Kiszla: Is watching Broncos rookie QB throw the football as painful as passing a kidney stone? By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post August 2, 2019

Watching Broncos rookie Drew Lock throw a football against NFL competition might not be as painful as passing a kidney stone. But it’s close.

Yes, Lock might take over as the team’s starting quarterback one of these years. But that year won’t be 2019, unless veteran gets hurt. Is Lock the QB of the future in Denver? It’s way too early to say no. But he’s nowhere near ready to effectively operate a pro offense right now.

While a game that doesn’t count in the standings can never provide anything more than an incomplete grade, what was revealed about Lock in the Hall of Fame game reinforced what Denver coaches have already seen on the practice field.

“I was hoping for more, but not surprised,” said Broncos coach , evaluating Lock after a 14-10 Denver victory against Atlanta. “He’s still got a lot of work to do. I thought his accuracy wasn’t clean all the time, along with his reads. But it’s to be expected. We’ve got four more (preseason) games. We’ve got to get him ready, more ready than he is right now.”

At age 22, the rookie quarterback from Missouri is a project, not a wunderkind. The Broncos have not found their .

After waiting 60 years to become a head coach at any level, nothing was going to stop Fangio from leading the Broncos onto the field. Battling a kidney stone that refused to pass, Fangio got out of a hospital bed to do it. It’s as close to the agony of childbirth a man can experience. So sympathy to Fangio. But his stubborn refusal to take a sick day only adds to the shot-and-a-beer aura of Uncle Vic.

The reasons Lock fell out of the first round in this year’s draft are becoming more obvious. As a quarterback, he is so raw it frequently hurts to watch. OK, it’s not kidney stone painful. But it’s painful enough for any Broncomaniac to grab a beer out of the fridge for medicinal purposes.

After entering the Denver huddle early in the second quarter, Lock stood in the pocket on third down, needing a manageable 7 yards to move the sticks. He looked to the left flat, his eyes fooling nobody on the Atlanta defense, and aimed a pass in the direction of teammate Steven Dunbar Jr. Instead of throwing a strike, Lock’s throw was an waiting to happen, and a turnover was avoided only because Falcons cornerback Jordan Miller dropped the ball.

Lock took a delay of game penalty following an Atlanta timeout. He scrambled at any hint of trouble, which was a reminder of none of us needed. His every move suggested a dancer too busy thinking about the steps to get out of his own way to let the rhythm flow. Against the Falcons, he never sniffed anything close to a scoring drive.

Way back in 2016, when knuckleheads like me held out hope Lynch might be somebody in this league, his first preseason action produced this stat line: Six completions in seven attempts, for 74 yards and three sacks.

In his pro debut, these were Lock’s results: seven completions in 11 attempts, for 34 yards and two sacks. In a small sample size, his QB rating was 68.0, a failing grade, for those of you keeping score at home.

Now is this a fair comparison? Maybe not, as the offensive line in front of him was shaky, at best. But it’s another indicator Lock has much work to do before he can be considered a solid NFL backup, much less a legitimate threat to supplant Flacco as the starter.

Bottom line: The Broncos better hope is correct, and Flacco really is a QB in his prime.

Broncos score early, late to defeat Atlanta in preseason opener By Ryan O’Halloran The Denver Post August 2, 2019

Overthrows and penalties. Muffed punts and missed blocks. Dropped passes and more penalties.

The expectations for an NFL preseason opener are never high … and the Broncos and showed why in Thursday night’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

The Broncos scored first and last, winning 14-10 before 20,802 fans. On fourth down from the Falcons’ 15, ’s pass into the end zone was deflected but caught by receiver with 1:26 remaining to secure the win.

“That was really Juwann making a play and me trying to let him go up and make one,” Rypien said. “It’s a play we look for our best 1-on-1 matchup and he did a great job.”

BOX SCORE: Falcons 10, Broncos 7

Coach Vic Fangio was on the sideline for the duration despite a visit earlier in the day to a Cleveland hospital because of a kidney stone.

Fangio said not coaching, “was never in question, really. There was a 20- or 40-minute time period where I didn’t know if I would make it (to the game).”

Only six Broncos who are projected Week 1 starters played: Tight end Jeff Heuerman (into the second quarter), nose tackle , defensive end Adam Gotsis and three offensive linemen — center Connor McGovern, left guard and left tackle .

The lineup should look a lot different next Thursday in Seattle when the starters play multiple possessions. The Broncos will have Friday and Saturday off before three consecutive days of practice.

As expected, there will be much to work on.

Brendan Langley fumbled away a punt when he charged up-field to make the catch. The second-unit offensive line allowed several pressures by not picking up Atlanta’s stunt looks. And rookie quarterback Drew Lock underwhelmed after entering the game in the second quarter (7 of 11 for 34 yards).

The positives included Risner getting his first exposure to NFL action. Rookie running back Devontae Jackson showed good burst on offense and kick returns. DeMarcus Walker, fighting for a roster spot, had a first-half sack. And Fangio came through on his early-week guarantee and challenged a defensive pass interference call against the Broncos (the call stood).

Kevin Hogan started and played the first three series. The Broncos started three-and-out and began the second possession at their 49-yard line thanks to a 16-yard punt return by Kelvin McKnight. The drive started with a drop by tight end (he later had a penalty). But Fant caught a seven- yard pass to convert a third-and-5. On the next play, Fred Brown caught Hogan’s pass for 15 yards. A defensive penalty on the Falcons turned a third-and-goal from the 7 into a first-and-goal from the 3 and running back Khalfani Muhammad capped the possession with a rushing .

Hogan departed late in the first quarter, completing 5 of 8 passes for 37 yards. Not great, but probably efficient enough to enter next week as the backup quarterback leader.

Lock’s first series was a three-and-out — he slightly overshot Fant down the right sideline on second down. His second series was aided by a third-down penalty on the Falcons when they hit Lock as he was sliding. On the next play, Lock looked comfortable on a bootleg to the right before throwing 12 yards to receiver Nick Williams. But the drive stalled when Lock was sacked on consecutive plays (total loss of 15 yards).

Lock’s third drive — the final one of the first half — was stalled by a delay of game (usually inexcusable) coming out of a timeout (completely inexcusable).

The Falcons tied it at 7 with an eight-play, 61-yard drive. Quarterback Kurt Benkert scrambled for 17 yards to convert a second-and-10. Benkert then had completions of 27, 17 and 16 yards in a span of four plays. He capped the march with a one-yard touchdown throw to wide open running back Brian Hill in the left flat.

The Broncos were outgained 137-89 in the first half.

The Falcons took a 10-7 lead on Giorgio Tavecchio’s 27-yard field goal with 4:30 left in the third quarter.

With 5:21 left, Atlanta quarterback ’s pass was intercepted by Trey Johnson at the Falcons’ 38. Schaub started and was back on the field because of Benkert’s toe injury. The Broncos converted a fourth-and-10 via Falcons pass interference penalty (14 yards). Two plays later, Muhammad turned a short pass into an 11-yard gain (to the Atlanta 11). The Rypien-to-Winfree touchdown came a play after McKnight’s fourth-down conversion catch was negated by penalty.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio coaches Thursday after being treated for kidney stone By Ryan O’Halloran and Kyle Fredrickson The Denver Post August 2, 2019

A kidney stone couldn’t keep Vic Fangio from making his head-coaching debut in his 33rd NFL season.

Fangio, 60, was taken to a Cleveland hospital on Thursday morning by a Broncos team physician. Shortly before 5 p.m. Eastern time, the Broncos announced that Fangio would coach in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Broncos’ team buses arrived at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium via police escort in two waves. The first set of buses featured mostly players and support staff.

At 5:50 p.m. local time, the second set of buses arrived and Fangio walked down the tunnel into the bowels of the stadium, acknowledging two reporters as he headed to the locker room. NBC sideline reporter Michele Tafoya said pregame that Fangio had still not passed the stone prior to kickoff.

Fangio coached the entire game from the sideline and addressed his kidney stone with reporters after the Broncos’ 14-10 victory.

“I went to sleep last night and about 1 o’clock had some pain that woke me up,” he said. “I thought it was an upset stomach. I was able to fall back to sleep for another hour or so and woke up again. I knew it wasn’t an upset stomach. I hung around until the meetings were over (today) and then we went and got it checked out. The guys guessed that’s what it was and they were right.”

Fangio said he had one previous kidney stone episode.

Asked about not coaching in the game, Fangio said: “That was never in question, really,” but added there was a timeframe of 20 t 40 minutes where his game status was in doubt.

During the game, Fangio said the discomfort “wasn’t too bad. By the time I left the hospital, things were under control. It (had) done most of its traveling by the time I left there, if you know anything about kidney stones.”

Broncos expected to sign veteran running back Theo Riddick, source says By Ryan O’Halloran The Denver Post August 2, 2019

The Broncos are expected to sign veteran running back Theo Riddick, a league source confirmed Thursday.

When he signs, Riddick instantly becomes the favorite to be the Broncos’ third-down back, supplanting Devontae Booker. Riddick, who also drew interest from the , visited the Broncos’ complex on Monday.

Following the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against Atlanta, the Broncos have two days off. If signed in time, Riddick’s first practice could be Sunday morning.

Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay have both exhibited decent pass-catching ability during training camp, but Riddick has more experience in pass protection, which could leave Freeman and Lindsay in the regular personnel roles they had as rookies last year. Lindsay had 35 catches in 2018 and Freeman 14 receptions.

Riddick has 285 career catches.

Riddick, 28, was cut by Detroit last week, which created $3.55 million in cap space for the Lions, which was then allocated to former Green Bay defensive lineman Mike Daniels.

A sixth-round pick in 2013, Riddick has career totals of 288 rushes for 1,023 yards and five and 2,238 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Riddick has at least 53 catches in four consecutive seasons.

He became expendable in Detroit for multiple reasons: Kerryon Johnson is the starter. Former Broncos running back C.J. Anderson was signed to be his backup. Because Riddick doesn’t play special teams, he fell behind and sixth-round pick Ty Johnson. And new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell could use the running back position differently than Riddick is suited.

Booker is in the final year of his rookie contract so his cap number of $818,848 could be easily moved to a team that needs third-down help. Booker slid down the depth chart last year after the Broncos drafted Freeman in the third round and signed Lindsay in undrafted free agency.

Bowlen honored. Late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and the rest of the 2019 Hall of Fame class were recognized before the game.

The Broncos and Falcons lined up at the 45-yard lines and the Hall of Famers plus six of Bowlen’s children walked across the 50-yard line. Representing their father were Amie Klemmer, Beth Bowlen Wallace and Patrick, Brittany, Annabel and Christianna Bowlen.

Former Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey received a loud ovation from the Denver-centric crowd. Hall of Fame visit. Upon landing in Cleveland on Wednesday afternoon, the Broncos traveled to Canton to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Among the busts on display is Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who had a Hall of Fame playing career for the Houston Oilers.

After practice on Tuesday, Fangio said he had visited the Hall “ a few times.”

“I like to always zero in on some areas,” he said.

Fangio said he grew up a fan of the and “those were some down times. (Former coach) Dick Vermeil should be in the Hall of Fame. There are guys who have made it coaching-wise with (fewer) accomplishments than him. I was a fan of (Chicago linebacker) Dick Butkus from afar. I was a fan of (Jets quarterback) Joe Namath from afar.”

Azzanni’s challenge. Since camp began July 18, the Broncos have signed receivers Steven Dunbar, Jamarius Way and Nick Williams. Additionally, Emmanuel Sanders only debuted in 11-on-11 work on Monday and River Cracraft (oblique) has been out nearly two weeks.

The turnover and injuries has created a challenge for receivers coach Zach Azzanni.

“But that’s part of NFL football,” Fangio said. “One of the biggest differences in coaching NFL vs. college is when you bring a guy in off the street who’s starting from ground zero … you have to catch a guy up quick whereas in college, everybody’s on campus and have at least been there.”

Fangio normally doesn’t like his position coaches to be near the huddle during 11-on-11 drills, but he has made an exception for Azzanni, who has been seen giving extra tips to the new receivers on their way to line up.

Briefly. General manager John Elway and director of player personnel Matt Russell watched the first quarter from the Broncos’ bench area. … Fangio said earlier this week he would stand way ahead or behind the line of scrimmage, but to start off, he was only 2-3 yards in front of the line of scrimmage.

Broncos LB voted No. 10 among NFL’s top 100 players list By Joe Nguyen The Denver Post August 2, 2019

For the eighth straight year, Von Miller has been named to the NFL Top 100 list.

The Broncos linebacker fell one spot from 2018 to No. 10. The ninth annual ranking is determined by votes from NFL players.

In 2018, Miller had 14.5 sacks — his seventh season with double-digit sacks — 48 total tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and an interception. He also earned his seventh Pro Bowl nod last year. His 98 career sacks is No. 1 all-time in Broncos franchise history.

Miller, 30, has been named to the NFL Top 100 list every year he’s been in the league.

Two other Broncos players also made the list: running back Phillip Lindsay (No. 68) and linebacker (82).

Miller is the third highest defensive player on this year’s list, behind Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (No. 1) and Bears linebacker Khalil Mack (No. 3).

Broncos’ rookie Josh Watson eager for NFL preseason debut: “The man wants to hit constantly” By Kyle Fredrickson The Denver Post August 2, 2019

Drop rookie Josh Watson’s name at Broncos training camp among his linebacker teammates and you’ll begin to notice a theme.

Von Miller: “He’s physical.”

Joe Jones: “The man wants to hit constantly.”

