Broncos Training Camp Observations: Play-action perfection

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The calm before the storm.

On Thursday, the Broncos held their final practice before welcoming the San Francisco 49ers to town for joint practices.

Vic Fangio let the tides settle in Thursday’s practice by taking the pads off and having a shorter practice before the waves will start crashing on Friday with the 49ers.

As always, BSN Denver was on hand for Thursday’s practice. Here’s what went down.

PLAY-ACTION PERFECTION

The perfect play-action pass is designed to trick the defense into thinking the offense is running the ball, thus opening up the passing game.

It worked to perfection on Thursday for Joe Flacco and Company.

In two of Flacco’s first three passes, he found a wide-open Courtland Sutton on the left sideline for gains of 25-plus yards off play-action.

On the first, there was no defender within 10 yards of the giant receiver. After a dump-off pass to Lindsay on the next play, Rich Scangarello went right back to the same play design, finding Sutton wide open again for a big gain after faking the handoff. Heck, it could have been the exact same play.

The 6-foot-6 quarterback connected with the 6-foot-4 receiver later in practice on, you guessed it, a play-action pass, this time for a pickup of 15 on the right side.

Later in practice, Flacco tricked the defense with his hide-the-ball trick to connect with Noah Fant on multiple occasions. The fake handoff from shotgun drew the inside linebackers up, allowing the talented receiving tight end to sneak behind them and catch a wide-open pass. In a game, Fant was off to the races despite it just being a 10-yard completion.

In a goal-line period, Flacco connected with Fant in the end zone for a touchdown after again throwing the defense off with a fake handoff as he rolled to the right.

When it wasn’t play action, Flacco was unsurprisingly finding Emmanuel Sanders. Three pass plays in a row, No. 5 connected with No. 10. The first was a short completion in the flat, but the next two each picked up 15 yards in the middle of the field.

It is worth mentioning Flacco was primarily facing the scout-team defense during Thursday’ practice.

THE BACKER

Rookie fifth-round-pick Justin Hollins very well could have more on his plate than any other Broncos’ defender, including the veterans.

An outside passer rusher during his time at Oregon, Hollins was tasked with not only learning the same position at the next level, but also learning inside linebacker with the Broncos.

On Thursday after practice, Fangio stated Hollins is progressing well at learning both positions.

“But it’s a heavy load mentally for him,” Fangio admitted. “At times he struggles with it, but that’s to be expected. But I think he can do it.”

During Thursday’s practice, it certainly appeared No. 52 can do it. Playing with the first-team defense throughout a significant portion of practice, mainly at his new position of inside backer, Hollins looked comfortable, albeit tall.

The 6-foot-5 linebacker stayed on the field with the backups, splitting his time inside and outside.

“I have to work with 52 the most,” Chris Harris Jr. said after practice, explaining why he’s often giving the rookie tips on the field. “Every year at the nickel I’ve always had to work with specific backers, specific dimes, whether it be—it started off with [Wesley] Woodyard then [Danny] Trevathan then T.J. Ward, Will Parks, now I’ve got to work with 52. It’s totally different—he’s a rookie. It’s a lot of communication that we’ve got to due to be on the same page.”

What do Woodyard, Trevathan and Ward all have in common? They’re all starters. And Parks plays a significant amount.

At insider linebacker specifically, Hollins was viewed as a project that likely wouldn’t be ready for a year or two. According to their words, and more importantly, their actions, the rookie could very well have a more significant role this year at his new position.

JOINT PRACTICES

For the first time this year at the UCHealth Training Center, the Broncos will be going up against a different opponent on the practice field. Denver will host the 49ers for joint practices on Friday and Saturday before the team’s game on Monday night.

While the opponent will be different, the structure of practice will be the same, although the practices are expected to be a little shorter than the nearly three-hour practices Fangio’s had during camp.

“There will be no tackling,” Fangio stated without hesitation. “It will be just like watching our practice except we’re going against them.”

Fangio and Kyle Shanahan have been in communication about the setup and rules of the practices. Two that have already been established are the teams will wear pads both days, and there will “absolutely” be no music, despite Shanahan pumping sweet tunes during his practices in Santa Clara.

“I must have done more than 40 of these over the years, and it’s just great to go against somebody else,” Fangio said, explaining the benefits of joint practices. “Offensive lineman having to block different pass rushers and run block different D-linemen. Corners covering different receiver. Wide receivers going against different corners, different schemes. I think it’s great. I would do two of them a camp if I could.”

Two years ago, the Broncos traveled to San Francisco during camp for joint practices after hosting them in Denver the year before.

There’s plenty of familiarity with the two organizations. Broncos’ Ring of Famer John Lynch is the 49ers’ general manager, Fangio was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2011-14 and Rich Scangarello was the 49ers’ quarterback coach just last year.

ADDITIONAL TIDBITS

• Kareem Jackson returned to practice after missing the sessions earlier in the week with a bang. No. 22 had a pick-six off Kevin Hogan after corralling a ball tipped at the line of scrimmage by Shelby Harris.
• Bryce Callahan also had an interception off Hogan near the sideline.
• Dalton Risner is “more NFL ready than most players,” according to Vic Fangio.
• Troy Fumagalli took snaps at fullback as the team experiments if they need to keep George Aston on the roster while Andy Janovich recovers from a partially torn pec.

• The catch of the day was courtesy of Steven Dunbar Jr. as he had a fantastic one-handed grab in tight coverage on the left sideline.
• Brandon McManus nailed a 60-yard field goal right down the middle with ease.
• DeMarcus Walker spent a significant amount of practice with the first-team defense.
• Will Parks is “nursing a slight hamstring,” according to Fangio. He did not practice on Thursday. The team is “just trying to be cautious.”
• Su’a Cravens missed Thursday’s practice dealing with a sickness. He “probably won’t” practice on Friday due to the illness, according to Fangio.
• Ron Leary might practice on Friday, while Malik Reed probably won’t.
• Jake Butt participated in a team period for a second-straight practice.