The Denver Broncos were oh, so close to winning their second preseason game of the year, but the Chicago Bears wanted it more and won 24-23.
Halfway through the preseason, the Broncos are 0-2. But, don’t panic, Broncomaniac, the orange and blue had plenty of positive performances to hang their hats on. However, this team doesn’t look like an eventual Super Bowl champion, either, as there were multiple negative plays they’ll have to learn from, too.
Let’s take a look at who improved and impressed, as well as who struggled in the Week 2 preseason loss.
5 players who improved their stock
- Chad Kelly continued to have a great preseason, slinging the football for 90 yards, complete on 7-9 of his passes (77.8 percent) and he tossed one touchdown to Courtland Sutton. Kelly is without a doubt the second-best quarterback on the roster and he’s making a case for the Broncos to stay pat and not go sign a veteran backup.
- Bradley Chubb enjoyed his first sack of his NFL career, and on top of that, it was a safety, too. Chubb couldn’t be found in Week 1 of the preseason, so this was a big-time positive for him.
- Phillip Lindsay basically guaranteed himself a spot on the 53-man roster last night with his great play both as a running back as well as on special teams. Lindsay shows a brilliant burst out of the backfield, gaining a team-leading 32 yards on six carries (5.3 YPC average), spin-moving around defenders and making them look silly. His versatility and willingness to contribute in a meaningful way on special teams makes him a player the Broncos can’t afford to cut.
- Justin Simmons picked off a pass in the second quarter thrown by Bears starter Mitch Trubisky, continuing to show why the Broncos were confident in moving on from T.J. Ward to him.
- And finally, wide receiver Tim Patrick had a great catch, jumping over a defender for a 27-yard gain down the right sideline. Patrick is 6’4″ and 212 pounds, athletic as heck and deserves more chances to prove he can be valuable to this team. If he gets those chances, Patrick could be the fifth or sixth receiver for the Broncos.
3 players who hurt themselves in Week 2
- Paxton Lynch came out to boos Saturday at Mile High Stadium, and his night just got worse from there. Lynch went 5-11 for a mere 39 yards and was sacked twice as he was incredibly inefficient and seems to be on his way out of Denver.
- Isaiah McKenzie followed his electric, 78-yard punt return touchdown in Week 1 with a fumble to end the Broncos chances of winning. That fumble won’t get him cut, but another one likely will. McKenzie must secure the ball better.
- Isaac Yiadom was picked on and picked apart again in Week 2 of preseason as teams are seeing his youth and attacking him. Yiadom was also called for a personal foul for lowering his helmet as well as a pass interference penalty.