Takeaways from preseason win over Falcons
CANTON, OHIO» Eleven items of note from the Broncos’ 14-10 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night:
1. Playing time leaders (offense): G Sam Jones 53, OT Chaz Green 41, G Don Barclay 33, RT Elijah Wilkinson 32, RT Quinn Bailey 31 and G/C Austin Schlottman 31. Among the projected Week 1 regulars, LG Dalton Risner, RT Garett Bolles and C Connor McGovern played 12 snaps apiece and TE Jeff Heuerman nine. Josh Watson 40, S Dymonte Thomas 38, DT Dre’Mont Jones 38, LB Alexander Johnson 36 and CB Trey Johnson 36. Starting DE Adam Gotsis and NT Shelby Harris played six snaps apiece.
LB Foyesade Oluokun beat Wilkinson to stop Khalfani Muhammad to a three-yard gain, Oluokun correctly read a screen to TE Noah Fant (incompletion) and WR Juwann Winfree dropped a 17-yard pass.
4. Hogan’s second drive: It didn’t start any better as he ran a bootleg right and Fant dropped a five-yard pass after running a shallow cross. Two plays later, Fant ran a quality route (stuck his foot in the ground to change direction) for a seven-yard catch. Muhammad capped the possession with a three-yard touchdown when Wilkinson and Barclay had clean-out blocks.
On a three-and-out, Gotsis batted down Matt Schaub’s pass, S Su’a Cravens easily avoided WR Christian Blake’s block for a tackle for loss and after a Holland penalty, Schaub threw incomplete. The second drive was a three-and-out, but the Falcons kept possession after PR Brendan Langley’s fumble. yards downfield, behind WR Steven Dunbar (should have been intercepted), ahead of Muhammad on a wheel route 35 yards downfield and a drop by RB David Williams (fine throw, would have been an easy first down).
7. Lock’s initial first down: It was a six-yard scramble that became a 21-yard play (15-yard penalty). The drive ended with consecutive sacks (4.35 and 3.39 seconds). On the first sack, the Broncos had a six-man protection against a six-man rush and Lock scrambled into pressure. linebackers into coverage and rushing three linemen/one inside linebacker and particularly in the second half, blitzing the nickel back. You have to like some of the things rookie OLB Malik Reed did. On Atlanta’s second drive he had a stop for no gain when he was unblocked and later beat TE Logan Paulsen around the edge for a sack. down (1-yard pass), it appeared that Johnson should have followed RB Brian Hill into the left flat. Johnson, though, tracked TE Alex Gray on a crosser even though Marshall had coverage. That left Hill wide open. around the right side by Muhammad. Bailey had a pancake block of DE John Cominsky to spring the run.