A dominant 34-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in their preseason finale gave the Denver Broncos coaches a ton of tape to sift through, especially with roster cuts coming fast. Most of their key starters chilled out on the sidelines, leaving the backups to fight it out for those coveted spots on the final 53-man roster. This wasn’t just a win, it was a brutal proving ground for guys on the bubble.
Offense Bounces Back and the O-Line Delivers
Remember last week? The Broncos’ offense looked rough, taking a 20-point L from the Green Bay Packers. They couldn’t run the ball, the offensive trenches were a mess, and they only scraped together 13 points. Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb called for more consistency, and tonight? They absolutely answered the call. Denver’s starting offensive line, featuring Matt Peart, Kage Casey, Luke Wattenberg, Calvin Throckmorton, and Alex Palczewski, just took control. They flat-out manhandled the Vikings’ competition, paving the way for a running game that was drastically better. Wattenberg eventually got swapped for Throckmorton at center, with Palczewski sliding to right guard and UDFA rookie Tyler Miller stepping up at right tackle. With those guys upfront, the ground game flowed, and the offense finished the night with 400 yards of total offense and 34 points on the board. As former Head Coach John Fox once put it, “Not too shabby,” right?
Cody Schrader’s Electric Performance Leaves Coaches Thinking
While Tyler Badie had some good runs, the real showstopper for Denver was Cody Schrader. The dude was electric, especially in the first half, averaging nearly eight yards per carry. He kept that momentum going into the second half, too, putting on a clinic of burst and wiggle in the open field. Honestly, he was the player of the game for the Broncos, racking up an incredible 132 all-purpose yards. The big question, though: is that enough for the 53-man roster? It’s a tough call, because Denver probably only keeps three running backs. But even if he doesn’t crack the main squad, his performance pretty much sealed his spot on the 16-man practice squad.
On the flip side, Jaleel McLaughlin struggled in his limited early carries. He did manage to make up for it with a 20-yard touchdown reception late in the first half, which was huge. But seeing him get a lot of playing time even in the second half of a preseason finale usually isn’t the best sign for a guy trying to make the final cut.
With less than 48 hours until rosters are finalized, every single rep, every single yard, and every single block mattered in this one. Coaches have a tough few days ahead deciding who makes the cut and who goes home.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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