The Denver Broncos finally won their first game in 230 days with a 41-0 blowout of the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. The victory gave head coach Sean Payton his first win as a Bronco, which is a nice milestone to achieve, especially in front of a home crowd. Today, we look at five takeaways from the win.
Sean Payton’s first win as coach
It could not have gone better for Sean Payton’s first game in Denver as head coach. Pitching a shutout the entire game, all phases of the team looked sharp in the preseason finale.
The defense looks great
In three preseason games, the defense and special teams of the Broncos generated six turnovers. Against the Rams, cornerback Essang Bassey recorded his third interception of the preseason, and rookie linebacker Drew Sanders recorded his first NFL pick. The reserves showed that they can pick up slack when the starters are out. For the first time this preseason, the fourth-string reserves didn’t allow any points.
Jarrett Stidham cements his spot as No. 2
Stidham played the entire first half of the game against the Rams, finishing a strong 17-of-28 for 236 yards and a touchdown. In five out of six drives, Stidham led scoring possessions, three touchdowns and two field goals. Stidham took a few hard shots behind center, but he came back into the game and put on one heck of a performance.
Offensive explosion
The Broncos finished with almost 500 yards of total offense, all while limiting the Rams to 159. The 41 points of offense is incredible, even for a preseason game. This was a fantastic tuneup for the regular season, with big plays galore, and everyone contributed in the win.
Jaleel McLaughlin will make the 53-man roster
McLaughlin finished the game against the Rams with his fourth touchdown of the preseason, totaling 10 carries for 48 yards, and four catches for 13 yards. He has made his case for a roster spot in spades. He will likely be the third guy behind Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine.
