Russell Wilson was sacked 100 times in two seasons (30 games) with the Denver Broncos from 2022-2023.
It’s obviously not an apples-to-apples comparison because regular season football and preseason football differ greatly, but it is a positive sign that Denver’s quarterbacks were not sacked once in their preseason opener on Sunday.
The offensive line obviously deserves a lot of credit, but the Broncos’ quarterbacks also released the ball quickly, which is something coach Sean Payton preaches.
“Yeah listen, ball out,” Payton said after a 34-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts. “I like the timing, the tempo of when we’re releasing it. That was a big issue for us a year ago with the minus plays. We were towards the back, back half of the league – I think fourth [worst]. So, I was pleased with the timing of what we were doing throwing the ball. It’s important.”
Jarrett Stidham started the game and while he only got two drives, the QB was kept upright.
“Yeah, first off, I thought our o-line – they played great tonight, or today,” Stidham said after the game. “They did great. I mean they’ve been practicing super, super well all training camp. And super proud of those guys.
“And our job is to get the ball out of our hands and find the open guy and if it’s not there, then move around, make some plays with our feet. So, I thought we did a good job of that today. And like I said, that o-line played amazing.”
Broncos rookie Bo Nix replaced Stidham late in the first quarter and he led four scoring drives. Nix was protected well and when things did break down, he made plays with his legs. Nix finished the game with three rushes for 17 yards, and he also bought time to find receivers down field several times.
“It’s really important not to take sacks,” Nix said. “It’s all about knowing where your outlets are, knowing when you’re hot, having a good feel for the pocket, and it’s just being on time, being in rhythm. If you’re one or two is not there, getting to three in a quick manner. I always say I feel like I can take a three hitch and throw and get the ball out without them physically being able to get to me. You know, I think it’s all about a quarterback’s timing.
“The offensive line did a great job today, keeping us up, and they’re going to continue to work to master picking up blitzes and making sure that we’re on the same page of protections. But all that is is work throughout the week, but it was good to get out there in a real game and feel that pocket, and like we say, just get the ball out on time, and usually you can avoid sacks.”
Zach Wilson finished the game with the third-string offense and he did not take any sacks, either. It’s only preseason, of course, but Sunday’s performance reflects well on the offensive line’s depth and Denver’s quarterbacks getting the ball out quickly. We’ll see if that trend continues against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 of preseason.
