The five Broncos under the most pressure in the Hall of Fame Game
Aug 1, 2019, 6:00 AM
Broncos vs. Falcons
Thursday, August 1, 2019 | 6:00 p.m.
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Canton, OH
TV – NBC
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Tonight, the Broncos kick off their 2019 campaign, as well as the 100th season of the National Football League, in the Hall of Fame Game. It’s the first of five preseason games for Denver, giving new head coach Vic Fangio plenty of opportunities to evaluate his team, settle on the roster, get the coaching staff on the same page and prepare for the opener at Oakland.
While the final outcome of tonight’s game doesn’t matter, although Fangio did admit that his competitiveness will kick in once the Broncos and Falcons start getting after it on the field, there is still plenty at stake tonight. For many players, jobs are on the line. And for the coaches, it’s a chance to fine tune their game day approach.
Who’s under the most pressure tonight? Here are five Broncos who will be feeling the glare of the spotlight against the Falcons:
1. Vic Fangio – The past two seasons were a mess in Denver. Under Vance Joseph, the Broncos were in disarray, struggling to to get the right number of players on the field, making mental mistakes and generally looking like a team that was poorly coached. So it’s important in the first game with Fangio as their head coach that the Broncos look organized; it’s vital that Denver once again appears to know what’s going on, be all on the same page and take care of the basics.
2. Drew Lock – Highly touted quarterbacks can get eaten alive in Broncos Country. Just ask Paxton Lynch. So it’s important for Denver’s second-round pick to have a nice start to his career in the Mile High City. Don’t give the fan base any fuel for what is always a smoldering fire. Instead, provide some hope that the quarterback of the future is actually on the roster. Make some impressive plays. Avoid terrible mistakes. It’s a simple formula for Lock tonight.
3. Connor McGovern – One of the biggest concerns during the first two weeks of training camp has been the repeated bad snaps from the Broncos starting center. After moving from guard in the middle of last season, McGovern had issues when the Broncos were in the shotgun. But despite having an entire offseason to work on this relatively simple skill, he’s still struggling with this exchange in 2019. If McGovern rolls a few back to Kevin Hogan tonight, his job could be in jeopardy.
4. Rich Scangarello – For the first time in the NFL, the Broncos offensive coordinator will be calling plays. While the actual mix of runs and passes doesn’t really matter, especially since Fangio wants to intentionally put Denver’s players in tough spots via play calls, Scangarello will be under some scrutiny tonight. Mostly, it’s all about the process; he needs to show that he can make decisions in a timely manner and relay the calls to the quarterbacks. It’s basic, but it’s important.
5. Garett Bolles – The only player who started opening week last season for the Broncos who will be on the field tonight is the team’s left tackle. Apparently, the coaching staff believes that Bolles getting extra work is worth the risk of potential injury. He needs to show them that he’s improved with an offseason and training camp under the tutelage of new offensive line coach Mike Munchak. Avoid penalties, don’t give up a sack and get off the field healthy – that’s the to-do list for Bolles tonight.
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