Watson finally gets an opportunity to unleash Thursday night in the Broncos’ preseason opener versus Atlanta in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game after 11 training camp practices. The undrafted State rookie piled up 367 tackles in college — sixth-most in program history — and will now get time at inside linebacker against the Falcons with the second-team defense.

An early training camp calf injury to Todd Davis opened the door for multiple players to emerge as reliable inside linebacker replacements before Davis’ expected September return. Watson would carry the same mentality no matter his competition or place on the depth chart (currently listed third behind Davis and Alexander Johnson).

“I’m going out there to compete for that starting spot,” Watson said.

Jones, a third-year Broncos linebacker, can relate. He went undrafted coming out of Northwestern in 2017 and carried a similar chip on his shoulder. But Jones quickly realized his quickest route to the 53-man rosters was first developing into a special teams dynamo. It’s a role Jones still proudly carries today, regularly adding post-practice work refining technique, in addition to his pursuit of a greater defensive impact.

Can Watson take a similar path?

“I think he’s got a lot of potential,” Jones said. “Once he gets the mental game down and his body under control a little bit, he’ll be great.”

Watson earned first-team work Saturday in 11-on-11 periods during the Broncos Stadium training camp practice as part of Denver’s day-by-day rotation at inside linebacker, alongside starter . Watson’s focus is developing the mental stamina to make quick decisions in coach Vic Fangio‘s often complex defensive scheme.

Miller complimented Watson for not “making the same mistake twice.” The learning curve, though, is steep.

“We’re trying to get the front lined up and communicate with the backside with the (defensive backs) and getting our coverage lined up. Then you’ve got to get your alignment and understand your job, too,” Jewell said. “There is a lot going on, especially for the young guys. They need to be able to understand how to take that and not overthink it. Try not to put too much pressure on themselves; go out there and play.”

Watson asserts confidence with 35 career college starts under multiple CSU defensive coordinators. He’s adapted to new systems before and added, “being able to get as many reps as possible helps.”

Making the most of each snap Thursday night will be critical in his pursuit of an NFL roster spot.

“It’s being able to play consistent,” Watson said, “and doing the little things right on and off the field while building trust with players and coaches.”

And, of course, showcasing the physicality which has caught the attention of teammates.

“He’s got to learn to become an NFL linebacker,” Fangio said. “He’s working hard at it. It’s important to him. I like him. We’ll see how far he can go.”

From hospital to Hall of Fame: Fangio's Broncos defeat Falcons, 14-10 in preseason opener By Mike Klis KUSA August 2, 2019

Kidney stone ailment didn't keep Fangio away from first game as NFL head coach.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is not going to cause sports historians to forget Willis Reed or Kirk Gibson.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is little more than an exhibition, not Game 7 of the NBA Finals or Game 1 of the World Series.

And while a kidney stone should never be trivialized, it does not usually have the long-lasting ramifications at the elite level of sports as serious knee injuries.

Still, it was impressive that Fangio -- just three weeks before his 61st birthday -- was hospitalized from kidney stone pain Thursday afternoon and showed up for his first game as NFL head coach on Thursday evening.

It was also impressive that Fangio didn't settle for a game-tying field goal in an exhibition game. Facing fourth-and-15 from the Atlanta 16 and down 10-7, Fangio didn't take a Brandon McManus' chip shot. Instead, he had fourth-string quarterback Brett Rypien try to win it from long range.

Rypien did, too, with a pass to the end zone that deflected off Falcons' cornerback Ryan Neal and into the arms of Broncos' receiver Juwann Winfree for a touchdown.

Fangio's dedication and gumption were rewarded with a 14-10 victory in the NFL's preseason opener before a garthering of 21,802 -- with a large percentage wearing Broncos orange -- at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Kidney stones can be extremely painful, but Fangio showed up about two hours before the Hall of Fame Game. He coached from the sidelines and if he was in pain, he hid it well.

For their first score, the Broncos took advantage of midfield starting position. Starting quarterback Kevin Hogan – No. 2 on the Broncos’ depth chart behind Joe Flacco, who did not play – completed passes of 7 yards to first-round rookie tight end Noah Fant, 15 yards to receiver Fred Brown and 8 yards to , who was a third-round cornerback two years ago but is now attempting to convert to receiver.

The drive finished with diminutive running back Khalfani Muhammad exploding through a huge hole opened up on the right side of the Broncos’ offensive line for a 3-yard touchdown. Muhammad finished with 50 yards rushing on just seven carries.

Hogan completed 5 of 8 for 37 yards in his lone quarter of work. Two passes were dropped. Drew Lock, a second-round rookie and the Broncos' No. 3 quarterback, played the second and third quarters and part of the fourth. He was 7 of 11 for 34 yards. The game seemed to be moving too fast for him at first, although he seemed to become more comfortable with each series.

Undrafted rookie Brett Rypien played the bulk of the fourth quarter.

The Broncos played their first two series with pretty much their starting offensive front. Projected starting left tackle Garett Bolles, left guard Dalton Risner and center Connor McGovern played two series as did top backup right guard Don Barclay and right tackle Elijah Wilkinson.

Starting tight end Jeff Heuerman also played as Fangio, Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach Mike Munchak wanted to set the team’s running game.

Meanwhile, Fangio’s second-string defense – defensive linemen Adam Gotsis and Shelby Harris were the only projected starters who played and only for one series – held Matt Schaub, Kurt Benkert and the rest of the Atlanta backups scoreless through all but the final seconds of the first half. Benkert finished off a touchdown drive with a 1-yard flip to Brian Hill.

Prior to the game, the eight members of the Hall of Fame class of 2019 were introduced. Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey received a huge hand from the Broncos-heavy crowd. Walking out to represent late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen were six of his seven children – Amie, Beth, Patrick III, Brittany, Annabel and Christianna.

The Broncos play their next preseason game on August 8 in Seattle. Flacco, Von Miller and the rest of the starters are expected to play in that game, if only for a series or two.

Broncos finalizing deal with running back Theo Riddick By Mike Klis KUSA August 2, 2019

The former Lion would give quarterback Joe Flacco a new pass-catching weapon out of backfield.

In an attempt to improve their passing game in areas other than their receiver position, the Broncos are closing in on adding coveted free-agent running back Theo Riddick on a one-year contract, sources tell 9News.

A deal would likely occur Friday as Riddick is expected to fly into Denver tomorrow.

In his previous six seasons with the , Riddick proved to be an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield. He averaged better than 61 receptions and 470 receiving yards the previous four seasons. He averaged 64 carries and 237 rushing yards in that same four-year span.

Riddick was cut from the Lions last week in large part because he was due to make up to $3.6 million this year.

In recent years, the Broncos’ passing game was heavily reliant on receivers and Emmanuel Sanders. With Thomas traded away last season and Sanders coming off an Achilles injury, the Broncos are giving their younger receiver group some help through tight end Noah Fant, a first-round draft pick, and now Riddick.

Adding Riddick will move Devontae Booker’s future with the Broncos to uncertain status. Booker had been the Broncos’ third-down back and was lined up for the same role in 2019. He averaged 33 catches and 272 receiving yards the past three seasons.

Although the 5-foot-9 Riddick has played three more NFL seasons than Booker, he is just one year older. Riddick turned 28 in May, the same month Booker turned 27.

For now, the plan is for Riddick and Booker to compete for the team’s No. 3 running back position behind Phillip Lindsay and . But Riddick drew too much interest from other teams to have not drawn assurances from the Broncos.

One source told 9News as many as 10 teams called to inquire about Riddick after he was cut by the Lions, including his three long-time NFC North teams rivals from Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota. Former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who is now the Broncos’ head coach, put in a good word about Riddick to his boss, Denver general manager John Elway.

Riddick’s decision ultimately came down to offers submitted earlier this week from the New Orleans Saints and Broncos, but Denver had been the favorite since he visited with the team on Monday.

'This is the toughest speech I've ever written': Champ Bailey, set to join Hall of Fame, reflects on life and football By Jeff Hullinger and Jonathan Raymond KUSA August 2, 2019

As Champ Bailey prepares to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, he says his “body of work is really what I’m most proud of.”

“I think my play speaks for itself. I played hard, you know, I never shied away from competition,” the legendary Georgia and NFL cornerback told 11Alive’s Jeff Hullinger, as he sat down to reflect on his time in football, how he sees the game, and the process of entering the Hall of Fame.

Bailey, a Charlton County, Ga. native, went down as a Bulldog great after three seasons at UGA before embarking on a prolific NFL career. He spent 15 seasons from 1999-2013 with the Redskins and , going to the Pro Bowl 12 teams and earning first-team All-Pro honors three times (with another four second-team All-Pro selections).

He was the premier cornerback of his era, a hounding defender known for shutting down the best wide receivers in the game.

As he writes his Hall of Fame induction speech, he said it’s been difficult to summarize it all.

“This is the toughest speech I’ve ever written,” Bailey told 11Alive. “You know it’s just thinking about my career, a lot of things to reflect on. I swear every time I sit down and start writing things down, I think about something totally different than I thought before. There’s so many layers to it.”

Bailey is only the fourth Bulldog to enter the Hall of Fame, after Terrell Davis, Fran Tarkenton and Charley Trippi. He said with greats like Richard Seymour and Hines Ward awaiting their nod, he’s “looking forward to seeing us start a little run here.”

“Hopefully I break the ice here a little bit here,” for Bulldogs getting inducted, he said.

The 41-year-old was a do-it-all athlete at Georgia, playing both defense and offense for the Dawgs, and also ran track.

“I didn’t expect to do half the things I did at Georgia,” he said. “Fortunate enough for me, my time at Georgia, it went so well because I had a coach (Jim Donnan) – it was his first year, he wanted all the big recruits, I was one of them, so he promised me a lot of things.”

He said doing so much “was tough” but rewarding.

“I fought through a lot, cramps, playing a lot of plays, it took a lot,” Bailey said. “But I’m happy I got a chance to do it.” Bailey said the lessons he learned from football have stayed with him in retirement.

“I mean everything I was taught from day one about the game, I just applied it to the next level, it always carried over, and that’s kind of how I am in retirement,” he said. “All those values, all those things I learned about working hard, accountability, it just carries over.”

“That’s one thing I love about football, it translates to life so well,” he added.

As he examines his legacy, Bailey said he hoped what would stand the test of time is how his teammates respected him.

“I think the most important thing is what do my teammates say about me, that’s what I care about most,” he said. “Because the guys you actually strap up with, you prepare with, their opinions matter the most… that camaraderie, I mean you can’t find that anywhere else in the world.”

In his first two seasons, two of his Washington teammates were Deion Sanders and Darrell Green, themselves probably the premier cornerbacks of their era. He immediately started alongside Green his rookie year, and then did the same with Sanders the following season.

He called the experience formative.

“They were first ballot Hall of Famers at that time, so I mean I couldn’t ask for better,” he said. “How many first ballot corners in history? Not a lot.”

“I was fortunate to play with two of them,” he added.

And, now, on Saturday, he’ll become one himself.

A kidney stone, a game-winning TD and a night with Hall of Famers: Broncos open preseason with pain, thrills By Nicky Jhabvala The Athletic August 2, 2019

The morning before his first game as an NFL head coach — a moment that took him 40 years to reach — Vic Fangio sat in a Cleveland hospital, awaiting the results of a CAT scan that would confirm a doctor’s suspicion. After a night of suffering from pain in his abdomen that he initially took for an upset stomach, Fangio learned he was dealing with a kidney stone, something he had experienced once in the past.

A hell of a way to begin one’s head-coaching tenure.

“It wasn’t too bad. By the time we left the hospital, things were under control,” he said. “I don’t believe I’ve passed it yet. But it had done most of its traveling by the time I left the hospital, if you know anything about kidney stones.”

His game status, however, was “never a question.”

Fangio, a man who has been lovingly described by his players as an “evil genius” with a “mob-esque mentality,” is a football man through and through and no stone, no ailment was going to keep him from the sideline. So about two hours before kickoff, Fangio trotted down to the Broncos’ locker room at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, traded his polo shirt for his usual gray sweatshirt, strapped on the headset and headed out to the field, likely in pain, likely uncomfortable but damn certain he was going to coach.

By the time he left Canton late Thursday, the stone (he believed) was still around. But the pain subsided, if slightly, by his first victory. Though ugly at times — and unexpectedly so in the preseason — the Broncos defeated the Falcons 14-10 with a go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes.

“Winning has cured more ills than penicillin,” Fangio said.

The Broncos’ first preseason game was always going to be an experiment of sorts as they tried out a new offense, new staff, new and many new (and young) faces, almost all of whom are vying for roster spots.

The finished product was a mixed bag that aligned with what Fangio had been saying for much of the offseason amid calls to give second-round quarterback Drew Lock more time and more reps with the starters ahead of Kevin Hogan.

Drafted backup quarterbacks have long been fan favorites, especially in Denver in recent years, and Lock is the newest prize, a player labeled as possibly the “future” for the team while still a work in progress.

Since April, Fangio and John Elway have cautioned Lock isn’t yet ready and isn’t yet a “union NFL quarterback,” and perhaps no showing was more of an example than his play Thursday.

“I was hoping for more, but not surprised,” Fangio said of Lock. “He still has a lot of work to do. I thought his accuracy wasn’t clean all the time, along with his reads. But it’s to be expected. We’ve got four more games. We’ve got to get him ready — more ready than he is now.”

None of the Broncos’ three quarterbacks played a clean game, but Hogan got the first crack and guided the offense to its first touchdown.

