After losing starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey to a knee injury, the Denver Broncos turned to second-year lineman Alex Palczewski.
Palczewski performed well in his first NFL start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver’s offensive line kept quarterback Bo Nix clean. The offense moved the ball efficiently and Nix did not take any sacks in a 26-7 victory.
Palczewski spent six years at Illinois, ending his college career with an FBS-record 65 starts. Broncos coach Sean Payton believes that extensive college experience has helped the lineman quickly adjust to playing in the NFL
“Pretty good, pretty good,” Payton said this week when asked how Palczewski looked on film against the Bucs. “Really well. First start. He did a lot of things well. He’s smart. He’s played a lot of football games. So we’re fortunate to have someone with, I know it’s not pro experience, but you felt it in the game.”
Love this rep by Alex Palczewski
Quick and effective get off with a smooth kick step, quickly senses the bull rush and sinks down and hand fights through the rep. It’s perfect
Full film review with @MileHighReport out tomorrow #Broncos #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/Ry9QV4AfEJ
— Ross (@Ross_MHR) September 24, 2024
Joe Lombardi, Denver’s offensive coordinator, echoed Payton’s assessment.
“[He looked] really good,” Lombardi said. “He’s a little bit like Bo [Nix]. He’s one of those guys that had a ton of starts in college. He’s an experienced guy. It’s a phrase that gets thrown around, ‘He’s a football player.’ He’s a guy that knows what he’s good at, where his limitations are, and he’s one of those players that especially sticks out on the offensive line where they know how to play according to the opponent they’re facing, according to the talents that they have.
“He’s just one of those guys that doesn’t just go out there and play. He’s got a plan and that comes from the experience he’s had in college and a year in the program. We have a lot of confidence in him. I think he played very well on Sunday, and I think he had a lot of fun.”
Palczewski will make his second career start against the New York Jets on Sunday. New York’s defense features edge rusher Will McDonald, who has totaled five sacks through the first three games of the season. After passing his first test in Week 3, Palczewski will face a tougher test in Week 4.
