Five storylines to watch in the Broncos week two preseason matchup vs. the Packers (2024)

The Denver Broncos opened up the preseason last week with a victory over the Indianapolis Colts. In this game, rookie quarterback Bo Nix was a standout player and the talk of the week was about how Nix should be the starting quarterback. Well, the talk got even louder after Friday’s joint practice/scrimmage against the Packers where he played well against their starting defense. He was not the only standout player during this practice, the Broncos' defense dominated the Packers' young explosive offense and has fans excited about the potential of Vance Joseph’s unit.

Now, we will not see the Packers starters in this one, but the Broncos will have their starters out there so could see a repeat of this dominant performance during tonight’s game. With all that said, here are the five storylines I am going to keep an eye on during the Broncos' week two preseason matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

1: Broncos quarterback competition

Bo Nix will get his first career start in the NFL but all three quarterbacks on the Broncos roster have something to prove during this game.

Bo Nix: He is your week one starting quarterback and this might be the last time we see him play before the Broncos take the field in week one in Seattle. He will be looking to repeat the strong performance he had against the Colts last week and this week vs. the Packers starters. This time, he will be facing mostly backups on the Packers' defense so he should find success again. All we need to see is Nix operate the offense smoothly, move the ball down the field, don’t take sacks, protect the ball, and lead a few scoring drives.

Jarrett Stidham: Stidham got the start last week and played well, but was let down by his teammates. Penalties and a dropped pass that led to an interception ruined what appeared to be a successful day for the veteran quarterback. He will come in after Nix in this one and will look to have another strong showing against the Packers' second and third-stringers. He has had a pretty good camp and will be looking to nail down the Broncos backup quarterback job with a strong showing in this one. If he struggles some, it will leave the door open for Zach Wilson.

Zach Wilson: While Bo Nix has been getting all the attention lately, and rightfully so, Zach Wilson has been turning some heads as well. The former number two overall pick has put together a good second half of training camp and looked good last week vs. the Colts. Sure, he was playing against the third-stringers, but still, you came away impressed with what you saw. The word out of camp this week from multiple media members is that Wilson is pushing Stidham for the number two job. He has impressed Broncos coaches and is a cheaper and younger option at quarterback. So, another strong performance could make things interesting in the Broncos quarterback room.

2. Will the defense dominate again?

While all eyes were on Bo Nix and how he would do in a joint practice setting, the Broncos' defense was the standout performer during these practices. They pressured quarterback Jordan Love throughout the practice and their young secondary forced multiple turnovers. Now, with the starters likely sitting out with the Broncos starters playing, we should see more of that in this one.

With Jordan Love not playing, the Broncos will face Sean Clifford and rookie quarterback Michael Pratt. The Broncos defense should be able to repeat their dominant performance, get some sacks, and hopefully, force a few turnovers. We have heard about this defense all summer and they showed up on Friday, so let’s see it again during the game and in a big way.

This will be a big game for cornerbacks Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis. Both are pushing for the CB2 job opposite of Pat Surtain II and will have a chance to make some big plays against these quarterbacks. Moss appears to have the lead in this competition per reports and is having a good camp, so hopefully he and the rest of the Broncos corners can step up and make some plays.

As for the run defense, they will not see Broncos killer Josh Jacobs, but they will see a heavy dose of AJ Dillon and Emanuel Wilson who spent time with the Broncos last year during rookie minicamp. Their run defense played well last week and hopefully, they will look good again today. As we know, their run defense was awful last year so hopefully, we continue to see some improvement.

3. Offensive line competition

Four of the five Broncos starting offensive line positions are locked in but the center competition is still going on. Luke Wattenberg got the start last week and has received starting reports throughout most of training camp. However, the competition is not over and how all three players perform in this one could help decide who gets the nod.

Second-year center Alex Forsyth was viewed as the favorite by many heading into camp but he has been getting center and guard reps throughout camp and the preseason. It’ll be interesting to see who gets the start today. If it’s Wattenberg again, he is probably the guy, but we shall see what happens and how they do.

