The Denver Broncos suffered a last-minute loss at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game of 2023 on Friday evening. Here are three takeaways from the first action of 2023 for the Broncos.
1
Kicking game? Back to the drawing board
The Broncos kicking competition suffered a major setback from both Brett Maher and Elliott Fry, as both kickers missed 40-plus-yard field goals during the game. Maher had a 52-yarder blocked, and outright missed a 47-yarder in the first half, while Fry missed a 50-yarder early in the first half, before making a 55-yarder right before halftime. It was so bad, head coach Sean Payton waved off the field goal unit on a 4th-and-four from Arizona’s 21. While it turned out to be the right call, as quarterback Russell Wilson threw a 21-yard touchdown to Jerry Jeudy on the play, it is concerning to see the Denver kicking game at the forefront of a close loss.
2
Ben DiNucci looked better than Jarrett Stidham
Third-string quarterback Ben DiNucci looked more comfortable in Sean Payton’s offense than second-string quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Stidham, who has been looking sharp during training camp, threw the Broncos’ only interception, and in four drives, only came away with three points. To Stidham’s credit, the field goal came in the first half, during a two-minute drill where the Broncos had no timeouts. For DiNucci, in two drives, he led Denver on their longest drive of the game, a 10-play, 87-yard affair that scored the go-ahead touchdown with 90 seconds left.
DiNucci finished seven-of-nine for 57 yards, while Stidham finished five-of-15 for 50 yards and an interception.
3
Defense picked right back where it left off
The Broncos’ first-team defense looked sharp in three drives against the Cardinals, picking up from right where they left off in 2022. Cornerback Essang Bassey intercepted an Arizona pass on the second drive of the game. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto looked much improved before exiting the game with a hip injury, recording three tackles and half a sack. Second-year corner Ja’Quan McMillian was maybe the star of the night, recording a team-high six tackles, including a 12-yard sack.
Even though the Broncos’ third and fourth-string units gave up the winning touchdown, the defense looked ready to ascend to the top of the NFL charts once again this season.
