Saturday’s loss against the Buffalo Bills was not a fruitful event for the Denver Broncos. The 42-14 defeat highlighted where the Broncos’ depth is lacking and it was a showcase of the discrepancy between Denver and elite teams like Buffalo talent-wise. Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Brett Rypien making his case for QB2 job
Brett Rypien did not have the best outing against the Dallas Cowboys last week. In that game, Rypien finished 8-of-18 passing for 113 yards — he had a better showing in Week 2.
Rypien dramatically improved, going 22-of-26, throwing for 191 yards while contributing to the Broncos’ only offensive touchdown of the game.
Josh Johnson and Rypien have exchanged great performances, but maybe not enough for a clear edge. However, Rypien is now in the conversation.
Special Teams appears to be shaping up
While the offense has put together decent-but-not-great performances, and the defense is showing signs of inconsistent play, the Broncos’ special teams were a bright spot Saturday afternoon.
Broncos kicker Brandon McManus finished the game connecting on all three attempts, from 33, 43, and 55 yards out.
Return-wise, Broncos receivers Montrell Washington and Jalen Virgil netted 115 yards on four returns. Their longest each was 35 and 30 yards.
No time for panic button on Evero's defense
Ejiro Evero is a product of the Vic Fangio coaching tree, so his transition to defensive coordinator from the Los Angeles Rams was a coup. However, after Saturday’s game, it may be natural for some people to wonder if Evero’s system is not in conjunction with what’s already familiar.
Yes, allowing 510 yards in 56 plays (the Broncos ran 60 plays and almost had half less with 274 yards), and the defense was still fielding second and third stringers fighting for roster spots. But we can only assess when the starters are rolling full-time once the regular season begins.
Besides, his defense showed promise last week by holding the Cowboys to seven points. So no, no one should worry too much about the defense — yet.
