DENVER — It's time to head home.
For the first time in the 2024 season, the Broncos will return to Empower Field at Mile High — and there's plenty to watch as they take on the Green Bay Packers at 6 p.m. MT on Sunday.
Quarterback Bo Nix will make his first — albeit unofficial — NFL start, and Denver's defense will look to continue its impressive performance from Friday's joint practice.
Denver will also have a chance to improve upon its performance in a 34-30 Week 1 preseason win against the Colts, and players on the roster bubble will be able push for spots on the 53-man roster.
As the Broncos head back home, here's a look at what to watch for on Sunday in Denver:
HOW DO DENVER'S QUARTERBACKS PERFORM?
Nix will make both his first start and his first appearance at Empower Field at Mile High, and he'll look to build upon a sharp performance during Friday's joint practice against the Packers. Nix completed 15-of-21 passes for 125 yards, one touchdown and a 102.3 quarterback rating in his preseason debut, and he said he's focused more on the job ahead rather than when Head Coach Sean Payton will name a starting quarterback.
"You just got to control the things that you can control," Nix said. "… There's a lot of other things on my plate that I got to worry about than that — whether to check a play or kill a play, what shade to run to, what coverage it is, or what blitz they're bringing or what protection I'm supposed to be in. So I've got to figure out all that before I worry about anything else. So far, I've been able to handle that, control it and things on the field. Whatever happens, happens."
Jarrett Stidham will lead the Broncos' offense in Phase II, and he said his focus will be on guiding scoring drives.
"I just want to go out there and score a lot of points, to be honest," Stidham said. "That's all I really care about."
And when Zach Wilson gets his chance in Phase III, he'll aim to show the increased comfort level that he believes he's developed during training camp.
"I think with each day of camp, I'm getting more and more consistent," Wilson said. "I think that comes with just feeling more and more confident in myself and my abilities. … I think I know where I can be, and I'm just going to keep working to get there."
CAN THE BRONCOS PLAY CLEANER?
Following the Broncos' win over the Colts, Payton pointed to penalties and turnovers as an area where Denver must be better.
The Broncos' first drive in Indianapolis was hampered by three penalties, and the team moved backward from the Indianapolis 29-yard line to its own 47-yard line.
Denver's second possession ended after a swing pass was bobbled and intercepted, and rookie running back Audric Estime later had the ball ripped away from his grasp and returned for a touchdown.
The Broncos also fumbled on three other occasions, as Lucas Krull lost a fumble on a catch and Nix and Wilson each had trouble with a snap.
"We had four fumbles," Payton said after the Colts game. "That has to be better. We talked about it coming into this game, this defense does a good job. They play a lot more zone coverage. They try to separate the ball from the receivers or runners, and so we're fortunate in that regards to still get the win."
As Denver moves toward the regular season, the team will need to play cleaner football. On Sunday against the Packers, the Broncos will get a chance to show that they've tightened up the operation.
WHO MAKES THEIR CASE FOR A ROSTER SPOT?
The roster cutdown deadline is set for Aug. 27, and there's still players pushing for a spot on Denver's 53-man roster.
Payton said Friday there were about 60 or 61 players in the mix for an active roster spot, and those players will get a chance to make their case again on Sunday against the Packers.
As Payton has noted, the competition for players is about more than just who currently plays for the Broncos.
"We talk [about this] all the time, you're not just competing with your position group," Payton said. "You're competing with the other 31 positions that you play. You go through this exercise. I would say there's nine or 10 spots I'm still looking at and [General Manger] George [Paton] is looking at. We're discussing. We have another game here to use. It's the second preseason game, so we still have a lot of time."
Among the Broncos' top competitions is the battle at the wide receiver position, and Payton believes Denver has quality players that could attract attention around the league.
"More than I can recall anywhere, the depth in competition at that position group — we potentially have guys that may end up playing for another team," Payton said Wednesday. "It's still early in the process. … These guys are working hard and it's a good problem to have."
