In their first preseason action of the season, the Denver Broncos defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34-30 on the road. There are a handful of takeaways from today’s game, so let’s get right to it and discuss the instant reactions from the Broncos’ victory.

Jarrett Stidham looked like a backup quarterback

Jarrett Stidham got the nod as the starter for today’s game and saw 11 total snaps with the first-team offense. After back-to-back first down throws to Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick, things were looking good for the offense early on.

Alas, despite moving the ball decently on their first two drives, four penalties and a Samaje Perine bobble that led to an interception halted their progress. Preseason games are a good way to get the early jitters out, but it was disappointing to see a lack of discipline offensively with the false starts and holding penalties.

Got the W ✅#DENvsIND pic.twitter.com/0w8yZvwkGB

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 11, 2024

Stidham completed 4 of 7 attempts for 37 yards and an interception. While his first two throws to Sutton and Patrick were superb, the rest of his attempts were mostly checkdowns. I’d have liked to see more aggressiveness from Stidham considering he is in a competition for the starting job.

However, after Bo Nix’s performance today, I think it’s probably safe to say Stidham will be the backup for the franchise in 2024. So, let’s talk about how Nix impressed this afternoon.

Bo Nix was impressive and aggressive in preseason debut

In his first drive with the first-team offensive line and skill position players, Bo Nix went 2-for-6 with 33 yards. What I liked most from Nix in his first possession was his aggressiveness moving the ball down the field. And while it didn’t convert to points on the board, his throw to Josh Reynolds in the corner end zone was perfect and should have been a touchdown. The Broncos were able to get three points on a Wil Lutz field goal.

On his second drive, Nix connected went 3-for-3 for 11 yards through the air and led them on a 10-play drive that went for 56 yards. It was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims. Nix’s decisiveness was on display—as well as his ability to move the ball on the ground as a runner—with two carries for 17 yards.

Changing pre-snap protections, being aggressive down the field, making smart decisions with the football—a lot to like about Bo Nix's first half performance with the #Broncos.

— Christopher Hart (@topherhart) August 11, 2024

His third drive was short lived after Lucas Krull fumbled the ball after a reception, but the Broncos followed that up with an interception. Subsequently, he took the reins for a fourth drive with a minute to go in the first half. On third-and-eight, Nix launched one down the field to Devaugh Vele who was interfered with. They couldn’t get a touchdown but notched another three points with a 27-yard Lutz field goal. With Nix at the helm, the Broncos scored 13 first half points.

On top of that, the Broncos were able to secure a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half courtesy of a two-yard Audric Estime run. Like the first touchdown drive, it too went for 10-plays and 56 yards. Overall, the Broncos scored on four of five drives with Nix leading the way—the only exception being the aforementioned third drive where Krull fumbled.

Nix secured a final state line of 15-for-21 for 121 yards and 1 touchdown. He added 17 yards on three rushes on the ground. I thought he played well in his first action in the National Football League. I liked the way he spread the ball around to various receivers, his poise in the pocket, ability to extend plays out of the pocket, and how comfortable he looked even playing behind the second-string offensive line. He wasn’t sacked once in 21 passing attempts.

Oh—and they didn’t have any three-and-outs with him out there. That’s huge! There is no doubt in my mind he is the opening day starter for the Broncos.

Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix in his first preseason game vs. the Colts:

🏈15-of-21
🏈125 passing yards
🏈1 TD
🏈Four scoring drives for two TDs and two field goals.

Nix is scheduled to start Denver’s second preseason game. pic.twitter.com/kFq8AUUAjj

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2024

Broncos’ defensive performance had good and bad elements

The Broncos had Brandon Jones and Patrick Surtain II sit out in their secondary for today’s game. Additionally, veterans John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen didn’t suit up on the defensive line. With respect to the latter, the Broncos’ run defense was strong in the first half even without Franklin-Myers and Allen being absent from the field. In the first half, the Colts only had 26 yards on 13 carries. They only had 64 rushing yards all game long. That’s the good takeaway for the defense.

The bad? One concern was the team’s pass rush and Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph’s heavy utilization of the blitz. Denver wasn’t able to get home on a lot of them which resulted in the Colts being able to convert on several third downs. I felt the Broncos struggled to cover running backs in the flats and had issues on stopping short throws to receivers. That’s definitely something they will work on before the regular season begins.

Broncos’ rushing attack was a force in victory over Colts

I lost count at how many times the Broncos ran the crack-back toss against the Colts, but it was quite effective. It certainly appears it will be a focal play of their rushing attack this year. The team had three rushing touchdowns on the day and as a whole accumulated 131 yards on the ground. A strong running attack will be a crucial element for the offense’s success in 2024.

Penalties and turnovers were big issues for the Broncos

If there is one thing Head Coach Sean Payton will be fuming about after today’s performance, it would be the penalties and turnovers. Three turnovers led to a good portion of the Colts’ point total. There were a handful of other fumbles that the Broncos recovered. Moreover, the six penalties stalled drives that had scoring potential. It’s just the first preseason game, but this is something that will have to be corrected moving forward if the Broncos want to be competitive this season.