Hogan played three series, completing 5 of 8 passes for 37 yards and a 73.4 rating. A pair of passes were dropped — one by Juwann Winfree and another by first-round tight end Noah Fant — and the fault can’t all be placed on the receivers. But Hogan regrouped and guided the Broncos on their first scoring drive, which included three passes for a total of 30 yards. Khalfani Muhammad, an undrafted running back who has flashed his speed throughout training camp, capped the eight-play drive with a 3- yard touchdown run.

Hogan’s night ended after the first quarter but quashed many doubts about his spot in the quarterback pecking order.

“I think Kevin’s the winningest quarterback in the history of Stanford football,” Fangio said. “He’s been around a lot of good football, has played good football and I’m not surprised. But I think he could have played better, too.”

Hogan’s exit gave way to Lock’s rocky NFL debut. With a collection of mostly reserves, the offense failed to find a rhythm, let alone yardage or points, and instead came up with this while Lock was at the helm:

Punt.

Punt.

Punt.

Fumble.

Punt.

Punt.

Turnover on downs.

The rookie appeared to struggle with his footwork throughout the night, which inevitably affected his accuracy. After a full quarter of play, he completed only 40 percent of his passes.

Though he improved a bit before he was taken out three minutes into the fourth quarter, the offense made across the 50-yard line only twice — the first of which was short-lived because of back-to-back sacks on Lock, and the second of which was quickly negated by a negative run on fourth down.

In his seven series, Lock completed 7 of 11 passes for 34 yards and a 68.0 rating. He also had one run for 6 yards, plus the two sacks for a loss of 15 yards.

Brett Rypien, an undrafted player out of Boise State who received a six-figure guarantee to sign with Denver, finished with the best statistics of the three and certainly had the most thrilling finish.

An offensive holding penalty on the Broncos’ final drive set them back at fourth-and-14, so Rypien launched a pass to the far right corner of the end zone and a prayed a player in white would come down with it.

Winfree, the player who dropped his first target, made amends by leaping for the 50-50 ball and securing it after it was tipped for a 15-yard, game-winning touchdown reception.

Some other notables from Thursday:

• A number of undrafted rookies impressed and continued to build on impressive training camps.

Muhammad led the team with 50 rushing yards, including the opening touchdown. , a 6-foot- 2, 235-pound outside linebacker out of Nevada, started and played much of the first half, coming up with the team’s first of three sacks.

Devontae Jackson, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound running back out of West Georgia, recorded 26 rushing yards on 12 carries and returned a kickoff for 23 yards. Jackson has been one of the Broncos’ most consistent players on offense throughout camp and has seen time with the starting offense as Fangio has mixed up the younger talent with the vets.

• The starting offensive line for the Broncos was as expected: Three starters — left tackle Garett Bolles, left guard Dalton Risner and center Connor McGovern — opened alongside right guard Don Barclay and right tackle Elijah Wilkinson. Fangio said earlier in the week Bolles, Risner and McGovern would be among the few regular starters to play. Barclay and Wilkinson have been used at their respective positions in place of Ron Leary and Ja’Wuan James in camp because of injury or rest for the starters.

When the three starters exited Thursday they were replaced by left tackle Chaz Green, left guard Sam Jones and center Jake Brendel.

• When the Broncos drafted , a 6-foot-5 linebacker out of Oregon, Fangio and Elway said they planned to cross-train him at inside and outside linebacker. Hollins was used outside when the Broncos’ defense was in its 3-4 base, then moved inside during sub-packages.

Hollins has worked exclusively with outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley, and the Broncos are clearly confident he will be able to seamlessly make the transition from not just rookie to pro, but rookie to pro at two spots.

• The Broncos have been without starting inside linebacker Todd Davis since he strained a calf on the first day of training camp. Thursday, their rotation of reserves lost one of their key returning players. Joe Jones, one of the Broncos’ top special-teamers, picked up an upper arm injury in the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Fangio also said Jones injured an elbow, but he wasn’t certain of the severity.

• Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon vowed earlier in the week that if the Falcons punted nine times, he would likely use nine different returners. McMahon didn’t quite get nine, but he rotated quite a few as his search for a reliable one continues.

Jackson, Kelvin McNight, Brendan Langley and Nick Williams were used to return punts. Langley, Jackson and Muhammad were used to return kickoffs. McKnight was the only one to pick up yardage on a punt return (18 yards). Langley, Jackson and Muhammad had 26, 24 and 23 yards, respectively, on their kickoff returns. • DeMarcus Walker, a second-round pick in 2017 who saw little playing time last season, has been used significantly more in Fangio’s system on the defensive line. Walker was given plenty of reps Thursday and had a sack and a pair of quarterback hits. The performance was one of his finest yet in the NFL.

“That’s what he told me,” Fangio said. “He came up to me after the game and he was talking some smack. I’m anxious to see it. You don’t see everything during the course of the game, especially where I’m standing now. But he did tell me he did play well.”

• A week before the game, Fangio vowed he would become the first NFL coach to challenge the new pass interference rule. He kept his promise.

In the second quarter, Fangio challenged a P.I. call against cornerback Linden Stephens. The ruling was upheld.

When asked about it, Fangio chuckled before admitting, “I had made the statement that I was going to throw the first challenge flag for PI and a couple of the guys were challenging me to do it there. So I did.”

What the addition of veteran RB Theo Riddick means for the Broncos By Nicky Jhabvala The Athletic August 2, 2019

In his near eight months on the job, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has said repeatedly he’s on the hunt for not just the best players as he and John Elway build a new 53-man roster, but the best combination of players.

Fangio will soon have another intriguing option as he pieces together the latest roster puzzle. Theo Riddick, a veteran running back who was surprisingly released by the Detroit Lions after spending his entire six-year career with the team, is expected to sign with the Broncos, a source confirmed, giving the Broncos one of the NFL’s top pass-catching running backs for offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello.

The Broncos’ running backs room appeared to be the strongest and arguably safest as Denver began its coaching overhaul and roster revamp. Phillip Lindsay, their surprise rookie Pro Bowler last season, has returned to practice after a wrist injury he suffered late in the season, Royce Freeman enters Year 2 with high expectations after a solid rookie season with 521 rushing yards and five touchdowns and Devontae Booker is on the cusp of his fourth season. Together the three were among the most efficient rushing corps in the league last year, while costing the team very little.

If any of the three was at risk of losing his spot, it was likely Booker, the former fourth-round pick who was once Denver’s starter before being relegated to primarily a third-down back last season. He finished with more catches (38) than carries (34) and totaled the fewest scrimmage yards (458) of his NFL career last season. Booker’s salary for 2019 is only $720,000. If he’s cut, the Broncos eat a cap charge of only about $96,000.

The value add with Riddick is his play on third downs and reliability as a receiver, though the proposition will be inevitably costlier given his experience.

Since he entered the league as a sixth-round pick in 2013, Riddick has totaled 285 receptions for 2,238 yards and 14 touchdowns to rank third, fourth and second, respectively, among running backs. Just as intriguing: He is the only NFL running back in that span with at least 1,990 offensive snaps and as few as two fumbles.

Riddick has also totaled 288 carries for 1,023 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Scangarello’s offense — a derivation of Mike Shanahan’s play-action system that was used (and tweaked) by his son, Kyle, in Atlanta and San Francisco — relies heavily on its backs in the passing game and utilizes multiple-back sets.

In Lindsay and Freeman, Scangarello has said he has a combination similar to the pairing of Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman in Atlanta. The two differ in size and skill set but complement each other well, and provide the offense with capable weapons.

“They’re both different, but they both can do the same things in different ways,” Scangarello said. “You don’t want Lindsay, a smaller guy, to have to take A-gap pressure from linebackers on a regular basis. Being able to share the load and to put those guys in positions to do something that they can do better, that’s our job. I think that’s what Royce brings. He is just a physical dude. He is smart, he is instinctive and I’ve enjoyed coaching him so far.”

Denver’s connection to Riddick runs deeper than purely need or belief in a scheme fit. Running backs coach Curtis Modkins, who joined the Broncos last season, was the Lions’ running backs coach and run- game coordinator for Riddick’s first three seasons in the league.

Detroit signed former Bronco C.J. Anderson as a free agent this offseason, then drafted Ty Johnson, leaving Riddick as a possible odd man out — with a hefty contract to boot.

His exit saved the Lions about $3.6 million in salary-cap space while paving the way for a whirlwind free- agent tour to New Orleans and then Colorado.

Riddick left the Broncos’ facility Monday without a deal in hand, though it was reported he was mulling his options of the two.

His choice of Denver boosts a position that was already an offensive strong suit for the Broncos and gives quarterback Joe Flacco another weapon. But it figures to put one veteran on notice, if not at least at risk.

Sports Parents: Introducing a space for pro athletes, coaches and how they raise their kids By Nick Kosmider The Athletic August 2, 2019

The majority of his teammates had made their way back into the locker room after a steamy practice Tuesday morning, but Justin Simmons was still lingering in a quiet corner at the team’s Dove Valley facility.

The fourth-year safety for the Broncos rested comfortably on his side as he watched his 1-year-old daughter, Laney Rae, show off her speed. Time and time again, Laney Rae ran up a small embankment nearby and then ran back down, a wide smile on her face as her doting father offered encouraging words.

All the while, Simmons found himself wondering the same thing many parents do as they watch their kids sprout before their eyes.

Where, exactly, did the time go?

“It’s crazy. I remember (at training camp) last year, my daughter was just a newborn,” Simmons said. “I remember asking some of the older guys with kids, like, ‘Is this normal? Is that normal?’ It’s almost like they’re on kid tour and they’re like, ‘Dude, don’t even worry about it.’ It’s cool, man. I’ve kind of taken on that role now.”

In the tents that line the practice fields at Denver’s UCHealth Training Center, the motivation that fuels many of the players on the training camp roster rests comfortably — or wiggles excitedly — in the shade. However difficult it may be for many to relate to the lives athletes live, be it because of their otherworldly physical gifts or their bank accounts or some of their larger-than-life personas, the most important role many athletes say they have, that of a parent, is the ultimate common ground.

When I covered the Broncos for a previous employer during the 2017 season, I was struck by just how often new dads — and more experienced fathers, for that matter — on the team gushed about their kids, shared stories with teammates and peppered each other for advice on parenting through their shared NFL experiences.

“We talk about different things kids do, different sleep patterns,” said Zach Kerr, the defensive lineman whose son, Enzo, will turn 2 later this month. “It’s stuff like, ‘What did you do to get him out of the bed? How did you get him off the bottle?’ And it’s like, ‘This is what worked for me. Every kid is different, but this is how I did it.’ We like to exchange ideas about what it’s like being a dad, and I think it’s a cool thing because those are guys who actually want to be dads.”

When I began telling people around the Nuggets earlier this year during casual conversations that I was about to become a father for the first time, I was blown away by the stories that coaches, executives, players and, later, even fans of the team, began sharing about their own parenting experiences. There were laughs about the light-hearted moments and more serious conversations about some of the challenges that come with raising kids within a highly demanding profession.

I also came to realize, for all the joy, motivation, pride, happiness and every other feeling on the emotional pendulum athletes, coaches and other sports figures derive from their experiences as parents, there is relatively little consistently written on the topic. One of the first books I read, when I found out I was going to become a father, was “The New Dad’s Playbook,” authored by veteran NFL tight end, and father of seven, Benjamin Watson. It was an enlightening read about preparation, patience, sacrifice, triumphs, challenges and love, and I took a great deal from it.

Not every professional athlete who becomes a parent will take their stab at becoming an author, but that doesn’t mean their stories, thoughts, fears, excitements and advice on the topic aren’t plentiful. That’s why I wanted to start this occasional feature, to allow athletes to share their experiences in a way that I hope can be relatable to just about anyone who embarks on that journey.

“The biggest switch when I went from having no kids to being a father, I immediately was welcomed by teammates who I had known but never really interacted with,” said former NFL offensive lineman and current Denver radio host Ryan Harris, whose first of three children was born in 2014, when he played for the Texans. “I immediately realized it was because they had kids. There’s a whole world I didn’t understand. And how do you explain to someone what goes into being a father, especially when it’s so different for everyone? I say to people all the time, ‘Welcome to the brotherhood of fatherhood.’ Even when you play with someone, win with someone, lose with someone, when you become a father you’re embraced on a deeper level than you ever had been. You’re taken more seriously not just by players, but by coaches, especially in the NFL. It’s like, if you can do this and have a baby, you’re a real pro.”

My hope is that this feature, which I’ll continue putting together as long as folks are reading and interacting with it, will take on various forms. We may turn this space over to an athlete and let him share the experience he or she holds most dear about parenting. It could tackle topics such as how athletes guide their own kids through the pressures and expectations of youth sports. How they balance the high demands of professional sports with being present off the clock. How they connect even when they are forced to be away — “FaceTime is a life-saver,” Kerr says — or how they incorporate work time with family time.

As is always the case with anything we do at The Athletic, this is a space that will be founded on storytelling. So let’s kick this off with one of my favorites.

Kerr had just joined the Broncos ahead of that 2017 season, and the preseason was an important time for a young defensive lineman trying to work his way up the pecking order on his new team. An NFL career provides a short window for players to maximize their value, so even with his girlfriend, Iris, expecting the couple’s first child any day that August, being there for his family meant that Kerr had to be away as the Broncos prepared for a game in Chicago against the Bears.

“He was born like 20 minutes before the game,” Kerr said. “So I’m on FaceTime watching it, which sucked — it more than sucked; I was pissed off about it — but technology is a life-saver nowadays, and we got home that night. She was at the birthing center probably two hours and then went home. So he was there when I got home and everything was all good. I got to get home and get that skin-to-skin contact, so it was all cool.”

