DENVER — There’s by no means a foul time to win.
The Broncos did so convincingly on Sunday, as they closed the preseason with a 38-12 win over the Cardinals to wrap up an undefeated preseason.
“I mentioned to [the team] afterwards, ‘Do not ever get uninterested in the way it feels to win,'” Head Coach Sean Payton mentioned. “Granted, we’re substituting teams and we’re needing to get teams evaluated, and but we nonetheless wish to win. I felt the vitality. … That a part of it is encouraging.”
Punctuated by a 94-yard pick-six by undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey, the Broncos by no means trailed of their win over the Cardinals.
“I appreciated the vitality once more,” Payton mentioned. “I assumed even the fellows that weren’t essentially taking part in have been into the sport. That’s encouraging. You possibly can decide any quantity, and it’ll form of provide the stat line. If you rating on protection, you will have some success. I feel we had two takeaways, and we protected the ball. So, general, I used to be happy with how we completed this preseason. We’ll get plenty of movie look on some guys, after which we start that course of the subsequent two days relative to the roster.”
Quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson have been among the many gamers who impressed Payton with their performances.
“Each these guys regarded good,” Payton mentioned.
Stidham received the beginning and performed only one collection, as he led Denver on a 10-play, 55-yard landing drive. The defining play got here on fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 32-yard line, as Stidham discovered rookie Devaughn Vele in the midst of the sector for a 14-yard completion that moved the chains. Operating again Audric Estime, who totaled 32 scrimmage yards on the drive, plunged in from three yards out for the opening landing.
“I knew coming into it, if I went down and scored on the primary drive I might most likely be performed,” Stidham mentioned. “Actually pleased with the fellows placing it in there after the [Cardinals’] missed area objective. It was nice.”
Wilson then got here on in aid and led three landing drives over the rest of the sport. His first scoring drive was jump-started by a 21-yard scramble through which he dove ahead for the primary down after going through a second-and-20. Wilson added passes for twenty-four yards to David Sills, 19 yards to Nate Adkins and 14 yards to Sills earlier than he discovered an open Adkins for a 1-yard landing.
Within the third quarter, Wilson launched a deep cross to Brandon Johnson for a 37-yard achieve that arrange a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
Wilson’s greatest cross, although, might have come late within the recreation. With simply over six minutes to play, Wilson dropped a 46-yard rainbow in to Johnson proper earlier than the defender arrived to attempt to break up the cross. Johnson skated into the top zone for Wilson’s second landing cross of the afternoon.