB who'd acquitted himself mostly well tonight.

Cards' ball.

Malik Reed with another sack. Fourth of the preseason (and he's missed a game).

Cards punt. Cracraft finally gets an opportunity to return and does so in nifty fashion for 15 yards.

Nothing doing for Kevin Hogan. Three-and-out. Punt.

Trey Marshall misses the initial tackle on punt coverage, gets up and makes the tackle.

Still not perfect, but Broncos' kick and punt coverage teams looking much better.

Su'a Cravens makes a play!! Cravens rips the ball out and recovers. Broncos football with 30 seconds left in the half.

Hogan sacked by former Broncos' OLB Vontarrius Dora. Broncos heading into halftime with a 10-0 lead.

Broncos going for it on 4th-&-16 with one second left.

Hogan trucks up there and it's picked off by Vallejo.

Halftime.

Third Quarter

Cards open with possession.

Mike Purcell is an animal. Gets the stop on Strickland.

Good pressure by Ahmad Gooden. Punt.

Kelvin McKnight hauls in the punt, picks up a couple yards on the return. Broncos' football.

Brett Rypien in the game.

Nice throw from Rypien on 3rd-&-12 to Benson for 19 yards.

One step forward, two steps back. Rypien picked off when his pass bounces off Juwann Winfree's hands. Third Broncos turnover of the evening.

Trey Johnson getting burned. Again.

Trey Johnson burned again for a TD. Why the Broncos have kept him on the roster, I'll never understand. Just not an NFL-quality DB. Cards narrow the margin 10-7.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Muhammad rips off back-to-back runs totaling 61 yards. He's got 73 rush yards on the drive.

Devontae Jackson finishes off the drive with a five-yard TD. It's Jackson's second TD of the preseason. Broncos extend lead 17-7.

Cardinals three-and-out. Punt.

McKnight with another nifty return that gets a few positive yards. Broncos flagged for holding (A. Holder). Rypien gets another go.

Third quarter ends with the Broncos threatening on the Arizona 47-yard line. 1st-&-10.

Fourth Quarter

Broncos have some momentum. Cards' backup D seems gassed.

Nice pass by Rypien, connects with Winfree for 23 yards.

Rypien's promising drive stalls on 3rd-&-5. Short pass completed to Cracraft, wrapped up two yards short.

McManus pounds it through. Broncos extend lead 20-7.

Mike Purcell is a disruptor. A man among boys. Reminds me of Shelby Harris two years ago in the preseason.

Brendan Langley has not been equal to his opportunity this summer. Let's a Rypien pass goe through his hands on third down, almost picked off.

Cards block the McManus FG attempt.

Cards turn it over on downs. Strong performance by the Broncos backups in the second half. Rypien in business at the Broncos 40-yard line.

Great punt by Wadman. Downed on the 8-yard line. 44-yard punt by Wadman.

Holder picks off the pass. Nice, strong finish by the undrafted rookie CB.

Broncos in business on the Cards' 5-yard line.

Fangio shows some class. Rypien kneels to kill the clock. Broncos win 20-7.

G'nite, folks. Huddle Up Podcast dropping shortly.