The Bears and Broncos will play in the preseason for the second time in two years. Both teams are looking to get the ball rolling after a disappointing 2017 season. Most NFL fans tend to see the preseason as a glorified countdown until the start of the regular season. As a result, they tend to watch the preseason from afar. Here are some reasons for Broncos fans to tune in on Saturday to see the Bears at Broncos preseason game.
Reasons For Broncos Fans To Watch Bears At Broncos 2018
1) Offense
The Broncos first team offense struggled last week against the Vikings in the only two series they played, each ending in a punt after a three and out. However, it’s practically impossible to draw any defining conclusions about the squad after only two series. This week, the first team will be given about a quarter and a half to settle into the game, which makes it easier to come to tentative conclusions.
While it seemed that the Broncos offense was simply outmatched against the Vikings last Saturday, the Bears will give the Broncos a fairer fight. Honestly, the remodeled Broncos offense should have been expected to come up short against one of the best defenses in the NFL. If the Broncos put drives together against the Bears, a defense that finished tenth overall in 2017, it should put Broncos fans at ease. The Bears and Broncos have been practicing together this week and it has been reported that Case Keenum has been picking apart the Bears secondary so it would be safe to expect a rebound from last week. It has been quite a while since an offensive explosion happened in Denver, and the possibility of one on Saturday is extremely intriguing.
2) Defense
Just the like the offense, the Broncos defense disappointedly wilted under the Kirk Cousins-led passing attack. Cousins went 4-4 and threw a touchdown to wide receiver Stefon Diggs. However, once again, the sample size was puny and fans shouldn’t jump to conclusions. This week’s matchup against the Bears looks to give a much larger sample size.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that star linebacker Von Miller did not play against the Vikings. Miller is expected to play this week although head coach Vance Joseph said as much last week. In the end, Broncos fans should get a better look at how the No-Fly-Zone will perform this year without star cornerback Aqib Talib.
3) Is A Shootout Brewing?
To restate, the Broncos offense was able to pick apart the Bears secondary during their joint-practices this week. On the other hand, it has been reported that the Bears have had a lot of success throwing to their tight-ends due to blown coverages. This pattern goes back to last year, where the Broncos defense gave up the 30th most fantasy points to opposing tight-ends.
Since both offenses can reportedly move the ball relatively easily, it seems that there could be a Mile-High shootout in the cards. It has been years since a shootout occurred in Denver, and that could make for an exciting game.
4) Is Chad Kelly The Real Deal?
For those that might have missed it, Chad Kelly has unseated Paxton Lynch as the backup quarterback. He played his first game of football in almost two years last week and exploded onto the scene. Kelly went off, throwing 14-21 for 177 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Lynch’s performance (6-11 for 24 yards and one interception), his lack of improvement and possible regression matched up with Kelly’s performance forced the Broncos to look his way.
It has been quite a while since an offensive explosion happened in Denver, and the possibility of one on Saturday is extremely intriguing.
As of right now, his performance last week showed that he has a honest chance to secure a future for himself in the NFL. That being said, he has to play well against the Bears to solidify his spot and stomp out the interest that the Broncos have in bringing in outside talent. Could this be the beginning of something great for Kelly?