Enzo is about to turn 2, and Kerr is reveling in every new challenge this stage presents, obstacles that can be even more daunting when another season rolls around. The one-on-one time that was so constant in the weeks before training camp is now reduced to one or two hours a day due to all the demands a new NFL season brings.

“It’s tough, man, just because you don’t want to miss anything,” Kerr said. “But with the jobs that we have, you end up missing quite a bit. The good thing about it is we get those five weeks off (before training camp), and we get that time after the season off to be there every day for everything, so it’s a bittersweet situation. I think I try to manage it and juggle it pretty good.”

Kerr spent much of those five weeks being present with Enzo. Sometimes that meant “being a human trampoline” for his son. Other times it meant pulling his car out of the garage and sitting in the front seat as he let Enzo play with the steering wheel. These actions may seem simple, but the gift of a dad being there isn’t something Kerr, whose father was killed when he was just 4 months old, had growing up.

“I knew I just wanted to be really active in his life,” said Kerr, who used to wear a T-shirt in the locker room that had the words “Enzo’s Dad” printed on it. “I wanted to be there and I wanted him to know that he had two parents. Regardless of what my job is, Dad is always going to be there. And I brought him to everything. If I had a (contract) signing or had media obligations, I was bringing him with me just so I wouldn’t miss anything and so that he can physically see his dad doing something positive. You never know what that can lead to. That could rub off on him. Maybe he wants to do something he sees his dad doing. To me, that would be the ultimate compliment to myself, that my son would want to do anything close to what I’m doing.”

Playing politics: NFL ahead of the NFLPA in the political spending game By Daniel Kaplan The Athletic August 2, 2019

The NFL, fueled by political contributions from executives and owners at the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals, once again spent and raised far more than their NFLPA political lobbying counterpart in the first six months of the year, according to filings that were made earlier this week at the Federal Elections Commission.

The NFL’s political action committee raised $120,817.19 from January to June, with $20,000 contributed from four members of the Bidwill family that owns the Cardinals; similarly $20,000 from four members of the Hunt family that owns the Kansas City Chiefs; and $27,900 from 23 members of the Falcons, including $1,000 from head coach Dan Quinn. The figures were included in the filing for the Gridiron PAC, the NFL’s 11-year-old political action committee.

Since the NFLPA launched its political action committee in June 2016, it has spent $102,819.37, most of it on political donations, but none of it (other than a minor software expense) in the most recent six-month period, according to the NFLPA’s One Team PAC filing. That averages to less than $3,000 per month. By contrast, since 2015, the NFL has spent $1.695 million, or nearly $31,000 per month.

And the owners are already playing from ahead in terms of political sway.

“We already know that those people have influence,” said Mathew Littman, a long-time political strategist.

“Bob Kraft is damn close friends with Donald Trump. You know, Woody Johnson is the ambassador to England. We already know that they have influence. The players have to catch up in terms of their influence.”

Littman expressed bafflement over why the NFLPA is not spending more.

“They’re probably waiting to spend that money more toward when their contract with the NFL expires,” Littman said, referring to the two seasons remaining on the collective bargaining agreement. “In case they need it for labor related reasons, right? Lobbying the labor committees. The problem is that you need to develop relationships, and you don’t develop those relationships when you come in when you need something. You have to develop those all along, which is what the NFL does.”

The NFLPA declined to comment.

The union’s PAC, the only one among the major sports unions, can raise funds. In November 2017, 1,324 members — largely players — contributed a total of $723,537. But there have been no contributions since and the political spending has largely not followed.

The NFL since it formed its PAC has spent $5.34 million, according to its FEC filings. In the most recent six- month period, it spent $52,788.74. Some of that was for administrative and legal, and some contributions. The largest was $5,000 to Michigan Rep. Fred Upton and the same amount to Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio.

The NFL did not reply for comment.

Corporations and unions form PACs to raise money to influence elections or legislation. They can give $5,000 to a candidate per election, and $15,000 per year to a national party committee. A PAC can receive up to $5,000 from an individual.

Unions and trade associations, of which the NFL is one, cannot donate to campaigns but to and through PACs.

PACs are known for bundling, and that certainly appears to be happening at the Falcons. In addition to Quinn, team president Rich McKay gave $1,000, then-assistant general manager Scott Pioli gave $500, an amount matched by head of communications Brett Jewkes. Team owner Arthur Blank gave the maximum $5,000. Minority owner Warrick Dunn, the former Falcons running back, gave $2,500. The Falcons did not reply for comment.

Key officials at the NFL who contributed included chief financial officer Joe Siclare ($5,000), and general counsel Jeff Pash ($5,000).

As for the NFLPA, Littman said, “The good news is that they have a proven ability to raise money, the strategy must be to wait until ‘we need something,’” he speculated. “That’s the only thing I could think of which is labor issues or health issues (they need to lobby on). That’s the part that they’re doing wrong. If you have that money in your account, you should spend it.”

Indeed, one political financial the NFL does not vastly exceed the league is on cash on hand in their respective PACs. While the NFLPA is at $620,715.63, the NFL does not greatly exceed at $924,696.07, according to their filings.

Fangio Coaches After Kidney Stone Issue, Denver Wins By Barry Wilner Associated Press August 2, 2019

For a while Thursday, Vic Fangio didn't know if his long-awaited debut as a head coach would happen in the Hall of Fame game.

Fangio finished team meetings, then headed to a hospital because of a kidney stone. Though determined to lead his new team, the Denver Broncos, against Atlanta, "I didn't know if I would make it."

He did, and he was made a winner thanks to a late rally.

Fangio, an NFL assistant coach for nearly two decades, saw a late interception set up rookie Juwann Winfree's 15-yard touchdown catch, and his team edged the Falcons 14-10 to open the NFL's preseason.

Yes, it was an exhibition game — the real first test comes Sept. 9 at Oakland. Still, Fangio was getting his chance to run a team. So this truly was a debut.

"Winning has cured more things than penicillin," joked Fangio, who still had not passed the stone when he met with the media after the game. "Nobody is doing backflips and cartwheels like in the regular season."

Trey Johnson's interception of Matt Schaub's pass after the Atlanta backup quarterback was pressured set up Denver at the Falcons 38 with 5:21 remaining. A 14-yard pass interference call on fourth down against Rashard Causey kept Denver in it, but the Broncos were hurt by a holding penalty against rookie Ryan Crozier.

Unfazed, rookie Brett Rypien hurled a pass into the right corner of the end zone, where it was deflected and Winfree latched onto it with 1:26 remaining.

"Trey made a nice play at the end, and Winfree made an acrobatic catch," Fangio said. "It's always good to be here for this game. It's always great to be around great ex-players and owners."

Fangio also became the first coach to utilize the new rule allowing challenges of pass interference calls. Late in the second quarter, Linden Stephens was called for a 43-yard defensive penalty. Officials upheld the call.

"I made a statement I'd be the first to throw the flag on defensive pass interference," said Fangio, one of the premier defensive coordinators the league has seen.

Both teams had eight-play first-half drives for touchdowns. Denver's was finished by Khalfani Muhammad's 3-yard run up the middle. Atlanta tied it with a precise two-minute drill guided by first-year quarterback Kurt Benkert, who is seeking a backup job to Matt Ryan. Benkert took the Falcons 61 yards in 1:17, hitting running back Brian Hill with a 3-yard touchdown pass.

Benkert conducted another impressive series in the third period, going 56 yards in 12 plays to Giorgio Tavecchio's 27-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.

Benkert headed to the locker room early in the fourth quarter with a toe injury. He went 19 of 34 for 185 yards.

Otherwise, it pretty much was a slopfest marred by dropped passes, penalties and missed assignments. Then again, how much can be expected in such an early preseason game?

CLASS OF 2019

The class of 2019 was introduced before the game and walked across the 50-yard line flanked by players from each team. The loudest cheers went to former Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey , which was predictable considering all the orange-clad folks in the stands. Former Chiefs and Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez gestured and joshed with the Atlanta players as he strode through. Ed Reed , Ty Law,Kevin Mawae , Gil Brandt,Johnny Robinson and the family of late Broncos owner Pat Bowlen also received loud ovations from the crowd of 20,802.

LOCK IT UP

Drew Lock, Denver's second-round draft pick and perhaps its quarterback of the future — Joe Flacco , acquired from Baltimore, if the starter but sat Thursday night — got plenty of action. He rarely impressed and finished 7 of 11 for 34 yards.

INJURIES

Falcons: Atlanta, which was ravaged by injuries last season, saw fourth-year DT Ra'Shede Hageman go down in the first quarter with a groin problem. Hageman has not played an NFL game since 2016. ... WR Marcus Green left in the third period with a groin injury.

Broncos: Denver third-year LB Joe Jones hurt an arm in the second quarter and did not return.

Asked for further updates on injuries, Fangio smiled and concluded: "I am more concerned about my injury update."

NEXT UP:

Broncos: at Seattle on Thursday night.

Falcons: at Miami on Thursday night.

Vic Fangio coaches with kidney stones in Broncos' preseason opener, Denver beats Atlanta 14-10 By Troy Renck KMGH August 2, 2019

Football doesn't happen like it unfolds in the movies. The plot lines are often more unbelievable. After four decades as an assistant coach at the high school, college and professional levels, Vic Fangio interrupted his dream with a health scare. The Broncos new boss spent part of Thursday in a Cleveland hospital dealing with kidney stones. The idea of not making his debut became a possibility. The stones never passed. And Fangio wasn't about to miss.

He arrived at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium a few hours before kickoff, walking down the ramp outside the high school. He quickly junked his orange polo for a gray sweatshirt.

"It's crazy, right?" receiver Emmanuel Sanders told me before the game.

Added rookie left guard Dalton Risner, "There was never a doubt he'd be out here."

With apologies to Pink Floyd, Fangio looked comfortably numb pacing up and down the sideline. What he saw was, predictably, an uneven screening (the Broncos trailed 10-7 with 4 minutes remaining as I will update after the game). The Broncos defense showed teeth and aggressiveness, providing a hint of a unit that will be calibrated to create sacks and turnovers. The offense looked sharp when a battery of starters were on the field with Kevin Hogan. When they left, the Broncos clumsily wandered into the night as rookie Drew Lock struggled in his debut.

But it's football and anything can happen. The Broncos rallied with Brett Rypein's 15-yard TD connection to former CU receiver Juwann Winfree with 1:30 remaining. By the end, the Broncos were victorious over the Falcons, beating Atlanta 14-10.

My Denver7 observations of the first of five preseason games:

Three is company The idea of the Broncos keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster is possible. Lock's talent is real and raw. Kevin Hogan, who slumped early in camp, looked steady and effective. the Broncos secured their first lead on their second drive. Hogan guided an eight-play, 51-yard march. It featured three key receptions from rookie tight end Noah Fant – targeted three times on the first two drives – and receivers Fred Brown and Brendan Langley. Hogan admitted he might be auditioning for other teams. Then again, he might not.

Line dance It was two drives in one game. But the starting linemen who played showed well. Center Connor McGovern, left guard Dalton Risner (pictured) and left tackle Garett Bolles showed consistency in their cameo. It will be interesting to see what the group looks like when guard Ron Leary and right tackle Ja'wuan James join them in the coming weeks.

Lock and keys The SEC boasts breathtaking talent. But Lock realized there's nothing like the NFL. Adjusting a new system, a new huddle and new plays under center, Lock alternated between talented and lost. He went 7-for-11 for 34 yards with no touchdowns and no picks. Lock, the talk of the national media, entered with 13:01 remaining in the second quarter. Like a lot of young players, his first drive was not memorable. Nor was his first half. He overthrew Fant on a ball down sideline, though it looked well placed as NBC’s Cris Collingsworth said Fant “had training camp legs.” Then Lock misfired on a sideline route. He connected with Nick Williams on solid play-action pass for his first completion, a 12-yarder. Steven Dunbar Jr. caught Lock’s fifth pass, but fumbled as the half ended. Lock went 2-for-5 for 18 yards, was sacked twice and rushed once for six yards in the half, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty.

Fangio admitted on the TV broadcast at halftime, "(Lock) wasn’t good enough, except for his (6-yard) scramble." There are no elevators to the top floor in the NFL. Lock's best pass landed on the turf. Running back David Williams dropped a dart in the left flat, and Fant appeared to lose his route on a deep ball in the second quarter. Patience is needed and necessary for his development.

Run for it Running back Khalfani Muhammad became the answer to a trivia question, scoring the NFL’s first touchdown in its 100th season. The former Cal running back darted in from three yards, shoving Denver ahead 7-0 with 8:50 remaining in the first. He added a 31-yard scamper in the second half. He faces long odds to make the team, but helped his chances.

Big hitters Even in a fake game, the Broncos defense showed its fangs. Atlanta starter Matt Schaub completed 3-of- 7 passes for minus-2 yards before returning in the fourth quarter after an injury to quarterback Kurt Benkert. Among the notable plays: outside linebacker Malik Reed’s sack and safety Su’a Cravens’ blitzing tackle for a loss.

