SANTA CLARA, Calif. — At the very least, the Broncos look better than last year.
That's not saying much as the Broncos finished 5-12 in 2022, and generally speaking the preseason means little because of the variance of quality player participation.
But progess and improvement have been evident two-thirds through the Broncos' preseason. Wins aren't there, yet, but winning for most of the game is.
The Broncos, with their starters playing plenty, again led for most of their preseason game here Saturday, but again lost in the final seconds, falling thise time to the San Francisco 49ers, 21-20 on a 32-yard field goal by rookie Jake Moody as time expired here at Levi's Stadium.
Last week, the Broncos gave up a touchdown pass with 2 seconds remaining in an 18-17 loss to Arizona. Understand preseason records don't count once the regular season begins which for the Broncos will be Sept. 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Broncos' offense is not yet world-beaters, but it's no longer an embarrassment. And with quarterback Russell Wilson noticably improved, running back Javonte Williams returning healthy, and Sean Payton a capable play-caller, the offense has a chance to eventually become better than most among the 32 NFL teams.
“We’re just getting comfortable with each other,'' said left tackle Garett Bolles. "We have great coaches, we have a great offense around us. We’ve got talent – now we have to put the pen to paper and get after it. But I thought we moved the ball good tonight and I’m happy with where we’re at right now.”
The Denver defense under Vance Joseph looks similar to the Denver D under Ejiro Evero and Vic Fangio in recent years -- some bend, but not easily broken.
Most of the defensive starters played the entire first half and a few played into the second half.
“It was good. It was good to get that in there,'' said inside linebacker Josey Jewell. "Good to break it in a little bit. I don’t know what we’ll do next week but glad we got some reps at least. It was fun to play a full half and get the feeling of it a little bit more. It was fun. Just have to tighten up a few things and finish some games.”
The Broncos could have been leading by more but following a 50-yard catch-and-run by receiver Jalen Virgil on a pass thrown by Jarrett Stidham near the end of the half was ruled down at the half-yard line. The first-half clock expired before Stidham could rush up to the line and spike the ball to stop it.
Sean Payton was livid at the officials for allowing the clock to run out.
"I thought we had more time,'' he said.
In the second half, the 49ers behind back up quarterback Sam Darnold drove for a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. A missed extra point kept it 9-6 San Francisco.
But then a fumbled catch of a punt by 49ers returner D'Shawn Jamison was recovered by Broncos' veteran defensive back Fabian Moreau at the San Francisco 8 yard line. On the first play, Denver running back Jaleel McLaughlin ran it in for his second touchdown in two weeks and the Broncos went up 13-9 late in the third quarter.
McLaughlin added a second touchdown in the fourth quarter, turning a short Ben DiNucci passi into a 9-yard touchdown reception with 5:35 remaining to put the Broncos up, 20-12.
Bidding to make the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie and the No. 3 tailback, McLaughlin also returned kickoffs -- muffing one but returning another 44 yards -- and rushied for 45 yards on seven carries.
“We’ve been seeing it, if you’re paying attention in practice,'' Payton said of McLaughlin's versatility. "You got a chance to see it but I wouldn’t say anyone was surprised.”
But Trey Lance, the 49ers' third quarterback who three years ago was the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cameron Latu with 2:34 remaining, narrowing the score to 20-18. Too much celebrating drew a flag against the 49ers, whose lenghty game-tying, 2-point attempt was no good.
Most of the Broncos' offensive starters were in for 25 plays -- 13 with No. 1 quarterback Russell Wilson on the first drive, and 12 with No. 2 quarterback Jarrett Stidham on the second drive.
“It was part of the plan going in,'' Payton said of the Wilson-Stidham swap. "Play him 15 or so going in and then get Stidham some work with the first group before we made the overall change.”
Both series ended with Brett Maher field goals, who was good from 48 and 34 yards. Maher also perfectly placed two kickoffs to the 1 yard line as he delivered his strongest performance yet in his bid to become the Broncos' first season-opening kicker not named Brandon McManus in 10 years.
