Editor’s note: Welcome into one of many, many BSN Denver observation pieces to come this offseason. A fan favorite in the past, these stories will be posted after each and every training camp practice. Who is standing out, who is lagging behind and who is looking like the favorite in each of the position battles? Those questions and many more will be answered right here.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos prepared for a football game on Thursday afternoon.

Let’s say this all together now, HALLELUJAH.

The football is getting more and more real, and Saturday will mark the last benchmark before the football is entirely real. Well, except for that weird stretch in the first few games of the season where nobody can really tackle because they don’t practice it anymore, but still.

During Thursday’s practice, the Broncos finally worked on some of their game plan for Saturday’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, and despite not wearing pads, actually had a very lively practice.

BSN Denver was on hand for the entirety of the session, here’s what we saw.

Getting Cray-Cray

It’s okay, I hate that sub-headline, too.

How locked in is River Cracraft? How about this?

After practice yesterday, the crafty slot receiver garnered big-time praise—and a nickname—from the team’s starting quarterback.

“You mean Cray-Cray?” Case Keenum asked. “He’s playing well. He’s doing really well. I like throwing him the ball. He’s a friendly target. He’s learning too. He’s learning the NFL game. I think you like having a guy like that; you can move him inside, outside, shifty. He’s got good separation at the top of his routes. And he’s learning too, just like a lot of those young guys. He’s continuing to grow; he’s watching the older guys, [WR] Emmanuel [Sanders], and watching what those guys do and trying to emulate some of that.”

But when we asked him today how he felt about the new nickname appointed by the leader of the team, he hadn’t even heard about it.

That may seem small, but it tells you something that can’t be said about every player—he’s not listening to his own hype, he’s not reading his press clippings, he’s not searching his name on Twitter. He’s 100 percent locked in on football.

The guy is a coach’s dream. First player on the field every day—seriously—and one of the last one off of the field. Constantly getting it right during drills and taking direction from those advising him, poised to contribute on special teams. It’s going to be really hard to keep River Cracraft off of this football team.

On Thursday, he backed up Wednesday’s strong performance with an even better one.

Cracraft got things going on the day with what eventually became the play of the day (see below) but kept things going throughout, hauling in a plethora of catches, many of which coming from Case Keenum (hint hint).

About halfway through the session, working in the red zone, Keenum found Cracraft, who had managed some space in the back of the end zone and delivered a dart which Cracraft pulled in and kept his feet inbounds for the touchdown.

Later, the second-year receiver struck again with one of the longest plays of the day. With the offense lined up on the 50, Keenum snapped the ball, and No. 15 took off down the middle of the field with Bradley Roby in coverage. In what may have been an ill-advised throw if it weren’t for the result, Keenum uncorked the ball for Cracraft with safety Darian Stewart making his way over to help Roby. But when the ball arrived, it was perfectly in between Stewart and Roby and right into the hands of Cracraft, who took it the final 15 yards for the score.

Cracraft continues to make plays and also continues to build nice chemistry with Case Keenum any time he gets a chance with the ones. Let’s not rush to judgment, but River is rapidly rising above the reservoir of receivers around him.

Philling the Stat Sheet

Phillip Lindsay continues to build his case for making this football team and, unlike most construction, this build is moving along very nicely.

On Thursday, the speedy back got a heavy dose of work with the first team, starting in the early goings of practice and continuing throughout.

The University of Colorado product, who draws loud roars from the fans every time he makes a play, had a couple of very nice runs on the day and continued to display that his skillset is something very different from anything else Denver has on the roster, a huge asset for the undrafted prospect.

His speed obviously stands out from the get-go, but what he’s proven throughout camp is that he is easily the team’s best receiver coming out of the backfield. His routes are strong for a back and his hand are surprisingly soft considering he’s so compact.

On Thursday, No. 2 took a screen pass to the house from inside the red zone—something that we’re getting used to saying—and made a very nice catch on the sidelines after a quarterback scramble.

Listed as the team’s starting kick returner already, Lindsay may be a good preseason game away from locking up his spot.

What to Expect on Saturday

After practice, head coach Vance Joseph gave us a bit of a preview of what we can expect his playing-time formula to be on Saturday.

“The first team will get two series max,” he said. “Obviously, things happen on game day, but two series max. After that, we’ll go with our twos, hopefully through the first half until probably the middle of the third quarter. We’ll give our threes probably a chance to play third quarter to fourth. It’s going to be some guys that mix in with the twos and mix in with the threes. It’s a fluid thing.”

• After only playing in the third preseason game last year, Von Miller will play.
  • “He’s totally healthy, he’s had a great camp, and we have no reason not to play Von. Von is in good health and good spirits, so why not?”
• Devontae Booker and Royce Freeman will split the first-team reps, but after that, all five running backs will split carries.
• Su’a Cravens (knee), Jeff Heuerman (knee) and Menelik Watson (pec) have all been ruled out of Saturday’s game.
• Joseph Jones, Tramaine Brock and Clinton McDonald are all game-time decisions.
• Both Jared Veldheer and Ron Leary will play with the first team after being limited most of the offseason with injuries.
• Jake Butt will get the first-team reps at tight end with Jeff Heuerman out.
• Joseph was non-committal when it comes to how the second and third-team reps will be split between Lynch and Kelly.
  • “We’ll see. It’s going to be based on quarters, and again, it’s going to be some of the offensive linemen playing the twos and threes, same with the receivers. It’s hard to say after the first group leaves who’s twos and threes. It’s our best group that’s going to be on the field. That could happen.”

Play of the Day

Back to River Cracraft.

On one of the first reps of the day with the second team, Cracraft lined up in the left slot and took off on what looked to be about a 15-yard in. With quarterback Paxton Lynch flushed from the pocket, he scrambled right and saw Cracraft streaking across the field the same way. With lovely touch, Lynch lobbed a pass up over the defense. When it arrived a little deep, the Washington State product reached out with only his left hand and snagged the ball with ease. A truly beautiful catch.

Other Notes

• Courtland Sutton had a nice response to what looked to be his worst practice of camp on Wednesday. He would have had another play of the day with a one-handed Mossing of Issac Yiadom in the end zone, but Yiadom pushed him just barely out of bounds to force an incompletion,
• Wide receiver John Diarse had his best practice of camp, hauling in two touchdowns, including a 50-yarder from Case Keenum.
• Wide receiver Jordan Leslie has strung together two nice days of practice. He looks like a prime candidate for the practice squad.
• On a handoff to Devontae Booker early in practice, Von Miller played matador to Garrett Bulls—sorry, Bolles—and met Booker at the handoff for what would have resulted in a five-yard loss. It was sorcery from No. 58.
• DeMarcus Walker had a nice day with a sack and a pressure that likely would have resulted in a holding call for Ron Leary.
• Early in practice, Chriss Harris Jr. snagged the fourth interception of camp for Keenum on a nice play going back against his momentum to gather the tipped ball.
• Vance Joseph said there are no new updates on Carlos Henderson’s situation.

Injury and Availability Notes

• After taking a helmet to the sternum during practice yesterday, Todd Davis was back on the field today.
• After leaving the field during practice holding his right arm on Wednesday. Isaiah McKenzie was back on the field Thursday and even caught a touchdown.
• Tramaine Brock worked with the team for individual drills but not any team drills.
• Troy Fumagalli (groin), Jeff Heuerman (knee), Joseph Jones (foot) and Su’a Cravens (knee), Clinton McDonald (shoulder), Menelik Watson (pec) and Domata Peko (rest) did not practice.