Five Broncos who need to shine tonight against the Seahawks
Aug 8, 2019, 6:40 AM
The Broncos have one preseason game in the books and now it’s time for their next one. This time, they travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks on Thursday night. Not many starters played in the Hall of Fame Game, but we should see almost the full lineup of starters this week.
Those starters won’t play that long, but it will be good to see some of them out there for the first time in 2019. The Broncos are trying to redeem themselves after two seasons of sub-.500 football. We’ll get a glimpse as to what that may look like this week.
Here are five Broncos players to watch for in the preseason game against the Seahawks.
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5. Austin Fort
This team has a banged up group of tight ends. Jake Butt is dealing with his knee injury, Jeff Heuerman missed practice on Tuesday due to a shoulder injury, Bug Howard has been out of action for about a week and even Troy Fumagalli has missed time with a hip issue. That leaves Austin Fort as the healthiest tight end on the roster. Fort has been doing a good job in training camp, but didn’t quite transfer that to the field in the Hall of Fame Game. He was targeted four times and snared two passes for minus-1 yard. Fort has talent as a blocker and receiver, but it would be nice to see him produce and make quality grabs like he does in practice on a daily basis.
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4. Joe Flacco
We are going to get to see Joe Flacco for the first time in game action wearing a Broncos uniform. He won’t play for that long, maybe a drive or two, but it would be nice to see some big plays from the veteran quarterback. His favorite target in training camp has been the open guy, and Flacco is quite content moving the chains with shorter passes. Even though he may attempt only a few passes, I would like to see Flacco fire at least one big pass downfield. The stats in these preseason games don’t matter that much, but if Flacco hit a 50-plus yard pass – let’s say to Courtland Sutton – that would be fun to watch and give Broncos fans a taste of what could be coming in the regular season.
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3. Theo Riddick
The Broncos picked up a weapon last week when they signed veteran running back Theo Riddick. It’s good news for the offense as Riddick can make plays as a receiver out of the backfield. He is also quite versatile and can line up wide as a receiver or in the slot. Riddick’s ability to run routes like a receiver makes him the best pass-catching back on the roster. He is more dangerous than some after the catch, so Riddick can be productive as a slot receiver too. Like Flacco, Riddick may not play that many drives but it would be nice to see him catch passes and flash the talent he showcased with the Lions for years.
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2. DeMarcus Walker
The spotlight is on DeMarcus Walker after the Hall of Fame Game. He felt good about his performance and told head coach Vic Fangio that he had a good game. Fangio watched the film and didn’t come to the same conclusion, but he did acknowledge that Walker did make some plays. Walker had a sack against the Falcons and recorded two quarterback hits. We’ll see if Walker can continue to make plays as the preseason rolls on. Walker is in a make-or-break year in 2019 and he is certainly no lock for the 53-man roster.
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1. Drew Lock
I promise that Drew Lock won’t be the No. 1 player to watch every week. Yes, he was in this spot a week ago before the Hall of Fame Game, but we need to see more. Lock had a disappointing performance in the preseason opener last week, completing 7-of-11 passes for just 34 yards and no touchdowns. It looked like the rookie was dealing with some nerves against the Falcons and had a couple of big throws that he just couldn’t quite complete. Lock is going to play more than Flacco or second-string quarterback Kevin Hogan per Fangio. His performance will be under even more scrutiny this week because the Seahawks have former Broncos first-round pick Paxton Lynch. Per the Seahawks official website, starting quarterback Russell Wilson is not going to play against the Broncos. Geno Smith is going to be the starter on Thursday and Lynch will get in as the second-string quarterback. We are likely to see a duel of Lynch versus Lock on Thursday night. Lock needs to look better than Lynch because if he doesn’t – even in a meaningless preseason game – the narrative around his prospects could vastly change from some in the fan.
