The Denver Broncos had an impressive 27-7 preseason win over the Cardinals. Although both teams had their starters sit out, the Broncos’ defense was exceptional. The Cardinals (1-1) managed to convert only 2 of 13 third-down attempts. The spotlight stealer was Jarrett Stidham. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 240 yards and TDs of 27 and 17 yards to Troy Franklin before giving way to Sam Ehlinger in the second half.

“That was a pretty good half,” coach Sean Payton said at halftime. So, he must be satisfied with how the team performed, right? No, the coach had an issue with the pre-snap penalties. While speaking to the presser, the coach addressed these issues.

“There’s gonna be a lot of good things on the tape we like, and then that one area that has to get cleaned up with other penalties. And more importantly, the pre-snap penalties,” Payton summarized the game in his post-game conference. Now, Payton calling out the team for penalties, especially the pre-snap penalties, doesn’t come as a surprise. These pre-snap penalties are preventable and destructive for the game. For the Broncos, this has been a lingering issue for quite some time.

Payton noticed the same problem with pre-snap penalties in the preseason game against the 49ers. While the Broncos secured a 30-9 win, he stressed the penalties and urged that the team shouldn’t repeat these mistakes. After the game against the 49ers, he said, “There’s some mistakes that are going to happen. But it’s the pre-snap, it’s the illegal man downfield.”

He further added, “I thought we started slow. That was disappointing, both first units. So there will be a handful of stuff that we look at. There were a number of things that we’re going to have to improve on.” Payton knows the team can’t afford to repeat those same mistakes if the Super Bowl victory is their aim. But it happened again. So, it is understandable for the coach to address the issues early before celebrating the win against the Cardinals.

These risky penalties can cause trouble for the Broncos. With Payton’s warning in mind, the team will need to focus on avoiding these mistakes moving forward as they face the coach’s former team New Orleans Saints, in the final preseason game. He had several other issues, but as for now, the stress is on the penalties.

Apart from the team’s performance, the coach has also recently addressed the issue of roster cuts.

Sean Payton talks about the roster cuts

As big a hurdle as any other, the Broncos are suffering from the issue of an abundance of talented players on the roster. With too many good players fighting for a spot on the roster, the coach admitted that he has to make a tough decision this year. He admitted that the final decision won’t be easy, but he sees it as a good problem to have compared to where the team was two years ago.

When the coach joined the team, the franchise had invested a handsome amount in Russell Wilson, and that didn’t seem to work out. The roster is much stronger now, thanks to offseason moves and player development. This is something that Payton mentioned, too. But this pressure also shows that the Broncos are a better team now. “The talent level on this roster has got higher. That’s what makes these decisions harder, but it also makes us a better football team,” he said. 

There are some rumors, one of which is a possible trade for RB Jaleel McLaughlin, considering the running back room already includes J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie, and Blake Watson. Jordan Jackson is under the same pressure, with the Broncos already having six defensive linemen set, leaving him competing against Eyioma Uwazurike for the position. Ultimately, it’s up to the Broncos to make the decision.

However, this has been an impressive upgrade for a franchise that’s been searching for stability since the Peyton Manning era. Well, while the team and the coach support all the players and are rooting for everyone, there’s one thing that ultimately, the “bests” will remain, while the others will go on to different rosters.