Janovich injury latest blow to Broncos’ offense

Ten takeaways from the Broncos’ 22-14 exhibition loss to Seattle on Thursday night:

1. Notable snap counts for the starters: Offense — First-team offensive line 17, TE Noah Fant 16, WR Courtland Sutton 15, QB Joe Flacco 11 and RB Phillip Lindsay 7. Defense — CB Chris Harris 11, S Kareem Jackson 11, S Justin Simmons 10, OLB Von Miller 10, OLB Bradley Chubb 10 and DE Derek Wolfe 8. Among the reserves, QB Drew Lock played 48 snaps and LBs Justin Hollins and Malik Reed led the defense with 38 snaps apiece.

2. Flacco’s only drive: The Broncos had five “bad” run plays (gain of three or fewer yards not including short-yardage). Fant and RT Ja’Wuan James had 1 1/2 “bad” run plays apiece. Everything went right, though, on RB Royce Freeman’s 50-yard run. Fant, FB Andy Janovich, C Connor McGovern, LT Garett Bolles, LG Dalton Risner all had key blocks. On third-and-goal from the 7, Seattle rushed six against a six-man protection. Edge rusher Barkevious Ringo had a free run when Bolles kicked inside instead of outside. Lindsay correctly picked up a rushing linebacker. Under pressure, Flacco threw incomplete and was hit by Mingo.

3. Janovich played eight offensive snaps and four special teams snaps before leaving with a left pectoral injury. Janovich’s final play was covering a punt and he was holding his left arm close to his chest, clearly in discomfort. A league source confirmed a 9News report Friday that the “ballpark” for Janovich’s return is expected to be 6-8 weeks.

4. The Broncos’ defense was active on Seattle’s first possession. Chris Harris was unblocked coming from the left slot to stop RB Rashaad Penny for a four-yard loss. That set up a third-and-11. The Broncos rushed four, but Penny caught a screen pass and gained 27 yards when it appeared ILB Alexander Johnson was over-eager and benod gan to blitz instead of tracking Penny. Simmons took a bad angle and missed a tackle downfield. The Broncos forced a missed field goal after Johnson stopped Penny for a three-yard gain and CB Isaac Yiadom broke up a third-and-9 pass.

5. QB Kevin Hogan’s first drive stalled when TE Troy Fumagalli dropped a four-yard pass on third-and-2 and new RB Theo Riddick — lined up wide right — ran a quick slant and couldn’t corral Hogan’s semi-wide throw on fourth-and-2. As a tough grader, we’ll give Riddick a drop.

6. A simple three-and-out for the first-team defense’s second (and final) series: Gotsis and Shelby Harris split a run “stuff” (three-yard gain), Gotsis read screen all the way and nearly intercepted Geno Smith’s pass and CB De’Vante Bausby broke up a third-down pass intended for WR D.K. Metcalf.

7. Lock’s first drive (12 plays60 yards-field goal): On Lock’s first drop-back, the Broncos used an eight-man protection, a to giving him a clean pocket for his first throw (incompletion). On third-and-11, Lock threw before Fumagalli came out of his break and the football found his hands for 14 yards. Lock converted a fourth-and-1 on a zone keeper when DE Rasheem Green crashed down to tackle RB Khalfani Muhammad and TE Austin Fort and WR Steven Dunbar got in the way of their defenders. A well-designed play followed. At the snap, WR Nick Williams nudged toward the offensive line and semi-engaged with Green. Williams then released (as Lock rolled right) for a shallow crosser and was wide open for a 24-yard catch.

8. Seattle’s last drive of the first half was a debacle for all — the Seahawks, the Broncos, the officials, the coaches, the fans and of course the media. The carnage: Run play, Seattle penalty, Broncos penalty, Seattle penalty, run play, Seattle penalty, run play, pass play, Broncos penalty, incompletion, Broncos penalty, run play, incompletion, sack, and 55-yard made field goal. Examples of poor technique and poor officiating.

9. Broncos coach Vic Fangio on his team’s 11 enforced penalties: “When you commit that many penalties (and) I don’t think many of them were presnap penalties, it’s because you have poor technique or you’re not good enough. With either one, you have to cheat — you have to grab guys or you have to hold them. We have to make these guys aware of the proper technique and hopefully they’re good enough to play honest downs without fouling. It was a highly-penalized game and (Seattle) had a bunch, too (15).”

10. Lock had no chance on his interception to end the Broncos’ comeback hope. On third-and-6 before the two-minute warning, Seattle rushed five against a sixman Broncos protection. Four of the rushers were against the Broncos’ right side, which had only three blockers. CB Akeem King was allowed a free run at Lock and hit him as he threw to facilitate the interception.