The Denver Broncos dominated the Los Angeles Rams in their preseason finale on Saturday night, winning 41-0 at Empower Field at Mile High.
Rams cornerback Tre Tomlinson was ejected for a facemask on Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims on Denver’s opening drive and rookie running back Jaleel McLaughlin then scored on a one-yard run to make it 7-0. That score marked McLaughlin’s fourth touchdown of preseason.
Later in the first quarter, kicker Brett Maher converted a 46-yard field goal to make it 10-0. His ensuing kickoff then went out of bounds. Maher has had a somewhat inconsistent preseason and he isn’t a lock to make the team’s Week 1 roster.
Later in the first quarter, quarterback Jarrett Stidham found tight end Albert Okwuegbunam for an 8-yard touchdown to make it 17-0. Stidham had a strong performance, finishing the game 17-of-28 passing for 236 yards with one score and no turnovers.
Broncos running back Tony Jones added a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to extend the lead to 24-0. Maher later converted a second field goal to make it 27-0 before halftime.
In the fourth quarter, running back Tyler Badie added a one-yard touchdown to make it 34-0. Later, third-string quarterback Ben DiNucci connected on a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Josh Hammond to make it 41-0.
On defense, Essang Bassey secured his third interception of preseason, which will undoubtedly improve his chances of making the team. Rookie linebacker Drew Sanders also grabbed an interception (he then fumbled the ball, but Denver recovered). The defense had a great game overall, securing a shutout at home.
With preseason now in the rearview mirror, attention will turn to roster cuts. The Broncos have to finalize an initial 53-man roster by Tuesday afternoon. After the roster is set, Denver will begin preparing for a Week 1 showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 10.
