DENVER, Colo. — The preseason is (finally) over.
The Broncos knocked off the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field 23-13 on Saturday in the preseason finale. Neither team played its starters. Denver finished the preaseaon with a 2-1 record.
Here’s how the offense graded out:
(And here’s where you can find the defensive grades.)
QB Brett Rypien – B-
The most important play of the day for Rypien was an interception at the goal line. He’d driven the Broncos 89 yards down the field on the opening series but tried to force a ball to KJ Hamler, who was tightly covered on a slant route from the slot. It was a great play by the defender to stick with Hamler off the break and get a hand on the ball. It was a fluky bounce straight up into the air. About 95% of the time that pass isn’t picked off. But this one was.
Rypien also made some really good plays. He hit Seth Williams 45 yards downfield. He converted a 3rd & 2 out of a five-wide formation. He changed his arm angle to get the ball to Ja’Quan Hardy on a screen. He carried out a perfect play fake that froze a defender as Mike Boone ran right by him for a 15-yard gain. He could’ve had an even better day if Williams hadn’t dropped a ball 20 yards downfield.
Rypien finished with 14 completions on 21 attempts for 137 yards in his first work as a starter this preseason.
QB Josh Johnson – B
The 36-year-old vet had another efficient outing. He completed 11 of his 14 pass attempts for 107 yards. He hit Jalen Virgil on 3rd & 11 and the receiver picked up 30 yards. He could’ve had another big-gainer if Dylan Parham held on.
There wasn’t much that was notable from Johnson’s game but he didn’t make many mistakes.
RB Mike Boone – A
The battle between Mike Boone and the Vikings defenders was even more lopsided than the battle between the mascots and the elementary school players at halftime.
Mike Boone did not belong on that field.
He bounced a run outside, changed the angle on the defenders on the edge of the defense with a jab step inside before accelerating to the corner, and then turned up the sideline for a 16-yard gain.
Then he did the opposite, pushing the edge and then cutting back inside before juking past a defensive back and brushing off a linebacker for a 15-yard gain.
He broke a pair of tackles on a swing pass behind the line of scrimmage and was able to turn the pass into a positive gain.
He was left one-on-one with a defender in the hole but easily picked up a 3rd & 1.
He finished the game with 44 yards on five carries and caught two passes for seven yards.
There was no doubt that Boone was the Broncos’ third running back this season, but the team may need to find a way to get him onto the field on Sundays.
RB JaQuan Hardy – B-
The second-year running back put together a hearty 16-yard run up the middle that he capped off with a hurdle. He also had a clean blitz pickup, but he missed the next one. Hardy ran for 23 yards on four carries and caught three passes for 17 yards.
RB Devine Ozigbo – B
The newest addition to the Broncos’ running back room got the most run. Ozigbo picked up 59 yards on 13 carries and caught four passes for 24 yards.
He’s got good burst up the middle and is a solid tackle-breaker. He cuts quickly and makes his blockers right. He’s a candidate for the practice squad.
FB Andrew Beck – B+
The Broncos’ fullback could be on the chopping block but he had a solid day against the Vikings.
He led the way on Montrell Washington’s end-around touchdown. He set the edge on Mike Boone’s 16-yard run. His best block of the day was probably on the first play of the game, when he chopped down a defender in the hole and opened a running lane for Boone to pick up six yards and get the Broncos out of the shadow of their own end zone. That play didn’t count, though, since the Broncos accepted an offsides call.
Beck should have had a catch, too, but Rypien sailed the ball over his head.
WR KJ Hamler – B+
The Broncos’ speediest receiver was solid in his 2022 debut.
He caught a couple of short passes, including one where he sat in a gap in the coverage in the middle of the field. Those are the areas that he needs to be able to take advantage of.
He was open down the field on a fourth down and might have been able to score but the quarterback checked down to Eric Tomlinson to ensure a conversion. He was also open 15 yards down the field on a separate occasion but pressure caused an errant throw.
He also had a block in the end zone on Montrell Washington’s touchdown that he sustained just long enough.
