Broncos defense strong, QBs even in win over Chicago

Aug 11, 2016, 10:23 PM Updated: 10:28 pm

The Denver Broncos preseason opener had set up to be an examination for the two quarterbacks vying for a starting role come Sept. 8. However, the Broncos defense — not Mark Sanchez or Trevor Siemian — once again outshined all others on the field.

Denver’s defense did not skip a beat in its first game since a Super Bowl 50 victory in February, bringing Bears quarterbacks to the Soldier Field turf seven times Thursday evening on route to a 22-0 shutout victory in Chicago.

Of those 22 points, Broncos defenders scored 9 — a blocked punt recovered by Zaire Anderson in the end zone for a touchdown and a 10-yard sack for a safety by Dekoda Watson.

“We’re always preaching being able to win three ways as a team, and being able to score three ways as a team was very impressive,” head coach Gary Kubiak said after the game.

The Bears garnered only eight first downs, compared to the Broncos 18, and 130 total yards at a clip of 2.6 yards per gain.

And all this done without the help of starting cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller.

“The nice thing is obviously there’s a lot of faces not out there but yet the play was very solid. It was fast. A lot of good things going on,” Kubiak said.

On the opposite side of the ball, Kubiak said the quarterbacks played basically how they have thus far in camp — solid with a few mistakes.

Sanchez passed for 99 yards in his Broncos debut, tossing the team’s only offensive touchdown in the first quarter to Demaryius Thomas.

He also had the team’s only turnover, an interception on his second drive, while completing 10 of 13 passes.

Siemian played mistake free, not turning over the ball, but earned the lowest QB rating of all three gunslingers who played Thursday (81.2).

In the second half, rookie first-round pick Paxton Lynch took the reins, through for 74 yards on 6-of-7 passing.

Lynch topped both Siemian and Sanchez in QB rating at 110.7 but was limited in his passing, as Kubiak said he wanted to give Kapri Bibbs the shot at toting the rock he’d earned in camp.

Bibbs led the team in rushing with 53 yards at clip of 3.5 yards per carry.

On the whole, Kubiak said he wanted to watch how the trio handled things, how their decision making went, giving Siemian and Sanchez roughly equal reps Thursday.

“I think as a group it was a good step. I think they kind of went out and played like they’ve been practicing,” Kubiak said. They’ve been pretty solid, so we’ve just got to keep moving forward.”

Follow 104.3 The Fan digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.