The Denver Broncos took a brutal 33-13 L against the Green Bay Packers tonight, ending their preseason winning streak. But honestly, forget the final score for a sec, because Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle showed up big time, and that’s what really matters after this Week 2 preseason clash.
Bo Nix Is BACK, Baby!
Seriously, if you were worried about Bo Nix, he just slammed the door on those doubts tonight! This dude hadn’t been on the field since he broke his ankle against the Buffalo Bills back in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. But tonight? He looked completely dialed in, sharp, and totally ready to roll for that regular-season opener against the Chiefs. He only played a bit, but he wasted zero time, leading the Broncos straight down the field for a touchdown drive right out of the gate. We saw him connect with Jaylen Waddle for a monster 35-yard gain during that very first drive, showing that chemistry is already cooking. Nix finished up his limited action going 6 of 9 for 76 yards and tossed one sweet touchdown to RJ Harvey. I’ve seen enough from the guy. Let this man chill until Week 1, he’s good.
Waddle Made Waves, Stidham Stumbled
And speaking of Waddle, holy smokes, what an introduction! This was his first time ever in a Denver Broncos uniform, and he did not disappoint. Nix found him wide open in the middle of the field for that insane 35-yard catch-and-run. Get used to that, because we’re gonna see a lot more of it. Waddle looked quick, healthy, and exactly like the playmaking beast the Broncos drafted, especially after he had to sit out some of training camp with that soft tissue injury. He’s good to go, too. But while Nix and Waddle were lighting it up, Jarrett Stidham had a rough night. After a promising start to preseason, he went 9 of 15 for 82 yards, zero touchdowns, and threw one bad interception. His grip on the backup job is probably still solid, especially since he was still the second QB up over Sam Ehlinger. That’s a vote of confidence, but man, after his performance in that AFC Championship Game, he simply can’t be losing the fan base’s confidence like that again.
Defense Got Diced
Then there’s the defense. Yeah, that was a tough look for sure. The Broncos defense definitely ended up on the ‘loser’ side of the ledger tonight, no two ways about it.
So, even with the L against the Packers, we walked away knowing what we needed to know. Nix and Waddle are locked and loaded, looking healthy and ready to hit the ground running when the real games kick off. Stidham? He needs to hit the film room hard and clean that up before the games start counting for real. The preseason finale might not tell us much more, but what we saw tonight from those key players gives us a lot to think about heading into the regular season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
Leave a Reply