NFL Power Rankings, Preseason Week 1: Rookie QBs steal the show

Anytime a team wins a game 33-6, it’s a good thing. And when you’re a club coming off a rough season looking for momentum the way the Denver Broncos are this season, it’s even better.

Denver was playing against the Vikings’ backups but their offense — which has been a mess for years — was on fire. Drew Lock had 151 yards and two touchdowns on 5-of-7 passing including an 80-yard touchdown to K.J. Hamler.

He likely held off Teddy Bridgewater with this performance, but TBH20 was also solid with 74 yards on 7-of-8 passing with a score.

As good as they were, the defense was the key, holding Minnesota to just 79 yards passing. And as Jordan Lopez of Predominantly Orange says, rookie cornerback Patrick Surtain was one of the better players on that side of the ball for Denver.

"“Surtain did not disappoint in his debut for the Broncos and played exceptionally well. He physically looked bigger than the “average cornerback” and that is the unique part about him. George Paton and his team have to be ecstatic about what they saw today from the promising rookie.” — Lopez, Predominantly Orange"

Denver’s defense will likely be good again this season and the addition of Surtain only makes that more probable. But if the offense can fire on all cylinders the way they did in this first half, they could finally get back into the postseason. But for now, we still need to pump the brakes some and at least see them play against starters.