Next up on our preseason carousal we have the San Francisco 49er’s. Last year our shot at the playoffs were shut down with a lost late in the season to the 49er’s . This year I think that we will see about the same intensity in game but a different outcome in the end. During joint practice this week tempers flared and things got a tad bit out of hand. I guess you can say its to be expected when two teams meet up with the last seasons outcome still fresh on the minds of many. All in all it was a great joint practice with Joe Flacco showing that QB/WR chemistry hard at work. Both teams have made strides to be better than they were last year so it will come down to who wants it more this Monday. Obviously I’m calling it a Bronco win, but I’m a little bias.

Back in 2018 I got the opportunity to finally watch the Denver Broncos play. We weren’t having a spectacular season but as a fan I was ecstatic about finally going to a game. It was everything I imagined it would be, from tailgating to walking away in defeat (the chiefs were pretty good). Arrowhead Stadium and the Kansas City Chiefs fans were all great. It was definitely an experience I will never forget. I put together a short video clip of some of the things I saw, feel free to check it out at www.youtube.com/watch. The atmosphere was so loud and fun I couldn’t help but enjoy myself even though we ended up losing the game. Seeing Patrick Mahome in person gave me an all-new kind of respect for the type of player he is. I saw Courtland Sutton come out of his rookie shell in make some huge plays. I saw Phillip Lindsey do what Phillip Lindsey does to opposing defenses. It was an amazing time and I would encourage everyone reading this to go and support your team at a game.

Needless to say seeing a win is much better than talking about a loss but there were definitely some key points to take away from Thursday nights loss against the Seattle Seahawks. We got a chance to see Joe “Pretty Flacco” for the first time and I have to say he looked pretty good out there. Flacco ended the game with an 84.4 passer rating which came from the 3 of 4 passes completed for just 19 yards. We didn’t see the flashy big numbers we might have anticipated but it was definitely good to see Flacco get out there and get his shoulder warmed up. We unfortunately saw a few Broncos go down due to injury. Fullback Andy Janovich suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter and Tightend Austin Fort went down with a knee injury in the fourth. Also Theo Riddick suffered a shoulder injury during the game. With so much going against us in injuries it was hard to see the light in this loss but if I had to find some good in it I would have to say that I believe we’ve found our franchise quarterback in none other than Drew Lock. That’s right, Drew Lock looked particularly well out there. Drew ended the game with 180 yards completing 17 of his 28 passes. He threw a pick but also linked up with Devontae Jackson for a 4-yard touchdown. He even used his legs, got out the pocket and got a first down out of the deal. He definitely showed flashes of a great quarterback. We just have to be patient and allow him to grow into what we all believe him to be and that’s the next face of the Denver Broncos.

It was good to see some competitiveness at the quarterback position during the Hall of Fame game against the Atlanta Falcons. With Joe Flacco taking the backseat for this game all three back up quarterbacks got the opportunity to showcase their skills. Although it wasn’t a big shoot out between the 3 they all showed why they are NFL caliber quarterbacks. Kevin Hogan started the game followed by Drew Lock who was making his NFL debut. Drew Lock threw 11 times completing 7 for a total of 34 yards. He was also sacked twice for a lose of 15 yards. The most excitement came in the fourth quarter. Brett Rypein rounded the game out as the 3^rd quarterback coming in. With Denver down 7 to 10 Rypein marched down field to take the lead with a circus catch to Juwann Winfree. Rypein’s pass was initially deflected but Juwann Winfree found away to haul it in for a touchdown with 1:26 left in regulation. There is definitely a lot of room for improvement, lets just hope Flacco stays healthy until that point.

The Broncos take home a win against the Atlanta Falcons at the Hall of Fame game. Although we only saw the 2nd and 3rd string teams playing, there were a lot of positives to take away from the game. Watching our young receiving core step up was very inspiring to see, especially since we’ve lacked in that area for the past few years. Although Courtland Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders will be carrying the load it’s comforting to know that guys like Juwann Winfree and Tim Patrick are ready to lighten up the load. The running game looked the most impressive. Although we didn’t get to see Phillip Lindsey or Devontae Booker suite up, we definitely got some highlights from Khalfani Muhammad. He ended the game with a team best 50 yards on just seven carries and a touchdown to top it all off. I am looking forward to see what he does in the future for the Broncos.

From what I’ve seen so far throughout training camp I am optimistic about a playoff run this season. Joe Flacco may have been that missing piece we’ve needed the past few years. His arm doesn’t look any weaker than when he first came in the league back in 2008. I’m confident in saying that we are looking at our starting quarterback not just because of his experience but strictly on the fact that he is the best quarterback on the team (although experience may have a lot to do with that). It’s going to be an exciting season for Bronco Country and Bronco fans across the world.