The defense played fantastic Friday night against the Seahawks. The starters did not let Seattle's starters move the ball much. They got to the QB often and seemed to always have tight coverage downfield. Von Miller only played a handful of plays, but on the second play of the game he had a strip sack on Russell Wilson. It was a nice glimpse of what to expect from him this season. Seattle was obviously not showing much, but the Broncos were also playing a vanilla defense. Blitzing is going to be a major part of this offense, but in the preseason, that type of play is limited. However, with a limited defensive game plan, they still played very well. At one point early in the second half, Seattle only had 7 total passing yards. They were able to consistently get to the quarterback, generating seven sacks. Malik Jackson had one with an unofficial assist from Shane Ray who forced Russell Wilson into Jackson. Jackson has a ton of potential in this new defense and he demonstrated just underrated he is in many national circles. Shaquil Barrett played like an absolute monster in this game. He had a sack and four tackles with an addition tackle for loss. He might have made the roster based on this game if he is able to play well in the remaining preseason games. Anuike was able to register a sack, hit the QB two more times and made 8 total tackles. He really boosted his prospects to make the final roster, especially since Wolfe is missing the first four games of the year. Speaking of Wolfe, he played well and I really wish he would be available for all 16 games because I believe he is going to be a much better player in the 3-4. Darius Kilgo registered a sack in the game as well as four other tackles and a TFL, which is nice to see from a rookie. He will likely make the roster with his good camp showing combined with his in game stuff. If he continues to improve he could become a part of the regular rotation at nose tackle.
I was hoping to see more from Todd Davis in this game. He had a good camp and showed promise in the action he saw last season. He only registered one tackle, but it did not look like he was exposed in the passing game, which is a good sign. Corey Nelson showed that he has the ability to be a good backup linebacker. He had a nice tackle for loss during the game and was around the ball on what seemed like every play. It does not look as if Lamin Barrow has improved much heading into his second season. He was not as impressive as the other linebackers in camp and he did not stand out during the game. I do think he will make the roster, but his future outside of a special teamer could be slipping away.
Chris Harris sat out this game and Aqib Talib only played for a little bit so Roby got plenty of action. He was not challenged much, but he did look good in coverage and I believe the Broncos have the best combination of three corners in the league. Curtis Marsh has bounced around the league since being drafted in 2011, but he played well and showed some promise. He played often due to Kayvon Webster missing the game. They will likely only keep five corners and with Harris, Talib, Roby and Webster all likely making the team, there is only one spot and Marsh put himself in a good spot after the game. Fifth-rounder Lorenzo Doss, played well and being a mid-round pick could elevate him above Marsh when it comes time to make roster decisions. Darian Stewart is replacing Rahim Moore and he had a solid game against Seattle. That is all the Broncos really need him to do in order to have a really good defense. Ross Madison had a very productive game and now has a legitimate chance to make the final roster. He had two pass defensed to go along with three tackles. His ability to cover is important for his chances to make the team.
Normally I would also write about the special teams here, but that will be in a different article considering how awful the showing was.
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