Footnotes Inside linebacker Joe Jones hurt his upper left arm midway through the second quarter. After visiting with the trainers he returned to the locker room and did not return to the game. … The Broncos are thin at the position with Todd Davis sidelined with a calf injury. Josh Watson and Alexander Johnson received plenty of reps followed by Keishawn Bierria and Joe Dineen. … Defensive end Billy Winn (elbow) and CB Alijah Holder (shoulder) left in the third quarter and did not return. ... Wide receiver Brendan Langley misjudged low, short punt, muffing it. He needs to excel on special teams to stick as he changes position. … The Broncos alternated punt returners, using Kelvin McKnight (18-yard gain) Langley, Nick Williams, Juwann Winfree and Devontae Jackson. … Dalton Risner made his debut, playing two series with starters Garett Bolles and Connor McGovern. … I asked Fangio about his thoughts on the ability to challenge interference. He said it would require strategy, but promised he would throw the first challenge flag. He wasn’t kidding. He asked for review of the call against Linden Stephens impeding a receiver’s route, and the ruling was upheld.

5 takeaways from Broncos 14-10 preseason win over Falcons By George Stoia Colorado Springs Gazette August 2, 2019

Not even kidney stones could stop Vic Fangio and the Broncos from beating the Falcons in their first preseason game of the season.

Denver defeated Atlanta 14-10 in the Hall of Fame Game Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, which featured everything from battling kidney stones, to subpar quarterback play to a game-winning grab from a rookie.

Here's five takeaways from the game:

Fangio battles kidney stones.

Early Thursday Fangio suffered from the passing of a kidney stone.

Despite having to go to the hospital, Fangio still made his head coaching debut. At halftime, he told NBC's sideline reporter, Lisa Salters, the kidney stone still hadn't passed.

Of course, he finished the game anyway.

Young guys shine as starters see little to no action.

There was no sign of linebacker Von Miller, corner Chris Harris Jr., running back Phillip Lindsay or newly acquired quarterback Joe Flacco, as well as other typical starters for the Broncos.

Khalfani Muhammad took full advantage of Lindsey not playing, rushing for 50 yards and one touchdown. Another standout was rookie wide receiver Juwann Winfree, who caught only one ball the entire game, but it was also the biggest. Winfree caught a tipped pass in the back of the end zone with less than two minutes to play to win the game.

Quarterback play was ... not great.

With Flacco not playing, it gave Kevin Hogan and rookie Drew Lock plenty of opportunity to prove who should be the backup heading into the season. Good thing there's four more preseason games, because neither showed much Thursday.

Hogan started the game, going 5 of 8 for 37 yards through the air. Lock, who was taken 42nd overall in the 2019 NFL draft, entered with 13:01 in the second quarter and played all the way through the third.

Lock missed on multiple throws, most notably one down the right sideline intended for a wide-open Muhammad. He finished 7 of 11 for 34 yards and was sacked twice. Brett Rypien finished the game for the Broncos, going 5 of 10 for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Fangio's defense impresses early.

If there's one thing Fangio knows, it's defense.

In his head coaching debut, his defense performed to expectations holding Atlanta to 261 total yards. The Falcons were able to score a touchdown right before the half, but weren't able to get in the end zone again. A 27-yard field goal in the third quarter would be the last points Atlanta would score.

Safety Dymonte Thomas led the team in tackles with six, while corner Trey Johnson forced the team's only turnover with an interception late in the fourth quarter.

Fans get first look at new pass interference rule.

Late in the second quarter, Broncos cornerback Linden Stephens was called for pass interference while defending Falcons wide receiver . Fangio challenged the call, believing Stephens did not commit a penalty.

This is a new rule this season after the controversial no call in the NFC Championship Game last year between the New Orleans Saints and . Coaches will be able to use their challenge flag on pass interference calls if they believe the officials clearly got the call wrong or missed the call completely.

In this case, Fangio was wrong as the referees ruled the pass interference was correct after further review.

Broncos 14, Falcons 10: Observations By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com August 2, 2019

Khalfani Muhammad has made a habit of turning small holes into big plays during training camp, so it came as no surprise that he continued that trend during the Broncos' 14-10 preseason-opening win over the Falcons on Thursday.

Muhammad finished with 74 yards from scrimmage -- 50 on seven carries and 24 on four receptions.

"He's got speed and he's elusive and he's a tough guy," Head Coach Vic Fangio said. "Not surprised by that too much."

Thirty-one of Muhammad's yards came on a single burst late in the third quarter to ignite an offense that had gone stagnant. Before that carry, the Broncos had just four first downs and 57 net yards on their previous seven drives, which finished in six punts and a lost fumble.

Muhammad saw right tackle bury Falcons defensive end John Cominsky on the outside. With the inside sealed, Muhammad quickly hit fifth gear.

"I was slowly going through my progressions, through the holes, and I saw the hole open to the outside," Muhammad said. "I just took advantage of the opportunity."

He did the same on his first-quarter touchdown when he followed tight end Jeff Heuerman through a hole on the right side of the line.

"To have those type of people in front of you and leading the way, you can't complain at all," Muhammad said. "When the opportunity comes, just don't miss it."

KEVIN HOGAN

Working with a smattering of first-teamers -- left tackle Garett Bolles, left guard Dalton Risner, center Connor McGovern and Heuerman -- Hogan threw for 37 yards on 5-of-8 passing and guided the Broncos to their first touchdown of the night.

"I'm not surprised, but I think he could have played better, too," Fangio said.

His best work came on the Broncos' 51-yard drive that ended in Muhammad's touchdown. He completed three passes to three different targets, including a 7-yard pass to first-round pick Noah Fant on third-and- 5. That allowed the rookie to overcome a drop on the first play of the series. Wide receiver Juwann Winfree, who later caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Brett Rypien, also had a drop.

"Some of the drops he had, the ball placement wasn't great," Fangio said. '[He] made what should have been easier catches harder catches. The guys should have caught them, but they didn't. But I think he's capable of better."

DREW LOCK

"Every journey has a first step ... Every saga has a beginning ..."

Two decades ago, those words flashed on the screen in the trailer to the first "Star Wars" prequel. And just as "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" wasn't the sizzling opening act that many expected, Lock's first NFL preseason game had its rough patches as he finished with 34 yards on 7-of-11 passing.

"I was hoping for more, but [I'm] not surprised," Fangio said. "He's still got a lot of work to do. I thought his accuracy wasn't clean all the time, along with his reads, but we've got four more games. We've got to get him ready -- more ready than he is right now."

Lock had the chance for some explosive plays deep, but misfired. He overthrew Fant and Muhammad down the right sideline, the latter on a wheel route.

"I feel like if I hit a couple of those passes, I'd feel a little better about the game," Lock said. "There's definitely things I'll need to work on after watching the film."

BRETT RYPIEN

The ledger shows a game-winning touchdown for the undrafted rookie -- a 15-yard pass to Juwann Winfree that saw the receiver catch the tipped pass on fourth-and-14 -- one play after a holding penalty had wiped out a 5-yard touchdown strike to Kelvin McKnight.

The tip, an earlier pass-interference penalty against Atlanta's Rashard Causey on fourth-and-10 that kept a drive alive ... yes, there was a little luck involved. But to his credit, Rypien kept the offense calm, overcoming a sack early on the game-winning drive and a pair of possessions that ended in punts early in the fourth quarter.

Rypien's work on the final drive allowed him to lead the three quarterbacks with 41 yards, although he was the only one of the trip to complete fewer than 60 percent of his passes, going 5-of-10.

PASS RUSHERS BUILD OFF STRONG CAMPS

A significant reason why Denver's backup quarterbacks were under pressure during practices was the pass-rush work of the Broncos' reserves, including outside linebacker Malik Reed and defensive ends Dre'Mont Jones and DeMarcus Walker.

Reed and Walker each posted sacks, and Reed led all Denver front-seven players with four total tackles.

But Jones' hit of Atlanta quarterback Matt Schaub with 5:28 left was the most impactful defensive play of the night. It forced an errant throw that Trey Johnson intercepted at the Atlanta 38-yard line, setting up the game-winning drive.

The blow to Schaub was the second of consecutive explosive plays for Jones. One snap earlier, he engulfed Atlanta running back in the backfield for a 4-yard loss.

And while his work against the run is important, Jones knows why the Broncos drafted him: to generate pressure on passing downs.

"I've always been able to try to hone my craft to rush the passer, because the league has changed. It's not a run-stuffing league anymore," Jones said. "I've been focusing on that because I know that's what they want me to do here."

THE PUNT-RETURN SHUFFLE

It wasn't a different returner every time out, but Special Teams Coordinator Tom McMahon did change his punt returners throughout the game, with McKnight, Brendan Langley, Nick Williams and Devontae Jackson handling the work.

McKnight had the most explosive return of the group, bursting down the left seam with an 18-yard return that set up Hogan and the offense at its 49-yard line for its second series, from which it drove to Muhammad's touchdown.

McKnight prepared for a precision punt that lingered in the air, but Bosher's 44-yard punt sped toward him, leaving him with some open field.

"I was surprised," McKnight said. "[Bosher] kicked a line drive to me and I thought, 'Shoot, I thought I was gonna have more hang time.' I just caught it and made the most of it."

Langley had the roughest night. He moved forward to field a 36-yard Bosher punt, but muffed it, allowing Atlanta to recover at the Denver 40-yard line. He successfully fielded a punt in the second half, calling for a fair catch.

Langley, Jackson and Muhammad also handled kickoff-return duties. Each had one runback apiece, with Langley's 26-yarder leading the trio.

BIG PLAY IN THE SECONDARY

Johnson's interception wasn't his only key moment. He also prevented a score in the third quarter, lunging to prevent Falcons tight end from catching a 9-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Benkert.

A pair of incompletions followed, leading the Falcons to settle for a 27-yard Giorgio Tavecchio field goal and ensuring that Johnson effectively made a 4-point play.

'Winning's cured more ills than penicillin': HC Vic Fangio earns win, players' respect after untimely kidney stone By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com August 2, 2019

After 32 years as an NFL assistant, Vic Fangio wasn't missing his head-coaching debut — not even after a kidney stone sent him to a Cleveland-area hospital for a CT scan.

Fangio, who said he has dealt with the issue once before, arrived in Canton on the team's second wave of buses and coached his team to a 14-10, come-from-behind victory.

“It wasn't too bad [during the game]," Fangio said after his first preseason win. "By the time I left the hospital, things were under control. I don't believe I’ve passed them yet. It [had] done most of its traveling by the time I left there."

Fangio said there was only a 20- to 40-minute window on Thursday afternoon when he wasn't sure if he was going to coach. In the end, though, he said "it was never in question."

Besides, as he noted afterward, the best medicine for his ailment was waiting at Tom Benson Stadium, and it came in the form of a 14-yard Juwann Winfree touchdown with just over 90 seconds to play.

"As we all know, nobody is in there doing cheetah flips and cartwheels about that, like they would in a regular-season game, but winning's cured more ills than penicillin," Fangio said. "It’s always nice to win.”

Yet while Fangio downplayed the ailment to the media, his players took notice.

"Coach coming back? That’s a dog right there," safety Will Parks said. "That’s a fighter. That’s a dude that didn’t want to give up on his team.

"I think that just shows his courage and how much he believes in us."

Rookie QB Drew Lock keeps perspective after NFL debut By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com August 2, 2019

Drew Lock didn’t finish his NFL debut with a perfect , a slew of completions or even a touchdown.

On several occasions, the second-round pick had the chance to complete a deep pass and missed by the smallest of margins.

Lock, though, did finish his 7-of-11 passing performance with a little bit of perspective.

“I’ll rate it as a learning game,” Lock said following the game. “There’s definitely things I’ll learn there, but I’m excited that I’m sitting here and that was the first time ever stepping out on the field.

“It was the Hall of Fame game. It wasn’t the Super Bowl, it wasn’t the playoffs — so there’s a lot of things for me to learn, a lot of things for me to look forward to, to progress a little bit.”

Head Coach Vic Fangio seemed to keep the same perspective after watching Lock for two quarters of action. Lock took over for Kevin Hogan at the beginning of the second quarter and guided the Broncos’ offense until Brett Rypien replaced him for the second possession of the fourth quarter.

“I was hoping for more, but [I’m] not surprised,” Fangio said. “He’s still got a lot of work to do. I thought his accuracy wasn’t clean all the time along with his reads, but that’s to be expected. We’ve got four more games and we’ve got to get him ready — more ready than he is right now.”

On his first drive, Lock looked deep down the field for first-round pick Noah Fant, but the pass was slightly overthrown. On his next drive, he looked down the right sideline for Khalfani Muhammad. Then, in the third quarter, Lock found Dave Williams on a swing route on third-and-6, but Williams dropped the pass.

“I feel like if I hit a couple of those passes, then I’d feel a little better about the game, but there’s definitely things I’ll need to work on after watching the film,” Lock said.

Lock looked to find some semblance of a rhythm as he completed two consecutive passes to move the ball to the Atlanta 48-yard line at the beginning of the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-1, trailing by three points, Lock and the offense attempted to convert the first down. Running back Devontae Jackson, though, was stopped in the backfield.

“I think it’s what you can expect from an opener,” Lock said. “A couple ups, a couple downs — but it’s good that we can look at it. There’s a lot of things we can work on, especially myself, and go in and get ready for the next one.”

He won’t have to wait long, as the Broncos face the Seahawks on Aug. 8.

“You get your first taste of it, and you just keep wanting more and you want more, and that’s how I am right now,” Lock said. “The days are going to go by slow until our next game.” Drew Lock and Vic Fangio shed light on Lock’s shaky performance in the preseason opener By Ryan Koinegsberg BSN Denver August 2, 2019

Preseason games are sloppy. A pre-preseason game? Sloppy would be a compliment.

The Denver Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night in the 2019 edition of the Hall of Fame game, but in the words of Vic Fangio, “we weren’t doing cartwheels.”

