SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Broncos scored 30 unanswered points on Saturday en route to a 30-9 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The performance came on the heels of a joint practice against the Niners that featured a number of highlight plays.
And yet, it was clear in the aftermath of the Broncos' preseason opener that there's plenty to clean up.
"Look, there will be a lot of film to cover," Head Coach Sean Payton said. "Not even from just the game, but also going back to the practice we had the other day. I thought we started slow. That was disappointing, both first units. There will be a handful of stuff we look at there. I think we were 0-for-4 [on] third down offensively, and then things began to pick up."
The Broncos' defense allowed an eight-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to begin the game, as Mac Jones connected with rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins for a 50-yard gain. Later in the possession, the 49ers converted a fourth-down opportunity to sustain the drive.
Denver's offense, meanwhile, picked up two first downs on its initial drive before being forced to punt. On the next possession, quarterback Bo Nix was whistled for an intentional grounding call in the end zone that resulted in a safety.
"There were just some things — before I even put the tape on — that we have to be prepared to clean up," Payton said. "And then some things that were a part of winning a game."
After the slow starts, both units did respond as the first quarter progressed. Following the opening-drive touchdown, Denver's first-team defense responded on its second series. Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto recorded a pressure on three consecutive snaps and was credited with a first-down sack to set up a defensive stop. And while Denver's starting unit played just those two drives, several players remained in for additional snaps. Cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian set up Denver's first scoring drive with an impressive diving interception.
That interception helped set up Nix and Co. to get on the scoreboard in their final of three drives, as Nix completed a fourth-and-5 pass to Troy Franklin. The second-year receiver made a reaching grab, which was one of his two grabs working with the first-team offense. Nix completed 6-of-11 passes for 31 yards and a 60.0 quarterback rating in limited action.
"It's a different evaluation, but I still evaluate [myself] pretty tough," Nix said of the postgame process. "Obviously, there's some things you can't quite control for a preseason game. A lot you don't really know going into it. My favorite part with the preseason is just reacting to what you get. Sometimes in the game, you've got to react because it's not something you prepared for. That's really how you can treat the preseason is just get out there and see things, react how you would and just take the ball where your eyes lead you. Like I said, it's not always going to be planned. You're not always going to be prepared for a look. That's sometimes what preseason gives you a lot of."
Following the preseason opener, the Broncos now move forward to correct those mistakes. And Payton said the teams "that do it best" have a "sense of urgency" about the corrections.
"The importance coming off of a three-, four-day trip like this and a lot of plays is the debrief," Payton said. "Getting back home, cleaning things up. There were a number of things that we're going to have to improve on — missed some protections. And then there will be a lot of positives too. The key is the evaluation of these players. And getting a chance to have better tape and to help make the decision process for us a little bit easier."
HARVEY GETS START, WILL CONTINUE TO SEE WORK
Rookie running back RJ Harvey officially earned the start on Saturday, and he recorded eight touches — seven rushes and one reception — for 29 yards. On one early snap, he seemingly was going to be stopped near the line of scrimmage before getting to the edge and surging forward for an 11-yard gain.
"Yeah, it's fun to watch him go out there and compete," Nix said. "He's young, he's got a lot of ball left ahead of him. He's got some juice. He can get out of the backfield and catch the ball. His routes are great. He runs the ball really well. He's just going to learn and grow and continue to get better with the run schemes and all that kind of stuff."
Payton said Harvey would "continue to get work with the ones" while also adding that several of the team's other running backs would potentially see early carries against Arizona.
"We're trying to build cases for all of them, in fairness to the process," Payton said of the running backs. "Keep giving them all these opportunities so the decision can became a little bit easier. It's difficult right now. We'll look at all the film."
Tyler Badie led all Broncos running backs with five carries for 32 yards, while Blake Watson's 7.0 yards per carry were the most for any Broncos tailback on Saturday.
STIDHAM POSTS NEAR-PERFECT OUTING
In extensive work, quarterback Jarrett Stidham found plenty of success. He completed all but one of his passes, as he went 14-of-15 for 136 yards, two touchdowns and a 144.0 quarterback rating.
"Any time you get an opportunity to go down the field and try to make as many plays as you can, that's what it's all about," Stidham said after the game.
The Broncos scored on four of Stidham's five drives, notching 20 points to take the lead back from San Francisco. His two touchdown passes included an impressive downfield throw to Trent Sherfield Sr., who made a toe-tapping grab for the Broncos' second touchdown in short order.
"That was a heck of a catch," Payton said.
Stidham also scrambled three times for a team-high 36 rushing yards.
"I thought it was awesome," Nix said. "I thought he did a great job of taking what the defense gave him but also being very aggressive. He made some plays with his feet. … He did a really good job."