On Rypien’s interception, Hamler may have drifted downfield a little too much instead of cutting straight across the field at a 90-degree angle. The linebacker had an angle to undercut him and get a hand on the ball.
Hamler finished with three catches for 18 yards.
WR Montrell Washington – B+
The rookie scored on an 11-yard end around. The play was blocked well but Washington ran with great vision and he may not have gotten in without his speed and shiftiness.
Outside of that play, Washington was quiet. He didn’t catch a pass. His only target came on a deep hitch when he couldn’t get separation. He was a willing blocker, but there’s only so much he can do as a 170-pounder. His lone return only went four yards but he maximized the opportunity.
WR Jalen Virgil – B-
The rookie wide receiver’s final push for a roster spot got off to a slow start. He tried to field the opening kickoff a yard into the end zone but the ball bounced off his hands and out of bounds at the three-yard line. He had a solid day the rest of the way, though.
Virgil caught a contested pass just short of the sticks on a third-and-long. He made a triple move on another third-and-long and was able to convert it for a 30-yard gain. On a late-game catch, he was able to make a couple of defenders miss. The speedster looked shiftier than in previous outings.
He couldn’t bring in a catch at the sticks late on a 3rd & 5 when he was cracked in the back right when the ball got to him.
Virgil finished with four catches on five targets for 58 yards, which was second-best on the team.
WR Seth Williams – A-
The second-year receiver out of Auburn helped himself more than any other receiver on Saturday.
His 45-yard catch down the sideline was the headliner. He held onto a bobbled ball at the sticks despite the ball being behind him and a defender hitting him while he tried to hold on. His drop on a post 20 yards downfield before halftime was his only flaw.
Plus, Williams had a block at the second level that sprung Mike Boone’s 15-yard run.
He finished with a game-high 68 yards on four catches. He was targeted five times.
WR Kendall Hinton – C-
The Broncos’ third-year receiver didn’t get into the game until just before halftime and didn’t do much once he got in there. His only target came on a third down and he couldn’t hold onto the ball through contact.
TE Eric Tomlinson – B
The Alien caught a couple of balls on the first drive of the game. Both came on bootleg drag routes and the second converted a fourth down. He missed one block that shortened a run but he was solid throughout the game. He finished with two catches for 24 yards.
TE Eric Saubert – B
Eric Saubert did everything he was asked to do, but he wasn’t asked to do much.
He was clean blocking throughout the night. He sealed the edge on a Brett Rypien bootleg, which allowed the quarterback to find Seth Williams 45 yards downfield.
He caught a ball underneath and dragged two defenders for five steps to the sideline, so he could stop the clock at 1:08 left in the first half. He finished with two catches for 20 yards.
OL Luke Wattenberg – D+
The Broncos’ starting offensive line had its way with the Vikings defense but when something went wrong, the rookie was often to blame.
Mike Boone’s shortest run of the day ended because Wattenberg’s man slipped inside of him for the tackle. He missed the pickup on a stunt and allowed a pressure that forced an incompletion. There were a few blocks that he should have sustained a second longer.
Wattenberg also knocked a defender down on a screen, but the highlights are outnumbered by the mistakes. Those mistakes stood out more because of how well the line performed, so maybe this grade is too harsh.
RT Cam Fleming – A-
Fleming started at right tackle and put together a very solid performance. I didn’t see a single play that he missed. He handled the Vikings’ edge players with ease.
LT Calvin Anderson – A
The Broncos’ backup tackle was almost flawless when he was on the field on Saturday.
Plus, he set up JaQuan Hardy’s big run with a great block and set the edge on another big-gainer.
C Graham Glasgow – A
Once again, Graham Glasgow showed that he was better than the reserves he was going up against. Glasgow started at center and didn’t give up any sort of pressure. He helped create a couple of running lanes and he knocked down a defensive back hard on a screen pass.
Glasgow appears to be locked into a backup role, but he can’t be too far behind a couple of the starters.
LG Quinn Bailey – C+
The fourth-year lineman wasn’t the weak link for the Broncos but he didn’t help out much either. He was pushed around a little bit early on when he wasn’t helped by double teams but was stronger against the reserves. He was solid in pass protection.