In fact, if someone had done some gymnastics, it may have been the most exciting thing we saw all night, save for Juwann Winfree’s tip-drill, game-winning catch on 4th-and-14.

The unfortunate thing, in the eyes of many Broncos fans, is that the most exciting storyline going into the game, well, wasn’t very exciting.

Thursday night marked the first time most of Broncos Country got to lay eyes on Drew Lock, the team’s second-round pick and the Elway-deemed quarterback of the future. In seven series, Lock went 7-for-11 (63.6%) for just 34 yards. In his time on the field, the Broncos weren’t able to muster any points and didn’t move the ball much at all.

After the game, head coach Vic Fangio admitted he was in the same boat as the Orange & Blue faithful.

“I was hoping for more,” he said. “But I’m not surprised. You know, he’s still got a lot of work to do.”

So, what went wrong?

“I thought his accuracy wasn’t clean all the time along with his reads but, you know, that’s to be expected,” Fangio explained before getting even more frank. “We’ve got four more games. We’ve got to get him ready, more ready than he is right now.”

“Maybe I was thinking a little bit more than I had before,” said Lock.

It wasn’t all bad for the former Missouri Tiger as he made a nice throw across his body on a bootleg to the left side, and had a nice scramble to move the chains on third down.

In the locker room, it was clear that the gunslinger was a bit frustrated, but he’s not the type of player to reveal a lot of negativity.

“I think that’s what you can expect from an opener, a couple of ups, a couple of downs,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we can work on, especially myself.”

One of the perceived positives of Lock playing with the third team was that he would go up against a lower level on competition on the other side. But it also meant that the highly-talented quarterback would be surrounded by lesser talent, and that showed. Lock had trouble getting comfortable in the pocket as he was under pressure, even taking two sacks in his time on the field. There was also a dropped pass from running back David Williams that would have gone for a first down and more had he hauled it in.

But, even with the struggles around him, Lock didn’t have his best stuff.

“I won’t give it a one to 10, I’ll rate it as a learning game,” he said when asked how he would rate his performance. “There are definitely things to learn there. I’m excited that I’m sitting here and that was my first time ever stepping out on that field, and it was the Hall of Fame Game, it wasn’t the Super Bowl or the playoffs. So, there’s a lot of things for me to learn and a lot of things for me to look forward to progress and get better.”

As it relates to Lock especially, the Broncos having five preseason games is a pretty big advantage. It’s clear that Denver doesn’t want to put the young QB into any regular-season games this year, so having that extra time in the exhibition portion of the schedule will be extremely valuable.

They’ve got a long way to go, but the kid will be ready when his number is called.

“You get your first taste of it, and you just keep wanting more,” he said. “The days are going to go by slow until our next game.”

Five question marks for the Broncos after the team’s first preseason game By Zac Stevens BSN Denver August 2, 2019

Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos are a perfect 1-0 in 2019.

On Thursday night, the Denver Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons 14-10 to kickoff the NFL’s season in the annual Hall of Fame game.

While there were plenty of positives that came with the team’s victory, there were also numerous areas of improvement, as Fangio himself admitted after the game.

Here’s who can improve after the first 60 minutes of football in the 2019 season.

THE BALL As it’s been through the first two weeks of training camp, the ball was trending down again on Thursday night. Trending down all the way to the ground that is.

Juwann Winfree ended the game with a glorious “acrobatic” game-winning catch, but he started the game with a dropped pass on third down, forcing his team to punt on their first series.

Fellow rookie Noah Fant got in on the drop action, also putting one on the ground from Kevin Hogan on what should have been a routine catch in the flat.

The ball hitting the ground carried over to special teams where Brendan Langley let a punt slip right through his hands after sprinting to attempt to catch a short kick. That mistake gave the Falcons the ball in Denver territory.

Fortunately for Tom McMahon, Vic’s defense was playing out of their mind, and it turned into another Falcons punt, which Langley was not given an opportunity to return.

David Williams also dropped a pass, letting one slide through his hands on third down from the arm of Drew Lock. There was plenty of open green pasture ahead of him if he held on.

Coaches preach how a team practices is how they’ll play. That held true in this respect.

NO-AH FANT The Broncos used their first-round pick to snag a dynamic receiving threat in the middle of the field. Oh, by the way, Noah Fant can block, too.

But on Thursday, it was nearly the opposite.

Fant’s under-the-radar blocking skills were on display as he drove a defender into the end zone on Khalfani Muhammad’s touchdown run and he also had a good block on the outside on a separate run. But a holding penalty on the rookie negated a 23-yard run by Muhammed as well.

On the receiving end, there were fewer positives.

Fant’s first pass slipped right through his hands onto the turf. He rebounded by hauling in a third-down pass and turning it up-field for a first down. That, however, was his lone catch on the day.

The No. 20-overall pick was targeted three times, officially, and had one catch for seven yards. On Drew Lock’s first pass, he sailed one over Fant’s head down the right hash. While it initially looked like an overthrow by the rookie quarterback, NBC commentator Cris Collinsworth put the incomplete pass on Fant.

Collinsworth, a former receiver himself, said Fant looked to have “training camp legs,” adding the ball was in the right position for a receiver that runs a 4.5 40-yard dash, as Fant does.

It wasn’t the perfect game that everyone wanted to see from the team’s top tick, but it wasn’t all negative, either.

THE FUTURE Much to the chagrin of many, Drew Lock was Kevin Hogan’s backup entering the first preseason game. But it was evident why on Thursday.

After Hogan looked crisp, leading the team to a touchdown in one of his three series, Lock looked, well, like the rookie that he is.

There was the overthrow to Fant on his first pass, a near interception on another pass and another overthrow on a go route again down the right sideline this time to Muhammad. It’s only fair to give the rookie credit that he wasn’t afraid to take the shots downfield. But he didn’t connect.

Lock did pick up steam, taking off for a first down and later connecting with Nick Williams for a gain of 12 on a play-action boot.

But then he went back into rookie mode, looking frazzled in the pocket as he tucked the ball and ran backward when he still had time. The next play, while it wasn’t as much his fault as the pocket collapsed, he was sacked again.

There was also a delay-of-game penalty within two minutes of the first half under Lock’s guidance.

After the game, Fangio said he was “hoping for more” from the rookie quarterback but that he wasn’t surprised.

“I thought his accuracy wasn’t clean all of the time as well as his reads,” Fangio honesty evaluated his quarterback postgame. “We need to get him ready. More ready than he is now.”

Lock finished the night with 34 passing yards on a team-best 63.6 completion percentage for a 68 passer rating and two sacks.

LAUNDRY TIME Flags haunted the Broncos in their most recent practices. Much like the drops, that carried over to the field on Thursday.

In the first half, the Broncos had a troubling five penalties for 65 yards. In the second half, there was progress, only racking up three more penalties for an additional 25 yards.

While the numbers certainly weren’t great, it was the type of penalties that will drive Fangio up a wall.

There was an offsides on Jeff Holland, a delay of game with less than two minutes in the first half and after a Falcons timeout, an illegal formation on an extra-point block formation and a false start.

There was also a holding penalty on backup center Ryan Crozier that negated a first-down pickup on fourth down in the red zone in the waining seconds of the game. If it weren’t for Winfree’s heroics on the next play, that penalty simply would have cost them the game.

The Broncos ended the game with eight penalties for 90 yards.

DEVONTAE BOOKER The most experienced back on the team didn’t suit up on Thursday, yet it was still a rough day for No. 23.

Hours before the team’s first game, it was reported the team will sign veteran running back Theo Riddick later this week.

The problem for Booker is the soon-to-be new guy in town plays a very similar role as the team’s current third-string back as they are both viewed as receiving backs.

Riddick just happens to be one of the league’s best receiving backs over the last four seasons. With Muhammad and Devontae Jackson impressing on Thursday night, many believe the Riddick signing is bad news for Booker.

Seven Broncos who are trending up after the team’s first preseason game By Zac Stevens BSN Denver August 2, 2019

On Thursday night, the Denver Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons 14-10 to kickoff the NFL’s season in the annual Hall of Fame game.

While most of Denver’s starters were held out of the game, there was plenty to be learned from the team’s extra preseason game. And there were plenty of positives.

Here’s who is trending up after the first 60 minutes of football in the 2019 season.

HOGAN MANIA Everyone knew this was coming, right? Two days after he was asked if he was stuck between a rock— veteran starter Joe Flacco—and a hard place—“the future” Drew Lock—Kevin Hogan acted like he was as cool as the other side of the pillow.

In three series, with Flacco getting the game off, the starter looked like a composed veteran the Broncos hoped he could be when they signed him last year.

In three series, Hogan finished 5-for-8 for 37 yards with no touchdowns and no and a 73.4 passer rating. But his performance was much better than the numbers would suggest, most notably by leading the team to their first touchdown drive on his second series.

On that touchdown drive, Hogan stayed composed after Noah Fant dropped the first pass. Two plays later, he found Fant on 3rd-and-5 for a gain of seven and a first down. No. 9 had two more completions on the drive, moving the chains on both.

If it weren’t for two drops, Hogan would have had one incompletion on the day.

Thursday night’s game was arguably Hogan’s best outing since training camp started.

THE GODFATHER Vic Fangio’s “Godfather” nickname has never been more fitting. In fact, in terms of toughness, the Godfather may need to change his name to Vic Fangio.

After being hospitalized hours before kickoff due to a kidney stone, Fangio was on the sidelines coaching the entire game.

When Tony Dungy, who has dealt with a kidney stone, heard the news of Fangio being in the hospital, he told the NBC broadcast, “There’s no way he’ll be able to coach.”

Well, coach, the Broncos’ new coach was coaching. Talk about tough. And that wasn’t the only way he was tough on Thursday night. Coaching from the sideline for the first time in ages, Fangio dialed up a defensive masterpiece.

After three series, Denver had given up one total yard. One. Fangio’s defense was giving up 0.1 yards per play in those series. His unit balled, only giving up 10 points on 3.5 yards per play.

The only downside was his failed defensive pass interference challenge, although he did become the first coach in NFL history to take advantage of that new challenge.

Oh, he’s undefeated as an NFL head coach.

STARTING OFFENSIVE LINE The Broncos desperately needed to see positive play from their three starting offensive lineman that played on Thursday. Fortunately for them, they did.

Garett Bolles locked down the left side of the offensive line in his two series, and Dalton Risner held his own in his NFL debut next to Bolles.

The best sight to Mike Munchak, however, was Connor McGovern’s pristine shotgun snaps. After struggling throughout the beginning of training camp getting the ball to Flacco in the gun, McGovern put it right on target to Hogan every time he was in the gun.

THE UNEXPECTED KIDS It wasn’t the usual suspects from John Elway’s batch of talented young players. Instead, it was the likes of Malik Reed, Khalfani Muhammad and Dre’Mont Jones.

Reed, an undrafted rookie out of Nevada, balled out of the gate. The outside linebacker racked up a tackle for a loss—where he read the play perfectly and crashed down the line of scrimmage—and had a sack in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Reed again tracked down a run from the backside and made the tackle at the line of scrimmage. The Flacons later double-teamed Reed due to the destruction he was causing.

Fellow rookie Jones had an incredibly impressive NFL debut, too. The third-round pick took over the second half of the game, finishing with three tackles, three quarterback hits and a tackle for a loss. One of his quarterback hits came against starter Matt Schaub that forced the veteran’s pass off target and into the hands of Broncos’ cornerback Trey Johnson for the interception.

Jones was so impressive, in fact, Fangio pointed him out as the first young player that stood out to him after the game.

On the other side of the ball, Muhammad, a seventh-round pick in 2017, had a heck of a game. The smaller speed back showed burst running inside, outside and in space. He finished the day with 50 rushing yards on a 7.1 average, a team-long 31-yard run and the lone rushing touchdown. He was also the team’s leading receiver with 24 yards, including an 11-yard screen pass.

Last but certainly not least is rookie sixth-round pick Juwann Winfree who pulled in the “acrobatic,” as Fangio called it, game-winning catch. Winfree displayed his talent on the touchdown, corralling the tipped ball and getting both feet in bounds to give the team their first “W” on the season. “Winning has cured more ills than penicillin,” Fangio joked after the game.

HONORABLE MENTIONS Josh Watson, the undrafted linebacker out of Colorado State, had an excellent hit on the quarterback on an inside rush. He read the play well and burst through the hole to force an incompletion.

DeMarcus Walker continued his impressive camp by racking up a sack in the second quarter. He “was talking some smack” to the head coach after the game, telling him how good of a game he had.

Trey Marshall had two punishing hits on the night, saving a touchdown on his second. The safety showed he can be a force in the secondary.

Brett Rypien led the Broncos on a game-winning drive, throwing the miracle touchdown on 4th-and-14 with 1:33 left in the game.

Broncos expected to add offensive weapon By Zac Stevens BSN Denver August 2, 2019

Rich Scangarello appears to have another weapon in his arsenal.

According to Mike Klis, the Broncos are expected to sign running back Theo Riddick later this week. While listed as a running back, Riddick posses the biggest threat in the passing game.

Since entering the NFL in 2013 out of Notre Dame, the 5-foot-9, 201-pound back has had more receiving yards than rushing yards every year of his career, including a whopping 697 receiving yards on 80 catches in 2015.

Over the past four years, Riddick has averaged 61.8 receptions for 474 receiving yards and 2.5 touchdowns.

During that same span, the former 6th-round pick racked up 236.8 rushing yards per year on just over four carries per game.

