What might have been overlooked in the Broncos’ loss to the Seahawks

There are many ways to break down the film over what happened that fateful day in Seattle when Paxton Lynch ran wild and had the best day of his NFL career. The Broncos may have lost the game 22-14, but there were some sneaky artifacts Denver fans might have uncovered if they were watching the game closely.

1. George Aston becomes a centerpiece of preseason attention now that Andy Janovich is shelved for six-to-eight weeks with a balky pectoral muscle.

There is no doubt Janovich was a key component in the Broncos rushing machine, setting up lead blocks for their most talented playmakers. Janovich came up with a monster block to spring Royce Freeman for his 50-yard run.

Aston played admirably in Jano’s absence, and Denver will need him to step into huge shoes if Janovich is forced to miss considerable time.

2. Isaac Yiadom is much-improved and De’Vante Bausby could be a sight for sore eyes in the Denver secondary.

Yiadom and Bausby are taking advantage of Bryce Callahan’s missed time at corner. Yiadom shined opposite Chris Harris Jr. on a few plays and really is coming along well after drawing the ire of Broncos fans on a number of occasions in 2018.

Bausby brings intensity and swagger, and isn’t afraid to mix it up if it means making a big play or a much-needed stop. Inconsistency will haunt Bausby, who is making the transition from playing in the Alliance of American Football this Spring, but he could make some key stops Denver has been looking for out of their depth corners for years.

3. The Seahawks are establishing an identity at quarterback. The Broncos are still unsure.

In the Broncos preseason game against the Seahawks, it was clear what direction Seattle was headed in with Russell Wilson, Geno Smith and Paxton Lynch at the helm.

Things didn’t look so smooth for the Denver quarterbacks. Joe Flacco missed Courtland Sutton with a touchdown pass and the Broncos had to settle for a field goal after a promising first drive, and Kevin Hogan couldn’t get the timing right with his new weapon Theo Riddick or his tight end Troy Fumagalli.

Drew Lock looked improved, however, as he connected with Fumagalli, Trinity Benson and Juwann Winfree among others on some crisp routes and key first-downs. Lock made some errors that should be correctable by Fangio & Co, but overall Lock is improving and Broncos fans have to be encouraged.

4. With Fort going down, Nick Williams will make a case for Fangio to keep six wide receivers.

Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick are making the 53-man roster at this point, which only leaves one, maybe two, spots left for this talented group of Broncos receivers to snatch up.

A name that kept popping up was Nick Williams, the speedy veteran Denver scooped up after dealing with a rash of injuries to begin camp. Scangarello is familiar with Williams from his days in Atlanta, and Williams’ special teams background could help him nail down a roster spot.

With Williams pushing hard for a roster spot it’s up to Trinity Benson, Brendan Langley, JuWann Winfree and River Cracraft to show head coach Vic Fangio that keeping six wide receivers around wouldn’t be a bad idea as Flacco, Hogan and Lock desperately search for a safety valve.