The Broncos checked all the right boxes at the Hall of Fame Game

There is no doubt that this Denver Broncos team has some talented players on its roster. A future Hall-of-Famer, a great - and unbelievably underrated cornerback - and some second-year guys who could take the next step in 2019.

It’s also obvious that they are a better coached team than the previous seasons, and in Thursday’s game they appeared to be well prepared and and business-like in their play. The offense was far from great but that’s almost always the case at this point in the preseason and should be nothing to worry about in the long run. These are all things that should make us feel positive about the very early 2019 season and give us hope for the future.

Before the game against the Atlanta Falcons, we wrote that we wanted to see three things at the pre-preseason game in Canton, Ohio:

#1) Significant playing time for the starting Offensive Line.

#2) Drew Lock given a chance to sling it a bit.

#3) Fangio in control on the sideline.

We can check off these three with a big, green swoosh. Three of the O-line starters played multiple series with Kevin Hogan and looked quite good as a group, Lock didn’t look great but he was given the chance to toss it around in a not-so-vanilla offense and Fangio was a total boss on the sideline while suffering through a kidney stone (which is practically the male version of giving birth....ish).

In addition, the defense looked fantastic in the first two quarters and the depth on the D-line and on the edge looks great. The 2019 draft picks looked good overall and Noah Fant - if he can get in shape - looks like a monster on the field. Finally, winning is awesome.

Now, what do we want to see in the first real preseason “game” against Seattle, this upcoming Thursday? The three points this week are very similar to last and will likely be a trend for the entire preseason.

#1) Lock must improve. The guy is the hope of the franchise and he needs to improve in order to get more snaps in order to improve in order to get more....you get the point. He can’t be another Paxton Lynch and run away screaming at every sign of a blitz. It’s vitally important in the NFL that you either have a HOF QB or a cheap QB that allows you to spend money on other players around him. If Lock doesn’t grow as a player, this team is looking at more years of Flaccoesque band-aids and John Elway will have to ride off in disgrace into the....sunrise?...

#2) The Broncos defense needs to rough up Paxton Lynch. As we mention in the podcast - linked above - we NEVER want players to get injured! It doesn’t matter how much we dislike them on or off the field, injuries are purely negative. Always. That said, we hope that this really good defense puts the fear of Von into this doof’s head. Lynch just recently said how much better Seattle is and how great they treat him and how the Broncos were meanie heads during his time in the Mile High city where he couldn’t win the job against the likes of Trevor Siemien, Brock Osweiler and Case Keenum. I hope the Broncos take it personally and put the dude on his backside as often as humanly possible.

#3) The O-line, Joe Flacco and the receiving corp needs to show us something. They’ve been far from flashy in camp and if this team wants to even sniff .500 this season, someone needs to step up on offense. Maybe it’s Theo Riddick? Perhaps Emmanuel Sanders comes back fully health? Can Courtland Sutton step up and takes the number one spot? Noah Fant become the next big thing at Tight End? Whatever it is, something needs to change and hopefully we see signs of it in this next game against the Seahawks.

What do you want to see on Thursday? Tell us in the comments and be sure to listen to the Broncos and Bratwurst Podcast!