Broncos at 49ers
The Broncos' first series was a lot of Javonte Williams, the Broncos' starting running back who was playing in a game for the first time since suffering a season-ending ACL tear last October 1. Williams stayed in for the second series, too, and he finished with 3 carries for 12 yards and three receptions for 16 yards.
“It was like a weight lifted off of me,'' Williams said. "I was thinking it would hurt or something but I really didn’t feel it. I got right back up.”
He dropped a pass from Wilson on the first play of the game but settled down and got down and dirty from there.
“It was all about getting the nerves out,'' Williams said. "I just wanted to get tackled again and see how it goes. That’s the biggest hurdle I feel I have left.’’
It wasn't much of a receiver game for the Broncos starters as both Wilson and Stidham threw their share of screens and short passes. Wilson took off running three times for 25 yards -- a return to the type of athleticism that marked his first 10 seasons in Seattle but seemed unwilling to demonstrate last year, his first with the Broncos.
"I trust my reads,'' Wilson said. "If one, two, three, four, five is not there and if there’s something there then I can use my legs -- it’s part of my game, obviously. To be able to get the ball out and throw the ball down the field but also it’s hard for the defense to account for that part of it.’’
Aside from a 12-yard comeback route to Williams and an 8-yard completion over the middle to rookie Marvin Mims Jr., Wilson operated a Broncos' offense that was run-oreinted. Samaje Perine, the Broncos' No. 2 running back, had three carries for 22 yards.
The 49ers got the ball to open the game and it was an excellent series executed by Brock Purdy, the NFL's rookie surprise last year after he was the last player selected in the 2022 draft. Using the play-action, roll-out passes the Broncos used in the Mike Shanahan-era from 1995-2008, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has long since been following his father's ways.
Purdy was playing for the first time since suffering a game-ending elbow injury early in the 49ers' NFC Championship Game loss to Philadelphia last season.
Surgery was required to fix the elbow and it apparently took, as Purdy's first two passes of the game here Saturday were complete to Deebo Samuel for 25 and 14 yards. He cruised the offense to first and goal at the 3, but a sack by Jonathon Cooper prevented the Denver D from breaking and San Francisco settled for a field goal.
Purdy was 4 of 5 for 65 yards and rushed once for 8 yards. Sam Darnold played the rest of the first half but was shutout by the Denver D.
“Yeah, no, it felt really good just to be out there with the guys in a game environment,'' Purdy said. "Obviously, just get the nerves out a little bit. Just the buildup to a game and everything, and then being able to get an early completion to Deebo and get things rolling.''
Most of Denver's defensive starters played the entire first half -- and starting outside linebackers Cooper and Randy Gregory were still playing early in third quarter. Frank Clark, who is supposed to be starting after he received a $5.45 million fully guaranteed pay out this year, was still playing into the fourth quarter.
When's the last time Frank Clark played the fourth quarter of a preseason game?
“I don’t know. A long time ago,” he said.
So what did Clark think about playing so late?
“That’s not a question for me to answer,'' he said. "That’s something you’ve got to ask our coaches about. I’m just a player in this system. That’s all I am.”
Bronco Bits
Virgil suffered a knee injury on the final play of the half and did not return. ...
Stidham played much better in this preseason game than his Broncos' debut last week. He completed 12 of 17 for 130 yards in this game. No. 3 quarterback Ben DiNucci was only 3 of 7 for 13 yards with the touchdown to McLaughlin.
Broncos nickelback Essang Bassey got his second interception in two games. He picked off Darnold in the third quarter. ...
Payton lit up the officials for not stopping the clock before it expired at halftime and the Broncos on the half-yard line. ...
Broncos' defensive tackle Zach Allen had a sack late in the first half. ...
Lil'Jordan Humphrey had three catches for 30 yards midway through the third quarter. ...
The Broncos have joint practices with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday and Thursday, then the two teams play each other in the final game of the preseason next Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High. Rams' coach Sean McVay never plays his top 25 players in the preseason and it may cause Payton to not play his own starters after the joint practice Thursday.
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