Five observations from the Broncos blowout win over the Seahawks

The Denver Broncos were back on the road this week. After headingnNorth to play the Minnesota Vikings last week, the Broncos went to the northwest to face the Seattle Seahawks in their second preseason game of the year.

This game was over quickly, as the Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Seattle was without 22 of their players, and most starters on offense and defense did not play. The Broncos didn’t play every starter, but most of their top guys were out there early and it showed.

Here are the top-five observations from the Broncos-Seahawks game.

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Go For It!

Teddy Bridgewater started the game at quarterback for the Broncos. Last week, Drew Lock was the starter and this week it was Bridgewater’s turn to showcase what he can do. The offense was clicking, and Bridgewater was in for two drives – both of which led to touchdowns.

In order to get to the end zone, Denver had to go for it on fourth down three times. They converted each one of those situations and kept drives alive.

The most impressive fourth-down play was on the first drive when Bridgewater climbed the pocket as pressure was coming on the outside. He stepped forward and calmly found wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for a 35-yard gain.

The connection between Bridgewater and Jeudy has been strong all through training camp and the preseason. It’s not a surprise that when the chips were down those two would connect. There’s no word who is going to win the starting quarterback for Week 1 against the New York Giants, but if Bridgewater is in the team trusts him and he clearly trusts Jeudy.

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Quality Reserve

The Broncos have better depth this year than they have had in the past. Some of that is due to new general manager George Paton, but there is one reserve standing out who was found by former GM John Elway.

DeShawn Williams has found a home with the Broncos. In the game against the Seahawks, Williams showed off his versatility and tackle-making ability. However, he also showed the ability to get his hands on the football in more ways than one.

Before the half, Williams was able to get a fumble recovery and an interception later in the game. Williams is a big man, but he’s versatile enough to play all across the defensive line. In addition to eating up blockers and swarming to the football, Williams can get some turnovers with great field awareness and play recognition. He’s not a starter, but Williams could start and be effective if called upon like he was last year after Mike Purcell was lost for the 2020 season.

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Chubb Back

I didn’t think we’d see outside linebacker Bradley Chubb in this game. He’s coming back from ankle surgery that cut his offseason short, and I thought the team might hold him out of action until the start of the regular season.

I was surprised when Chubb was not only dressed but in the starting lineup against the Seahawks. Chubb looked a little tentative at times getting off the line of scrimmage. However, as the game went on I think Chubb found a rhythm.

Before he was taken out of the game, Chubb got a sack on Seahawks quarterback Alex McGough where he showed good burst to the passer. Chubb is strong on the edge, and he can be a sound tackler but that’s not what we need to see. Instead, he needs to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. I don’t think he’s fully back, but it was good to see a glimpse of what Chubb can bring to the field again in 2021.

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Flying Around the Field

Rookie Caden Sterns is making plays in practice and in games. A fifth-round pick out of Texas this year, Sterns was working to earn a spot on the end of the depth chart or on the practice squad. After performances like he’s had throughout camp, Sterns is their no.3 safety behind starters Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson.

I felt that Sterns would at least be a solid special teams player for the Broncos. He was a centerfielder for the Longhorns defense who missed time due to injury. When the Broncos drafted him, I thought maybe his first year would be on the practice squad where he could develop.

There is no question that Sterns is going to make the 53-man roster. He’s still roaming in the secondary like he did in college, but Sterns is showing a nose for the ball and the ability to fly around the field. He throws his body in there as a run-defender and gives the team quality play in coverage. It’s too early to call, but if he stays on this trajectory, then Sterns could perhaps one day be a strong starter for this Broncos defense.

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Offensive Line Struggles

I thought Lock was frustrated on the field at times against the Seahawks. Working behind the reserve offensive line, Lock was under duress quite a bit. He didn’t throw any interceptions, but Lock was off the mark on some of his passes and it looked like he almost fumbled the ball on a sack in the first half.

It’s tough to evaluate Lock when the line doesn’t give him much time to throw. There were some openings in the Seahawks defense, but Lock couldn’t get through his progressions – or even gather in the snap sometimes – due to pressure.

I don’t know who is going to be named the starting quarterback. However, I do know it’s tough to grade Lock negatively for his play in Seattle. He didn’t enjoy the success he had against the Vikings, going 9-of-14 for 80 yards on the night. Lock was far from perfect, and the lack of blocking didn’t help.

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