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We are wrapping up the 2022 preseason tonight with the Denver Broncos hosting the Minnesota Vikings. The game doesn’t matter to most fans, but to many of the players on the field this will be their last chance to make their case for the final 53-man roster.
Game preview
Going into this game, head coach Nathaniel Hackett decided to give Brett Rypien the start over veteran Josh Johnson. The key point of emphasis was consistency and the quarterback who shows the most of it will likely end up winning that backup job this season.
“Consistency,” Hackett said on Thursday. “Consistency is the big one. You want to be sure that they’re going out there, executing the plan, understanding when we want to change plays or keep the same play on, understanding the progressions and all those things, and making good decisions. To this point, they have made some pretty good decisions, so we want them to continually take care of the ball, also.”
When asked a follow up about Rypien specifically, Hackett elaborated on what he does that makes him a good candidate to win that job.
“Brett [Rypien] is one of those guys that when he has that perfect footwork, when he has a complete understanding of the play what he’s trying to accomplish, he’s unbelievably efficient,” Hackett explained. “I think we saw that this past game, and even the first game versus Dallas. He did do a lot of really good things with just the rhythm and the understanding of using your feet and your hitch to make you more accurate. He’s really bought into that. You can see that up to this point.”
While both quarterbacks have struggled and had ups and downs, the fact that Rypien is getting the start in this game certainly suggests that the competition is real and far from over. This is one battle we’ll want to pay attention to today.
Join us in the comments section below to talk Broncos-Vikings in the preseason finale.
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