The Denver Broncos finally secured a win on Saturday night, a 41-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Rams in the final preseason game. Although it won’t show up in the official standings, it marked head coach Sean Payton’s first win as Broncos head coach. Today, we take a look at five stocks that went up through the game (no stock down this week).
1
Stock up: Jaleel McLaughlin
Jaleel McLaughlin scored his fourth touchdown of the preseason, a one-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. McLaughlin finished with 10 carries for 48 yards, and four catches for 13 yards. McLaughlin will likely be the third running back on the depth chart behind starter Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine.
2
Stock up: Essang Bassey and Drew Sanders
Bassey recorded his third pick in three preseason games, this time against rookie Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett. Rookie linebacker Drew Sanders, a third round pick in this year’s NFL draft, also intercepted Bennett. During Sanders’ return, he was stripped by Bennett, but was bailed out of his mistake by his teammates as Denver recovered the fumble.
3
Stock up: Jarrett Stidham
In the first two games of the preseason, Stidham looked shaky at times. Against the Rams, Stidham was in complete control. In six drives, Stidham came away with points on five consecutive possessions — three touchdowns and two field goals. Stidham’s strong performance has solidified his standing behind starter Russell Wilson and above third-string quarterback Ben DiNucci.
4
Stock up: Albert Okwuegbunam
Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam needed a big game to save a potential roster spot after having a lackluster first three years in Denver. He was targeted eight times, snatching seven for 109 yards and one touchdown. Could this have been enough to save a spot on the 53-man roster, which will be trimmed down by Tuesday? We’ll see.
5
Stock up: Sean Payton
Head coach Sean Payton got his first win with the Denver Broncos. After two one-point losses against the Cardinals and 49ers to begin preseason, it was time for the Broncos to step up in front of the home crowd. Step up they did. From beginning to end, Denver completely dominated the Rams, giving fans a lot to hope for in the coming weeks and upcoming season. The next task for this first-year staff will be to trim the roster from 90 players to 53, a task which needs to be completed by Tuesday.