Last year with Detroit, Riddick had 171 rushing yards and 384 receiving yards on 61 receptions. After spending his entire career with Detroit, the Lions released the receiving back on July 27.

After being released, Riddick met with the Saints on Sunday before coming to Denver to meet with John Elway and the Broncos on Monday. The veteran back’s decision came down to those two teams, where he ultimately chose Denver on Thursday.

Riddick will not play in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night as the move is not official and he is not with the team in Canton, Oh.

Now the veteran of the group at 28 years old, Riddick joins a crowded running back room including Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, Khalfani Muhammad, Devontae Jackson and David Williams.

Booker profiles as the most similar player as Riddick in terms of being a receiving back, although Devontae has had more rushing yards than receiving yards in two of his three years in the league.

Riddick averages 3.6 yards per carry and 7.9 yards per catch over the course of his career.

Hall of Fame Game final score, takeaways: Lock forgettable in Broncos debut, Benkert pushes for Falcons' backup job By Sean Wagner-McGough CBS Sports August 2, 2019

The Long Night is over.

On Thursday night, the NFL finally made its return with a real football game -- a preseason game, but still, we'll take what we can get -- with the 2019 Hall of Fame game between the Broncos and Falcons. In a defensive struggle, the Broncos clipped the Falcons with a 14-10 win.

It might be the preseason, but the game didn't lack end-of-game drama. The Broncos scored the game- winning touchdown with just under 90 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, with Brett Rypien's pass somehow landing in Juwann Winfree's arms after the ball took a deflection in the end zone.

But as is the case with every preseason game -- remember, the 2017 Browns went 4-0 in the preseason before going 0-16 in the regular season -- the final result matters far less than the individual performances throughout the affair.

It was a game that featured the debut of notable rookies like Broncos quarterback Drew Lock, Broncos tight end Noah Fant, Broncos guard Dalton Risner, and Falcons guard . It was not a game that featured starters like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Joe Flacco, Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, and so on. Matt Schaub -- yes, he's still around -- got the start at quarterback for the Falcons before Kurt Benkert replaced and outshined him, while Kevin Hogan got things going for the Broncos before it was Lock's turn under center. The first touchdown of the 2019 preseason belonged to Cal product and backup Broncos running back Khalfani Muhammad (as a Cal grad, I'm required to mention that).

With all that in mind, let's take a look at the players who made impressions during the first preseason game of the year, which also happens to mark the beginning of the final phase of the offseason. As a general disclaimer that is relevant for not only this game, but for the entire preseason, it's best not to overreact to anything that happens in the preseason -- whether it pertains to the players or the officials. The preseason can be an important tool for player evaluation, but it's not the only tool that matters.

We begin with the most notable rookie out of the bunch.

Lock unimpressive in debut Lock, the second-round pick out of Missouri and the fourth quarterback selected in the draft, is battling for the backup job behind Flacco. He entered the game behind Hogan on the depth chart. As a result, he didn't take the field until 13:01 remained in the second quarter.

On his second snap, he overthrew Fant downfield. On the next play -- third down -- he was nearly picked on the sideline with an errant pass that was thrown well behind his intended target. On his second series, he overshot Muhammad down the right sideline. He rebounded with a nice throw on the run to Nick Williams for 12 yards, but he was sacked twice in a row to end the series.

It was that kind of outing for Lock -- mostly bad, which is what we should expect of a rookie who is likely going to spend a significant portion of the upcoming season, if not all of it, on the bench behind a veteran.

In the first half, Lock went 2 of 5 for 18 yards and a 50.4 passer rating. He didn't fare much better in the second half -- he did have a nice pass on an early third down that would've resulted in first down if it wasn't dropped -- until he got yanked with just under 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. He finished 7 of 11 for 34 yards (3.1 yards per attempt) and a 68.0 passer rating.

There's no need to overreact to a poor outing in his preseason debut, of course. And with Flacco firmly entrenched as the starter, Lock will be given time to settle in and develop.

Remember what Broncos coach Vic Fangio said a couple weeks ago?

"He's not a QB yet," Fangio said, via 9news.com. "He's a hard-throwing pitcher who doesn't know how to pitch yet."

Give it time.

Hogan doesn't lose backup job Hogan got the first chance to make an impression. The 2016 fifth-round pick of the Chiefs, who joined the Broncos last year but didn't make his debut until Thursday night, experienced a mostly uneventful outing. He was given three series. The Broncos scored a touchdown on their second drive, but went three-and- out on their other two drives.

On that second series, Hogan got into a bit of a rhythm, converting a third down to Fant, connecting with Fred Brown for 15 yards, and squeezing an eight-yard completion to Brendan Langley into tight coverage before Muhammad breached the end zone from in close.

Hogan finished 5 of 8 for 37 yards (4.6 YPA), no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 73.4 passer rating. Two of his passes, both of which were catchable, were dropped.

It was the kind of performance that won't win or lose him the backup job, but at this point, the backup competition is more about Lock than Hogan. If Lock performs well, the job will be his regardless of what Hogan does -- assuming Hogan doesn't suddenly morph into .

Benkert could steal Schaub's spot Schaub started the game and is favored to retain his position backing up Ryan, but he was quickly replaced in the game by Benkert, who looks like he has a legitimate shot at replacing Schaub on the depth chart.

After spending the 2018 season on the Falcons' practice squad, Benkert came out firing. Late in the second quarter, he led an impressive two-minute drill that culminated with a tying touchdown pass to Brian Hill near the goal line.

Benkert finished 19 of 34 for 185 yards (5.4 YPA), one touchdown, no picks, and an 81.1 passer rating before exiting early in the fourth quarter with a toe injury. Schaub, on the other hand, went 3 of 7 for negative-two yards before re-entering the game with 11 minutes to go. He padded his stats enough to finish 4 of 14 for 10 yards (0.7 YPA), no touchdowns, one interception, and a 9.8 passer rating.

Assuming Benkert's injury isn't serious, the Falcons might need to have a legitimate conversation about replacing Schaub with Benkert. He was the best quarterback on the field -- not saying much, but still. And he's cheaper than Schaub, who carries a cap hit of $1.4 million in 2019. That might not seem like much, but consider how much Benkert will earn in 2019: $495,000. Meanwhile, Benkert, at 24 years old, at least has the chance to develop into something whereas Schaub, 38, doesn't.

At the very least, if the Falcons don't feel comfortable proceeding with Benkert as their backup, they might have to consider keeping three quarterbacks if Benkert continues to play this well the rest of the preseason, which is obviously a big if.

Fant's forgettable debut After dropping a very catchable pass on the Broncos' second series, Fant made up for it with a reception on third down to extend the Broncos' second series, which eventually resulted in a touchdown.

But at the end of the second quarter, he was called for an obvious holding penalty, which negated a 23- yard run for Muhammad.

Like Lock, it was an uneventful outing for Fant, which is to be expected of a rookie. Nobody should make much of it. Since he's a first-round pick, a lot will be expected of him immediately, but nobody should rush to judgement after his first preseason game.

Lindstrom immediately impresses On Wednesday, the Falcons got bad news when fellow first-round offensive lineman Kaleb McGary underwent a cardiac ablation procedure, which could sideline him for 6-8 weeks. The good news is that their other first-round pick is already dominating.

Fourth-round rookie stands out Falcons fourth-round pick John Cominsky, a defensive end out of Charleston, made an early impression with a fumble recovery and a sack of Lock.

Cominsky will be fighting for snaps behind the likes of Vic Beasley, Takkarist McKinley, Allen Bailey, and Adrian Clayborn on a deep defensive front, but he flashed potential on Thursday night. Before the draft, our Chris Trapasso highlighted him as a small-school prospect who could make a big impact at the next level, noting his versatility, size, and athleticism as positive attributes.

Keep an eye on him during the remainder of the preseason as he looks to carve out a bigger role ahead of the regular season. Regardless of where he fits on the depth chart, he looks like he could be an important depth piece for the Falcons, who are eyeing a defensive resurgence after they ranked 31st in DVOA a year ago.

Our first look at pass interference challenges Earlier this offseason, in response to the missed call in the NFC Championship Game that cost the Saints a spot in the Super Bowl, the NFL shook up the instant replay system in a major way by making pass- interference reviewable. On Thursday night, Fangio had the honor of becoming the first coach to challenge pass interference. Near the end of the second quarter, a 43-yard penalty was called on Broncos cornerback Linden Stephens, who was defending Falcons receiver Russell Gage down the left sideline. Fangio threw his challenge flag. The contact appeared to be minimal, but without clear and irrefutable evidence to overturn the play, the ruling on the field stood as called.

While some might have gripes that the officials didn't overturn the play -- it didn't really look like pass interference -- what's notable is how quick the review was. That's good news for those concerned about another reviewable play ruining the flow of the game.

As for the ruling itself, it made sense.

As is the case for all reviews, the officials are supposed to see something clear and obvious to overturn the call on the field. It appears to work the same with pass interference -- as it should.

Fangio makes head coaching debut despite hospital trip Thursday night wasn't just the debut for the rookies. It was also Fangio's debut as an NFL head coach after spending more than three decades as an NFL assistant.

The day did not start as planned for Fangio, who was hospitalized before the game with a kidney stone. Still, Fangio was able to take his place on the sideline even though, as NBC's Michele Tafoya noted on the broadcast moments before the game, the stone had not yet passed.

Fangio survived his debut, spending all four quarters on the sideline.

Muhammad makes roster push The Broncos' depth chart at running back is stacked with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman locked in as the team's primary backs and Devontae Booker as an experienced backup, but Muhammad was arguably the most impressive Broncos offensive player on the field.

He finished with a team-high 50 rushing yards and a score on seven carries, and a team-high 24 receiving yards. His ability to return kickoffs could benefit him when final roster cuts arrive.

What's next? The Falcons head to Miami to face the Dolphins next week while the Broncos take on the Seahawks in Seattle as the preseason revs up.

2019 Hall of Fame Game: Broncos rookie Juwann Winfree scores game-winning TD on fourth-down tipped pass By Tyler Sullivan CBS Sports August 2, 2019

Who says the preseason doesn't have a flair for the dramatics?

With under 90 seconds to play in the Hall of Fame Game and the Broncos down three to the Falcons, Denver quarterback Brett Rypien was able to connect with receiver Juwann Winfree for the go-ahead touchdown on fourth down in their 14-10 win on Thursday night. Winfree showed off some strong hand- eye coordination, tipping the ball in the air and hauling it in for the score.

The game-winning touchdown was set up for Denver after they were pushed back to the Atlanta 15-yard line due to a holding call on fourth-and-4. Rypien completed a pass on the play that would have set up a first down and put Denver on the doorstep of the goal-line, but they had to squeak in the end-zone in a more creative way.

That game-wining touchdown was Winfree's lone catch of the contest. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is a sixth-round draft choice of the Broncos out of Colorado. During his final collegiate season, he recorded 28 receptions for 324 yards and two touchdowns. Rypien, meanwhile, was 5-for-10 passing for 41 yards and that score.

2019 Hall of Fame Game: Vic Fangio deploys NFL's first ever pass interference challenge and loses By Bryan DeArdo CBS Sports August 2, 2019

Vic Fangio became the first NFL coach to challenge pass interference. Denver's rookie coach also became the league's first coach to lose a PI challenge.

Late in the first half of Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game between the Broncos and Falcons, a flag was thrown on Denver cornerback Linden Stephens following an incomplete pass from Atlanta quarterback Kurt Benkert to receiver Russell Gage.

After a brief review, officials ruled that Stephens did indeed commit pass interference, a penalty that coaches can now be challenged after the league's owners voted in favor of the rule change earlier this year.

The challenge from Fangio, despite the call clearly looking correct in real time, didn't come out of nowhere. He told reporters before the game that he was planning to challenge a PI call in his first game.

It should come as no surprise that defensive backs, past and present, are not in favor of the rule change. Ty Law, a former cornerback who will be will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night, recently shared his displeasure with the league's decision to make pass interference a challengeable play.

"Yes, I am disappointed in that because it's going to take away from the game," Law told reporters earlier this week. "You know, referees are out there for a reason. Yes, they don't make every call right, but something like that -- a pass interference -- once you start opening that can of worms, it's going to get ugly, and the game's going to get a lot longer.

"I think it's going to be a lot of grey area because I think the defensive players get the bulk of the pushing and the blame for this or that, but there's a lot going on between a defensive back and a wide receiver, especially when you're running downfield."

2019 Hall of Fame: Pat Bowlen got the Broncos to the pinnacle By Shalise Manza Young Yahoo! Sports August 2, 2019

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will formally welcome its Class of 2019 on Saturday. This week, Yahoo Sports is highlighting memorable moments for each member of the eight-man class, leading up to the big ceremony.

Pat Bowlen, owner/contributor, 1984-2019 The Denver Broncos were on the rise when Pat Bowlen bought the franchise in 1984.

After not making the playoffs for the first 17 years of their existence, the Broncos had been to the postseason in four of the seven years before Bowlen, making it to Super Bowl XII a few seasons earlier.

The Broncos had traded for hotshot quarterback John Elway the year before and had coach Dan Reeves in place, so Bowlen bought a team that on paper looked promising.

Under his stewardship, it flourished.

A bigger, sold-out stadium. Super Bowl appearances in three of four years (though they were losses). Players like Elway, Shannon Sharpe, Karl Mecklenburg, and Terrell Davis came in and thrived, the foundation of one of the most successful runs enjoyed by a franchise in NFL history.

Bowlen fired Reeves after an 8-8 season in 1992, and after a short stint with Wade Phillips as head coach, Bowlen hired Mike Shanahan, who had been offensive coordinator under Reeves.

