No Bo Nix or Jaylen Waddle, no problem. The Denver Broncos opened their preseason on fire and dominated the Atlanta Falcons throughout tonight’s game. They had a 24-0 lead at halftime and had contributions from both their offense and defense during the first half. Things slowed down a bit in the second half, but the Broncos held the lead and improved to 1-0 in the preseason.
We have plenty of winners from this game, including 2025 1st-round pick Jahdae Barron and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, with a handful of players leaving this game as losers. So, with all that said, here are my winners and losers from the Denver Broncos 27-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the preseason.
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WINNER – QB Jarrett Stidham
Entering tonight’s game, there was talk about a potential competition for the backup quarterback between veteran Jarrett Stidham and third-stringer Sam Ehlinger. Well, that talk will quiet down a bit after tonight due to Stidham outplaying Ehlinger and leading the offense to multiple touchdowns.
Stiddy finished the night going 9 for 15 for 131 yards and 1 touchdown. He had a 40-yard throw to Courtland Sutton that led to an Adam Prentice 1-yard touchdown and later had a touchdown throw to Jaleel McLaughlin
He looked like the better quarterback tonight. Plain and simple. Now, Ehlinger was playing with the third-team unit while Stidham had the starters and backups, but still. Ehlinger needed to outplay Stidham by a wide margin for this to be a conversation, and that simply did not happen.
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I would anticipate Stidham being the backup come Week 1, but I believe Ehlinger may get his time with the 2’s next week vs. the Packers, but we shall see what happens there.
LOSER – QB Sam Ehlinger
I already talked about him, but Sam Ehlinger’s quest to become the Broncos’ backup quarterback probably ended tonight. Stidham played well while Ehlinger struggled to get much going with the Broncos ‘ third-team offense.
Now, Ehlinger did not play bad by any means. He finished the night going 10 for 14 for 67 yards with an additional 23 yards rushing. However, he did have a near interception and struggled to get the offense moving consistently in the second half.
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As I said, he may get run with the second team offense next week, but I think this battle, if there ever was one, is likely over with after tonight’s performance.
WINNER – CB Jahdae Barron
Jahdae Barron NEEDED a night like tonight.
The Broncos 2025 1st-round pick had been a topic of conversation amongst fans and media. He has yet to crack the starting lineup and wasn’t making a ton of noise during training camp. However, that all changed tonight.
Barron had a pick-6 touchdown, and unlike his one vs. Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs, this one wasn’t called back by a bogus penalty.
Even before the pick-6, Barron was playing well. He had a few PBUs, a near second INT, and was active and aggressive in the run game.
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Again, the type of showing we needed to see from Barron. Hopefully, he can build on this performance, continue to develop and build his confidence, and be a weapon for the Broncos in the secondary
LOSER – RB Jaleel McLaughlin
This is tough, but Jaleel McLaughlin is a loser for me.
Yes, he had a nice touchdown catch and run in the game, but he also fumbled the ball. Nothing will put you in the doghouse quicker as a running back than fumbling the ball. Especially when you’re on the roster bubble and likely on the outside looking in.
McLaughlin looked like his usual self tonight, but came in behind RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman, and the fumble likely has not helped his odds of making the team.
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He briefly left the game due to an injury on special teams, but returned to the game before eventually fumbling the ball. Jaleel is a great story, and I like his work ethic, but he’s going to need to have a strong few weeks if he wants to make the team.
WINNER – RB Jonah Coleman
Rookie Jonah Coleman proved tonight that he deserves touches early and often this season. He only had 4 carries for 24 yards, but in those limited touches, Coleman showcased a good burst, vision, balance, and power and simply looked like a damn good running back.
After the game, head coach Sean Payton told reporters that Coleman has had a good camp and that he liked Coleman’s balance coming out of some of the tackles tonight.
Strictly as a runner, Coleman should be the Broncos’ RB2 and split carries with veteran RJ Harvey. This isn’t a knock on Harvey, who excels in space and in the passing game, but when it comes to running between the tackles, Coleman is far superior, which honestly is not a huge surprise.
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Coleman didn’t last long in this game either. He entered behind RJ Harvey, who got the start but sat down after a few offensive series for Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie. That right there shows you that the Broncos have belief in Coleman and his future production with the team this season.
LOSER – Broncos reserve special teams
Darren Rizzi will not be happy.
In the second half, the Broncos had some sloppy special teams play.
Backup long snapper Luke Basso had a botched snap, which led to holder Jeremy Crawshaw having a hard time handling the ball and ended up with Crawshaw running and sliding with the ball.
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Not what you want from a field goal attempt.
Then, on another field goal attempt, kicker Wil Lutz had to rush a 55-yard field goal due to reserve offensive lineman Matt Peart running on the field late
When special teams play decides who gets those final few spots on a roster, you cannot have mistakes like this. Basso, who is competing for the long snapper job, cannot afford to have bad snaps. You have one job, and if you cannot do that, your time with the team is likely over.
WINNER – FB Adam Prentice
The fullback position may be a dying position in the NFL, but with the Denver Broncos, it’s an important piece to their team and offense. Veteran Adam Prentice was productive as the Broncos ‘ short-yardage back in a few instances, including a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
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Not only that, but he led the way for the Broncos’ ball carriers who had success running the ball this evening.
At halftime, Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters that “We believe in the fullback”.
Prentice, who originally started his career with the Broncos, spent time with the Saints and would eventually sign with the Broncos last summer, has become a key member of the team. He has been used as a short-yardage runner, pass catcher, pass blocker, and he contributes on special teams. You need players like this on your roster, and Prentice is a good one who the coaches love.
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WINNER – WR Courtland Sutton
Sutton caught a 40-yard bomb on the first drive and would later make an unbelievable one-handed catch with a defender all over him.
Maybe the load management is paying off?
Other notable Winners and Losers
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WINNER – EDGE Jonathon Cooper: He looked quick out there tonight and was unblockable early on – Cooper is dealing with some off-the-field legal issues, but he looked good on the football field tonight
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WINNER – DL Eyioma Uwazurike: The big defensive lineman has had a strong camp and played the JFM role tonight for the Broncos
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WINNER – WR Pat Bryant: He didn’t play for long, but when he did, he made plays, as he has all summer
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LOSER – Broncos TEs: Engram had a few targets and one nice catch-and-run, but overall, the Broncos tight ends were quiet once again.
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LOSER – Penalties: They had 8 flags in this game, with most of them coming in the 2nd half which was a fairly sloppy half of football for the Broncos
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WINNER – WR Joseph Manjack: The undrafted rookie had a nice connection going with QB Sam Ehlinger and had 3 catches for 40 yards
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WINNER – JL Skinner: He was one of the few safeties that really popped for me tonight. He’s a big hitter, and man, he sticks out on the field. Maybe he should play some linebacker?
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WINNER – LB Red Murdock: I am not sure how he did overall, but he seemed to be around the ball all night and led the team in tackles
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WINNER – CB Riley Moss: Had an INT, which was good to see
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WINNER – Broncos depth: The Broncos were down Bo Nix, Jaylen Waddle, Wattenberg, Dobbins, and some other key players and still outplayed and dominated the Falcons when it mattered early on
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