ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Sometimes, Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett’s shortest answers in a news conference are his best answers.
Exhibit A came minutes after the Buffalo Bills’ 42-15 preseason shellacking of the Broncos on Saturday.
“You (allow) six touchdowns on six drives, obviously nobody did good,” Hackett said.
Bingo.
The Broncos’ second- and third-team defenses resembled a turnstile and the offense was spinning its wheels against all three levels of the Bills’ depth chart, not so much creating a panic about the season, but creating concern over the team’s ability to withstand the inevitable injuries.
If the Broncos start the regular season 2-0 with wins at Seattle and against Houston, this game of course won’t even be a footnote. All will be forgotten and all will be well. But if multiple backup players on offense or defense are summoned into big roles … uh-oh.
“We definitely have a lot to clean up,” said Baron Browning, who started at outside linebacker. “Obviously, we need to work on tackling.”
The Broncos sat out 28 players and the Bills only 13. It showed.
The Broncos didn’t play quarterback Russell Wilson and receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, and the Bills played quarterback Josh Allen and receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. It showed.
“We need to do a better job,” said outside linebacker Malik Reed, who along with defensive end DeShawn Williams were the only two starters on defense to play. “We didn’t execute how we wanted to and what we practiced for.”
The 42 points allowed by the Broncos was tied for the fourth-most in their preseason game history, behind 52 (by Oakland in 1966), 49 (by Oakland in ’60) and 43 (by San Francisco in ’73).
The Bills had 32 first downs, completed 26 of 29 passes and totaled 510 yards.
The Broncos had 18 first downs, averaged a measly 1.9 yards per rush attempt and second-team quarterback Josh Johnson was 8-of-16 passing.
A deep breath is required, but does general manager George Paton and his personnel department need to devote even more time this week planning for the final cutdown (80 to 53 players) and waiver additions? Does Hackett and his staff have to shuffle the decks in practice and give a promising third-team player a bigger opportunity?
“It doesn’t count, but in the end, you get to evaluate all of your guys,” Hackett said.
The initial evaluation was positive.
The Broncos moved 64 yards over 12 plays to open the game, including a 19-yard catch by rookie receiver Montrell Washington to convert a third-and-8. The possession stalled at the Bills’ 15 and Brandon McManus kicked a 33-yard field goal.
“After that, it wasn’t very good,” Hackett said.
No, it wasn’t.
Allen’s only drive included completions of 10 (to Isaiah McKenzie), seven (to Diggs) and, after shuffling around the pocket, 30 yards (to Davis for a touchdown).
Allen’s day was done … and the Broncos’ problems were only mounting.
After the opening possession, Johnson’s possessions finished in punt, field goal and punt.
And when Case Keenum replaced Allen, the Bills had touchdown drives of 80, 78 and 80 yards to lead 28-6 at halftime. The Bills added touchdown drives of 80 and 73 yards in the third quarter.
The Bills averaged 7.7 yards per carry.
“When you’re getting moved (back) at the line of scrimmage and those (running) backs aren’t touched until later, it’s hard to be able to stop them so we have to be better with the run game on defense,” Hackett said.
The Broncos are expected to again sit their starters Saturday against Minnesota, a final chance for the reserves to make a case for sticking around.
“It’s great for us to learn,” Johnson said. “We got to go against a team that went to the (playoffs last year). We’ll have some good film to learn from.”
