ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Denver Broncos’ starting defense has no trouble keeping track of the touchdowns it has surrendered this preseason, and it's not just because in two of the first three games they did little more than make a cameo appearance.
It's because there haven't been any. In two of the games – the 22-0 victory in Chicago and Saturday night’s 17-9 win over the Los Angeles Rams – the Broncos didn’t surrender any touchdowns. So, after the win over the Rams, linebacker Brandon Marshall cut to the proverbial chase.
“The starting defense hasn’t given up any touchdowns,’’ he said. “This is the second game in preseason that we didn’t give up a touchdown at all. I think our defense is good. Our pass-rushers are good and I think we have a chance to be something special.’’
The Bears had 18 yards combined on their first four possessions in the preseason opener, the San Francisco 49ers' starting offense had to punt twice and the Rams had three field goals this past Saturday night. In roughly a half of work for most of the Broncos’ defensive starters, the Rams were forced to punt on their first two possessions before the three field-goal drives. That included the time when the Broncos failed to convert a fourth-and-1 and gave the Rams the ball on the Broncos’ 44-yard line.
“That’s what we go out there and try to do every game,’’ said linebacker Shane Ray. "We don’t want any team to put points on us. We want to try to stuff teams every time they get the ball. It doesn’t matter how long we’re on the field or how many times we get put back out there, we going to do our job. That’s what we continue to do and that’s what makes us who we are.’’
The Broncos' starters on both sides of the ball are largely finished in the preseason – most, perhaps all, are not expected to play in Thursday night’s finale in Arizona. So the defense's next challenge will be Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, the league’s reigning MVP, in a Super Bowl 50 rematch in the regular-season opener on Sept. 8.
But the Broncos have seen the kind of signs they were looking for. After three preseason games they lead the NFL in sacks with 14; linebacker Von Miller, who had played just 10 plays before Saturday night, got his first sack against the Rams. Overall, opponents have converted just 24.4 percent on third down -- 10-of-41 in the three games. The Rams were 1-of-10 at one point Saturday night.
“I feel good,’’ Miller said. “I feel better than I’ve ever felt before in my conditioning with the speed of the game. I’m feeling comfortable out there and I’m ready to go back to the regular season.’’
If there were any red flags waving, however slightly, the Broncos' reserves did have some bouts with missed tackles, especially on Terrence Magee’s 73-yard run Saturday night. Those same reserves then forced three incomplete passes, to go with a sack by Sadat Sulleyman, to get the ball back on downs for the Broncos’ offense.
“I think we have a great grasp of all the concepts now,’’ said cornerback Aqib Talib, whose night against the Rams ended after a penalty for hitting quarterback Case Keenum out of bounds. “Last year a couple of our zone blitzes, we were up in the air the whole year. In a couple of our third-down calls, we were up in the air the whole year. I feel like as a defense and as a team, we have a great grasp of all our calls.’’