Vance Joseph explains why the Broncos joint practice truly matters

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For the Denver Broncos in recent years, joint practices have tended to reveal a truth that manifests itself at some point later in the season.

It may not be obvious at the time, but it was there. From the total loss of discipline in a series of fights during the 2022 joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys to the inability to cover tight ends when working with the Chicago Bears in 2018 and everything in between and beyond, such work tends to provide a preview of something in the season to come that will prove relevant.

And these are not always truths that avail themselves during traditional training-camp practices. Because when you go against yourselves — an offense and defense who know each other’s moves well, sometimes the evaluation can be off.

After Thursday’s practice, Vance Joseph sounded a potential warning that sounded a bit like Vic Fangio’s foreboding note in December 2019 regarding a “false positive” at the quarterback position based on late-season play.

“It’s tough in this league to kind of go through camp and not know what others are doing. So, your measurement is sometimes false,” Joseph explained. “So, having those guys [the Green Bay Packers] come in on Friday and again Sunday is going to be a good test for our defense, especially.”

2019: Vic Fangio talks about potential "false positives" of young QBs doing well late in a season.

2024: Vance Joseph says of training-camp practices, "Your measurement is sometimes false," which is why joint work with the Packers "is going to be a good test for our defense." pic.twitter.com/tDklVWOsrI

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 15, 2024

Friday, thus, will help determine whether the first impressions of training camp have full validity. And by going against the Packers — who aren’t on the Broncos schedule this season but are a favorite to return to the playoffs after bowing out in the divisional round last January — they get a sufficient challenge.

They also get an example of a team that came together rapidly. When the Broncos and Packers met last October, it looked like a matchup of two of the NFL’s worst teams. But a win that day launched the Broncos on a five-game winning streak, while Green Bay rallied and made the playoffs, throttling Dallas before falling to San Francisco.

“We don’t play Green Bay in the fall. So, it’s a nice time to test out your scheme — and also test your players,” Joseph said.

“This offense has a great quarterback, obviously, and about four or five good young receivers with speed and height and quickness, good tight ends, two good runners. It’s a really good scheme. So for us, it’s going to be a nice challenge to kind of test where we are.

We may not know what truths revealed themselves Friday until the season is complete.

But there will likely be something that took place Friday which proves relevant to however the Broncos season turns out.

• The first team period of practice saw the Broncos emphasize the run. Highlighting the period was a strong carry by Javonte Williams — working past a block from Alex Forsyth — and run stuffs from Justin Strnad and D.J. Jones.
• That period also saw Bo Nix work the play-action game to perfection, hitting Phillip Dorsett on a quick slant before the defense could react for a play that would have picked up at least 10 yards in game conditions.
• Nix — working with the second unit — Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson all fired touchdown passes during the seven-on-seven red-zone period. Stidham hit David Sills for his score, while Nix connected with Michael Bandy and Wilson found Troy Franklin for a score.
• Kickoff returns were the special-teams point of emphasis.
• The Broncos went into a goal-line period, but did so at a walk-through tempo to minimize contact. “It’s the first time lining up in those formations and running those plays. So it’s really alignment assignment, getting to your landmarks, running backs having the right tracks, understanding where the ball’s hitting,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi explained. “It’s a tough thing because it’s it’s a hard thing to practice at practice tempo, you know. Sean [Payton] said it: ‘You’re either live or you’re trotting.'”
• The “move-the-ball” period saw the offense given possession of the ball at the defense’s 47-yard line, 1:14 on the clock, no timeouts and a 35-30 deficit. Stidham guided the first team as close as the 6-yard line before being sacked on a fourth-and-5 with 21 seconds left. Nix took the No. 2 offense to a touchdown, hitting Bandy for a 2-yard score.

Stidham did galvanize the offense by taking advantage of pass protection from Greg Dulcich on Baron Browning to find David Sills for a 36-yard pass down the right flank that looked like a touchdown at first, but was ruled dead at the defense’s 11-yard line.

“I was pleased with all three of them, really.” — Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, on the performance of all three Broncos quarterbacks in last Sunday’s preseason opener

• Wide receiver Devaughn Vele left practice with an apparent injury suffered during an individual period early in the session.
• Tight end Lucas Krull returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s work due to a toe injury incurred last Sunday.
• Cornerback Art Green remained sidelined due to a concussion.
• Safety Brandon Jones practiced, but did not see action during full-speed team periods as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Friday, Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. MDT.