Broncos poised for joint-practice camp work with the Dallas Cowboys

Maybe it’s not a test, but the first quiz of the Nathaniel Hackett era will come against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Broncos hosting the Cowboys for at least one joint practice at training camp this summer. The Broncos announced Wednesday afternoon that the teams would hold a joint practice at UCHealth Training Center on Aug. 11 — two days before they meet in the preseason opener at Empower Field at Mile High.

USA Today‘s Jori Epstein first reported the news Wednesday morning:

The Cowboys will hold joint training camp practices with the Chargers and Broncos, source tells @usatodaysports.

Scheduled to practice with Broncos Thurs, 8/11 before Saturday preseason game. With Chargers on Wed, Thurs 8/17-18 before 8/20 matchup. Bonus chances vs competition.

— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) May 18, 2022

This is expected to be the Broncos’ only joint-practice work of the preseason. They have preseason games at Buffalo on Aug. 20 and at home against Minnesota on Aug. 27.

Joint practices have become routine for the Broncos. This will mark the seventh time in the last eight seasons that Denver has taken part in joint sessions during training camp. The only exception was in the pandemic-altered 2020 season.

Prior to 2014, such work happened infrequently over the years.  In 1996, the Broncos hosted the Carolina Panthers for two days of work in Greeley; they were one of a few teams who visited over the years the Broncos trained at the University of Northern Colorado. Denver had two years of joint sessions with the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium and its surrounding fields in 2003 and 2005. Those are best remembered for the dreadful conditions; outdoor practices took place in temperatures approaching 100 degrees with searing humidity. (In 2003, then-Broncos safety Lee Flowers was unable to practice one day because he became nauseous due to the conditions.)

“You just sweat a lot,” Jake Plummer said after one of the 2005 joint practices in Houston.

The Broncos followed that with back-to-back years of work with the Dallas Cowboys: 2007 in Irving, Texas and 2008 at Broncos headquarters. The ’08 practices were featured on that year’s edition of “Hard Knocks,” which spotlighted the Cowboys.

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LOOKING BACK AT RECENT JOINT PRACTICES

One storyline that recurs is how often joint practices serve as a harbinger of what is to come — particularly in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

2014: Denver hosted the Texans for two joint sessions. Coming off of a 2-14 season, Houston came to Dove Valley with a chip on its collective shoulder and a desire to prove something against the then-defending AFC champions. The sessions were contentious:

And we have a full-scale fracas. Punches thrown. Guys on ground, including Sanders. Winston Justice assuming a fighting posture.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 21, 2014

The work was capped by Peyton Manning drawing an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty in the preseason game between the clubs. Officials assessed the flag after Manning taunted then-Texans safety D.J. Swearinger. Manning was justified; his infraction came after Swearinger gave Wes Welker a shot to the head with his shoulder.

2015: The Broncos began their run to Super Bowl 50 with two days of practices against the San Francisco 49ers at UCHealth Training Center. Fans could not observe the sessions, as they took place after the close of training camp. The work was defined by the arrival of guard Evan Mathis, a free-agent pickup who signed with the team that week and became one of the final pieces of the Broncos’ title-winning lineup.

2016: Denver hosted the 49ers for two days at UCHealth Training Center. In a hint of the season to come, the Broncos’ offense was clunky, but their defense dominated:

In 5 game-simulation, two-minute-drill series v. @49ers the last 2 days, the @Broncos defense allowed zero 1st downs & had 3 interceptions.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 18, 2016

2017: Returning the favor, the Broncos trekked to Santa Clara, Calif. for two days of work with the 49ers. Trevor Siemian sealed his win in the QB competition with Paxton Lynch — although Lynch did have arguably his greatest day of practice:

Every pass Paxton Lynch threw today was completed. As Larry David would say, "Pretty, pretty, pretty good."

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 17, 2017

Four days and a lousy preseason performance for Lynch later …

Joseph, on Paxton Lynch: "Some guys need more time. In a year or two he may be ready to take over the reins, but right now he's not."

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 21, 2017

(Narrator’s voice: “Lynch was never ready.”)

A practice-field DJ set the groove for the work:

.@49ers practice-field DJ doing some great work out here today: pic.twitter.com/zdUUrM7pc8

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 16, 2017

2018: The Broncos hosted the Chicago Bears, working under the direction of then-first-year head coach Matt Nagy. Case Keenum continued his almost-mistake-free training camp — a fat lot of good that did. Professionalism and calm defined the series. “It’s the first joint practice I’ve been a part of and there wasn’t a brawl,” guard Ron Leary said after the initial joint practice.

The Broncos struggle decovering Bears tight ends in the practices, leading to Trey Burton shredding the defense for four catches — including a touchdown — early in the preseason game that weekend. Denver’s 2018 defense never figured this out, and the season began its plummet nearly four months later when San Francisco’s George Kittle ransacks the Broncos for 210 yards on seven catches — including an 85-yard touchdown catch-and-run on which he is wide-open by several yards — in just one half.

2019: Vic Fangio’s first training camp as Broncos head coach ended with a pair of sessions against the 49ers, who eventually won their seventh NFC championship at the end of that season. The difference in outlook and energy between the teams was apparent, especially on the first day of practice, when Denver’s offense struggled to generate anything against the 49ers’ defense. “We let them kind of set the tone,” quarterback Joe Flacco said.

Rough morning so far for the offense. Multiple drops. 49ers doing well at filling run lanes and generating pressure on QBs.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 16, 2019

The energy level of the Niners defense is really in another level. Broncos d is terrific too but the what the Niners are doing in D during practice stands out.

— Darren McKee (@DMacRadio) August 16, 2019

2021: Denver’s first road joint practice in four years came against the Minnesota Vikings in the return to George Paton’s old stomping grounds.

The story was the “50-50” quarterback battle between ex-Vikings first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. Those practices were the only preseason snaps each passer had against an opposing first-team defense. Lock was intercepted in a move-the-ball opportunity one day while Bridgewater threw multiple interceptions in red-zone work the next day, dampening hopes that either could be the Broncos’ long-term answer at QB.

Kendricks with an INT and then a PBU of Teddy. Some fan yells, “Where’s Aaron Rodgers?” Then the whistle blows on Teddy’s final 7-on-7 red-zone rep. Bad series for Bridgewater.

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 12, 2021

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