The swing tackle competition is another thing to keep an eye on. Former third-round pick by the Giants, Matt Peart, is the leading candidate for that job currently, but he still has to earn it. He played well against the Colts and will have another chance today to prove he can be trusted to fill that role. With Quinn Bailey out for the year, the Broncos are in search of another versatile lineman to fill his role, and second-year player Alex Palczewski is getting a chance to fill that role. He got reps at right tackle and right guard vs. the Colts and played pretty well and will look to do that again today. If he plays well, he will likely lock up a roster spot as a key reserve lineman. After those two, you have Calvin Throckmorton and Will Sherman potentially competing for one spot on the roster. It’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out, but hopefully, the Broncos reserve lineman can play well and have us feeling good about our offensive line depth heading into the regular season.

4. Who impresses at wide receiver?

Barring an unfortunate injury, your six receivers making the 53-man roster are Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Josh Reynolds, Tim Patrick, Troy Franklin, and Devaughn Vele. However, there are a handful of other players in that room who are pushing for a roster spot or practice squad spot whether that be on the Broncos or with another team. It’s a very competitive and talented room and all of them will not be sticking around.

Rookie sensation Devaughn Vele suffered a minor injury during the week but Sean Payton said he could play today vs. the Packers. With him likely locking up a roster spot, I do not think they will need to rush him out there, but if healthy, I hope we get to see him. Troy Franklin has not had the camp we all thought he would have and was quiet in the preseason opener, but has a chance to impress again today. He has pretty good speed so hopefully, we see him make some plays in this one.

After that, you have Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson, Jalen Virgil, David Sills, Michael Bandy, and Phillip Dorsett all competing to stick around. Humphrey and Johnson made plays for the Broncos last year, Dorsett spent time on the active roster, and Bandy and Sills have been standout players throughout camp. Then you have Jalen Virgil who gives you potential returner upside because of his speed. Any of these players can pop off in this one and it’ll be interesting to see if anyone can separate themselves from the rest.

I do not think a 53-man roster spot is open unless the Broncos move on from Tim Patrick which would surprise me, but multiple practice squad spots are available. It’s a deep room and the Broncos are going to have to make some tough cuts.

5. Will there be any breakout players?

With the roster cutdown period approaching quickly and Payton and the Broncos coaches have already been meeting about the roster. He told reporters that they already have their roster down to 60 or 61 players in terms of deciding who makes the 53-man roster. So, this game is a now-or-never game for some bubble players to step up and have a standout game and make a case for a roster spot.

RB Blake Watson: The undrafted rookie had a slow start to camp due to an injury but flashed his ability in the preseason opener vs. the Colts. He should get plenty of snaps in this one and needs to show the coaches he can be a reliable runner AND receiver for them. On top of that, if he can hold his own as a pass blocker, he has a chance to make this team. The numbers game will make it tough to keep four running backs, but I believe Payton wants to keep him on the roster.

IDL Eyioma Uwazurike: The big defensive lineman is coming off a year-long suspension and will be playing in his first game for the Broncos since his rookie year back in 2022. He showed up in shape and has been taking part in practice since returning. Now, he needs to show he deserves a spot on the Broncos 53-man roster. He is the Broncos' biggest defensive lineman who also has pretty good athleticism. If he can flash those traits while also making some plays and pushing the pocket, he can make the team. If he struggles, they may decide to try to sneak him through waivers and let him develop some more on the practice squad.

CB Kris Abrams-Draine: The rookie corner had a successful debut and is most likely a lock for a roster spot. However, with roles open for the taking in the Broncos' secondary, another strong showing could move him up the depth chart and potentially push someone off the roster.

With the Packers playing Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt at quarterback tonight, Abrams-Draine and the rest of the Broncos secondary will have a good shot at having a good showing. If Abrams-Draine can repeat this type of play, we might see him potentially pushing for a larger role in this secondary moving forward,

QB Zach Wilson: Can a former number two overall pick in his fourth season and has 33 career starts really be a “breakout candidate” during a preseason game? Probably not, but in this case, Wilson fits the definition. He was an epic bust for the Jets and is looking to rehab his career in Denver with Sean Payton. I have already touched on this briefly, but he appears to have turned the corner recently and could be pushing for the Broncos backup quarterback job.

A strong showing in this one will only make the “Can he push Stidham for the number two job?” talk even louder. He is younger, has more upside, has better arm talent, and is a cheaper option than Stidham. Ultimately, I think the Broncos keep all three quarterbacks but how Wilson plays in this one will dramatically impact how we are talking about the backup quarterback position this upcoming week.