Training camp 2024 is officially in the books, Denver Broncos fans. The team’s joint practice on Friday was its last training camp session; from now on, it’s just practice. I had the good fortune to get to see Friday’s joint session against the Green Bay Packers live and in person, and I’ll give my thoughts below!
Quarterback Battle
Obviously, the most important question of the day is how the quarterbacks performed. Broncos rookie Bo Nix got the most time with the No. 1 offense today, and played very well in move-the-ball periods. Nix looks like he is continuing to inch closer to the starter’s job, and had a nice touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett in red zone work.
Bo Nix perfect ball to Phillip Dorsett for the touchdown. pic.twitter.com/mHUmOl1Tjf
— Jake Goetz (@broncosnews303) August 16, 2024
All of the quarterbacks played well today, but Nix continued to stand out. If he plays as well on Sunday as he did in Friday's practice, his ascension to the starting role is all but assured. The intriguing battle on the team may now be for the No. 2 spot; Zach Wilson is continuing to stack strong performances, and may end up edging out Stidham for the backup role before the season starts.
Defense Dominates
During move-the-ball and red zone periods, the Broncos defense stood strong against the Packers. P.J. Locke, Riley Moss and Patrick Surtain II all broke up passes from Jordan Love, and did not allow the offense to score a touchdown. Nik Bonitto notched multiple pressures throughout the day, as well.
It’s tough to say from one joint practice, but there continue to be encouraging signs that the Broncos’ run defense will be much improved from 2023. That will help the team immensely, especially given that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has historically shown his most creative stuff in third-and-long situations.
Compete, Compete, Compete
My biggest overall takeaway was how competitive the team as a whole looked against a squad that won a playoff game in 2023. The Broncos never backed down from the Packers, and looked like the superior team at times. It was a far cry from 2023, when reports from the team’s joint practice against the Los Angeles Rams were discouraging indeed.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton has stressed the need to be competitive in every aspect to his team, and it looks like players are buying in. The Broncos are likely to surprise pundits who expect them to be bottom-dwellers in the NFL this season, if this joint practice was any indication.
