Broncos likely to play it safe by sitting starters, but Bills feel much differently

All signs point toward Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett sitting his starters on Saturday against the Bills.

It will likely be Denver’s second exhibition game without fans seeing stars like Russell Wilson, Justin Simmons and Pat Surtain II on the field. After Hackett’s strong comments on Tuesday about his dislike for the preseason, it’s not a surprise.

But apparently they do things a little differently in Buffalo, where the Bills are considered Super Bowl favorites. Speaking with reporters on Thursday morning, not only did head coach Sean McDermott confirm MVP favorite Josh Allen will play, he said look for his starters to get some real work in.

The starters will play a "healthy amount" on Saturday for the Bills, according to Sean McDermott.

— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) August 18, 2022

Personally, I think the Broncos should play Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and the rest of the first-team offense on Saturday. That’s almost assuredly not going to happen, but the reps would be valuable. Clearly McDermott feels the reward outweighs the risk for the Bills by trotting his starters out there.

If the Broncos do roll with their backups, what a test it will be. Can you imagine being on the bubble of making Denver’s 53-man roster and making a play against Allen and star wide receiver Stefon Diggs? It would impress the coaches much more than a big moment against a fellow backup.

We’ll see if Hackett says any more about his starter’s status after Denver’s practice on Thursday, but for now it looks like the Bills starters versus the Broncos backups on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo.

***

Related

Broncos see tempers boil over in intense Tuesday practiceBo Nix eager for first game reps with Davis WebbESPN ranks Broncos among NFL’s elite for the futureThe Broncos beating up the Falcons shows just how far the they’ve comeBroncos get Jaylen Waddle back; can he and Bo Nix make up for lost time?Is there a Taysom Hill-type weapon hiding in the Broncos’ quarterback room?