‘This one’s for John!’ Shanahan finally got Denver over the hump. In the team’s fifth Super Bowl appearance, in 1997, the Broncos won.

By then, Elway was 37, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a league MVP and full-fledged franchise icon. He’d started every game that year despite suffering a ruptured biceps tendon in his throwing arm during the preseason.

Though it represented the pinnacle of his career in sports (he was an accomplished athlete himself, running multiple marathons and competing in triathlons, including the famed Ironman Triathlon), when Bowlen got his hands on the Lombardi Trophy at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, he lifted it high and exclaimed, “There’s one thing I want to say here tonight and it’s only four words: This one’s for John!”

Years later, Elway remembered Bowlen’s tribute.

“That was Pat. He was never a guy who wanted to be out front,” Elway said. “He gave you the opportunity and wasn’t the guy out there with the ego the size of New York. He was almost shy and would step back and give the glory to everybody else.” The Broncos won the Super Bowl again the next year, and Elway retired shortly after.

The quarterback returned to the franchise as vice president of football operations in 2011, when the Alzheimer’s disease that would eventually claim Bowlen’s life was in its early stages.

After Super Bowl 50, Elway returned the favor: though Bowlen wasn’t able to travel to the game, when Elway lifted the Lombardi he yelled, “This one’s for Pat!”

‘It was a watershed day’ Off the field, Bowlen was one of the most involved owners in NFL business matters. He worked closely with three commissioners and was a frequent visitor to league headquarters in New York.

He served on 15 different committees, including the powerful broadcast committee. When it was time to re-do television contracts in 1993, he and owner Jerry Jones gambled that another network would up the ante, and Fox did just that. CBS and NBC had been paying $200 million a year for rights – Fox bid $400 million per.

Rights fees have skyrocketed ever since.

“It was a watershed day,” Jones has said. “It changed NFL history, and the game’s relationship with TV.”

Bowlen died in June at the age of 75. He will be presented at the induction ceremony by Broncos athletic trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos, who has worked for the franchise for over 40 years.

What we learned from Broncos-Falcons in HOF Game By Jeremy Bergman NFL.com August 2, 2019

Football, or something that looked like football, returned to our lives on Thursday night as the Denver Broncos topped the Atlanta Falcons, 14-10, in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Here's what we learned from the first game of the 2019 preseason:

1. The Broncos got their first in-game look at their possible quarterback of the future in Drew Lock on Thursday night, and the second-round rookie's debut was a mixed bag at best.

The second Broncos QB to see action in Canton after Kevin Hogan, Lock looked like the "hard-throwing pitcher that doesn't know how to pitch yet" he's been characterized as. The Mizzou product overthrew receivers on two of his first three tosses and lacked anticipation in the pocket on two sacks on his second drive. Lock's best toss of the night, a 12-yarder to Nick Williams, came on a bootleg to his left side.

Of Lock's seven drives, five ended in a punt, including three three-and-outs, one concluded in a fumble and one ended on downs. He finished 7-of-12 for 34 yards with one rush for six yards.

"I was hoping for more, but not surprised," Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Lock after the game. "He's still got a lot of work to do. Thought his accuracy wasn't clean all the time, along with his reads. But you know, it's to be expected. We've got four more games. We've got to get him ready, more ready than he is right now. "

Now we're not going to read too much into a rookie's performance on the first day of August, but Lock did little in his national window to convince his detractors and/or Fangio that he is an "NFL-ready" quarterback. His status as Denver's No. 2 quarterback come September is anything but a Lock.

2. Speaking of Fangio, a hearty "bravo" is in order for the first-year skipper who battled through a bout with kidney stones so that he could make his coaching debut. Fangio was hospitalized in Cleveland earlier Thursday with a kidney stone but mustered up the strength to take the field in Canton thanks to, what he termed to NBC's Michele Tafoya, "wonder drugs."

Fangio confirmed after the win that he had not passed the stone before the start of Thursday's game, telling reporters, "It'd done most of its traveling by the time I left the [hospital]."

It's safe to say Fangio won't forget his first.

3. Fangio made history in other ways on Thursday night, becoming the first coach to challenge a pass- interference call in an NFL game, preseason or regular season. Called late in the second quarter, the penalty on Broncos cornerback Linden Stephens was upheld by referee Walt Anderson and his crew after a short booth review. It was the first time the new pass interference review rule had been used in-game since its institution this offseason. Expect more coaches to test out the rule, and their use of challenges, during the preseason, as they get used to this new reality.

4. Matt Schaub's been Matt Ryan's backup in Atlanta for what feels like forever, but Kurt Benkert (a fellow Hoo) could be coming for his job. The second-year player out of Virginia looked sharp and lively in his first career game action, completing 19 of 34 attempts for 185 yards and a score. Benkert, a UDFA, appeared far more comfortable in and out of the pocket in his eight drives than any other signal-caller on Thursday night. Unfortunately for him, his night ended early when he suffered an apparent toe injury in the fourth quarter, forcing Schaub back into the game for the final stretch.

5. There was no Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker or newly signed Theo Riddick in Denver's backfield on Thursday night. That freed up snaps for Broncos backs further down the depth chart, including Khalfani Muhammad, who stood out when given the opportunity. The speedy third-year pro out of Cal scored Denver's first touchdown and showed great burst on a 11-touch, 74-yard evening.

On the other sideline, third-year back Brian Hill got more run than Ito Smith and made the most for his carries, grinding out 57 yards on 11 rushes. Atlanta needs to settle on a backup to Devonta Freeman with Tevin Coleman in San Francisco, and Hill made an early case for more consideration.

6. As for the first-round rookies, Broncos tight end Noah Fant caught one pass on three targets for seven yards -- he dropped one as well -- while Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom made his presence felt early on.

Pass interference challenged, upheld in HOF Game By Jeremy Bergman NFL.com August 2, 2019

We have history, folks: the first coach's challenge of defensive pass interference in an NFL game.

It came with 3:19 to go in the second quarter of Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game. On first-and-10 from Atlanta's 21-yard line, Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert launched on a bomb down the near sideline in the direction of receiver Russell Gage. The pass fell incomplete, but Broncos cornerback Linden Stephens was ruled to have interfered with Gage.

After the penalty was announced, Broncos coach Vic Fangio threw the red challenge flag to challenge the call of defensive pass interference on the field.

Referee Walt Anderson went to the video, returned to the field a minute later and ruled that the call would be upheld. First-and-10 for the Falcons at Denver's 36-yard line. One challenge lost for the Broncos.

"I didn't have a great look at it. Obviously it was on the other sideline," Fangio said after the game. "But they did say it stands, so it was pretty close. They didn't say confirmed.

"I'd made the statement that I was going to throw the first challenge flag for a PI, and a couple guys were challenging me to do it there, so I did it."

The whole ordeal was the first time in an NFL game, preseason or regular season, that pass interference was challenged.

The pass interference review rule, instituted for the 2019 season, allows for coaches to challenge a pass interference penalty before the two-minute warning of each half. After that point in each half, pass interference reviews can be initiated by the replay official. The replay official will only stop the game when there is "clear and obvious visual evidence" that a pass interference penalty may or may not have occurred.

Whether the refs got the call right upon review is, well, up for review -- it didn't appear that Stephens made much contact with Gage as the WR pursued the overthrown pass. Regardless, the league crossed a rules Rubicon on Thursday night.

Broncos expected to add ex-Lions RB Theo Riddick By Kevin Patra NFL.com August 2, 2019

The Denver Broncos are adding a pass-catching running back to their backfield.

Theo Riddick is expected to sign with the Broncos, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source informed of the decision.

Mike Klis of 9News first reported the move.

The ex-Detroit Lions running back also met with the New Orleans Saints and was choosing between the two. Riddick played under Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins in Detroit from 2013-15.

The Lions cut Riddick over the weekend after six seasons. The 28-year-old is primarily a pass-catcher who struggles with efficiency as a runner. He compiled 288 carries for 1,023 rushing yards and five TDs. In the passing game, he's snagged 285 balls for 2,237 yards and 14 TDs. In his last season in Detroit, Riddick was used almost exclusively as a receiving back, so much so that defenses were essentially tipped off whenever he entered the game. He also struggled with efficiency and drops during the end of his run in Detroit.

In Denver, Riddick will be clearly behind Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman in the backfield pecking order. The signing puts into question Devontae Booker's role as the team's third-down back. We're likely to see a battle between Riddick and Booker this preseason to see who can earn the pass-catching reps out of the backfield.

Vic Fangio was hoping for more from Drew Lock By Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk August 2, 2019

Quarterback play was ugly at the Hall of Fame Game, and that included Drew Lock, the Broncos’ second- round rookie. Broncos coach Vic Fangio said after the game that he had hoped to see a better outing from Lock in his first preseason game.

“I was hoping for more, but [I’m] not surprised,” Fangio said. “He’s still got a lot of work to do. I thought his accuracy wasn’t clean all the time along with his reads, but that’s to be expected. We’ve got four more games and we’ve got to get him ready — more ready than he is right now.”

Lock completed 7 of 11 passes for 34 yards. He was sacked twice, losing 15 yards, and scrambled once for six yards, which means that on Lock’s 14 dropbacks the Broncos totaled just 25 yards, an ugly average of 1.8 yards per play. The best thing Lock did to gain yardage for the Broncos was pick up a highly questionable 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for a hit at the end of that six-yard run.

After the game, Lock gave himself a mixed assessment.

“I think it’s what you can expect from an opener,” Lock said. “A couple ups, a couple downs — but it’s good that we can look at it. There’s a lot of things we can work on, especially myself, and go in and get ready for the next one.”

Joe Flacco solidified his status as the Broncos’ starting quarterback without even playing.

Hall of Fame Game featured shaky quarterback play without Ryan, Flacco By Curtis Crabtree Pro Football Talk August 2, 2019

The first football game of the 2019 NFL calendar wasn’t a kind one for the quarterbacks involved in Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game.

Neither Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan played for their respective teams. Matt Schaub had a dreadful night for the Atlanta Falcons, and Kevin Hogan, Drew Lock and Brett Rypien barely eclipsed 100 yards combined passing for the Denver Broncos.

Kurt Benkert had the most promising showing of any quarterback that played Thursday night and he had to leave the game in the fourth quarter due to an injured toe. The upside is both teams will have four more preseason games to get things clicking before wins and losses start to matter in September.

Schaub was particularly dreadful for Atlanta. He completed just 4 of 14 passes for 10 yards and was intercepted by Trey Johnson in the fourth quarter after replacing an injured Benkert. Schaub’s passer rating for the night was a paltry 9.8.

Before departing, Benkert completed 19 of 34 passes for 185 yards and tossed a touchdown to Brian Hill to end the first half.

If Schaub’s efforts the rest of the preseason mirror that of his opening performance in Canton, the Falcons may need to consider a different backup option headed into 2019.

Meanwhile, Denver’s trio wasn’t particularly glowing either. Kevin Hogan completed 5 of 8 passes for 37 yards after getting the starting nod with Flacco held out. Lock, the rookie second-round pick out of Missouri, completed 7 of 11 passes but for just 34 yards and Brett Rypien went 5 of 10 for 41 yards and a jump ball touchdown pass to Juwaan Winfree that gave the Broncos the 14-10 victory. Broncos G.M. John Elway discussed Lock’s first outing with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth on the broadcast.

“I think that Drew is a very talented young guy that we think has got a bright future ahead,” Elway said. “I think that he saw some different things that he wasn’t expecting, saw a little bit more man coverage than he was planning on seeing. Saw a little pressure and wasn’t really ready about it. But excited about Drew. I think he’s in a good situation to be able to learn from Joe.

“I can still remember my first start in preseason. It’s a big deal. It’s a big jump and I’m sure he was feeling the nerves tonight.

The group went 17 of 29 for just 112 yards and Rypien’s touchdown combined.

Khalfani Muhammad had 74 yards on 11 touches as the most productive offensive piece for the Broncos on Thursday night. Hill rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries and added the receiving touchdown from Benkert to lead Atlanta. Broncos throw first challenge flag for pass interference By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk August 2, 2019

Well, that didn’t take long.

The Broncos threw the first challenge flag for pass interference in the first half of the Hall of Fame Game, and the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating didn’t need long to make a decision.

Al Riveron promised at the NFL’s officiating clinic last month that to overturn a call on the field, the interference had to be “clear and obvious, visual [and] significantly hinders.”

Riveron, who is in the replay booth in Canton tonight, was put to the test with 3:19 remaining until halftime. Falcons quarterback Kurt Benkert threw a deep pass intended for Russell Gage, who drew a flag on Broncos defensive back Linden Stephens.

The 43-yard penalty prompted a challenge flag from Vic Fangio.

Riveron needed only seconds to decide the call stands.

The Falcons did not score on the possession and trail 7-0.

Report: Theo Riddick to sign with Broncos By Josh Alper Pro Football Talk August 2, 2019

The Broncos will not have running back Theo Riddick with them at Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game, but it looks like he’ll be on the roster for their next preseason game.

Mike Klis of KUSA reports that Riddick is going to sign with the Broncos “barring the unexpected.” The deal is expected to get done later this week, so it may be a case of the team finalizing the details once they get back from Canton.

Riddick visited with the Saints in addition to the Broncos after being released by the Lions last month.

Riddick joins a backfield led by Phillip Lindsay. It also features Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker and Riddick’s arrival may not bode well for their bid for playing time. Riddick is likely ticketed for a role on passing downs and that could leave little work for others if Lindsay remains as productive as he was last year.