The Denver Broncos finished the preseason by thumping the Minnesota Vikings 34-6. If you think that means something for the season opener, you’re not paying attention.
This was a typical third preseason game. The vast majority of starters sat out. The backups played. And those backups looked sharp — sharp enough that, according to Yahoo Sports, the Broncos ended the preseason on a “dominating” note after a disappointing showing last week.
Here’s the contrarian read: this win tells us almost nothing about the Broncos’ chances against Kansas City. It tells us a lot about the bottom of the roster.
That’s the real winner. The bubble players who made a final case before cutdowns. Coach Sean Payton said it plainly after the game: “There’s just so many times that all of a sudden, somebody made a team. We talk about that all the time.” One of those someones apparently “made us spin the chair,” as the Broncos’ site put it.
The losers? Anyone tempted to bank this score and expect it to carry into Arrowhead. The Vikings were also playing backups. Dominating a roster that won’t dress in Week 1 is a nice confidence boost. It is not a trend.
And the previous week’s blowout loss — with the first team playing reasonably well, per Mile High Report — already proved that preseason scores don’t track onto the regular season. The Broncos could not stop whoever they faced at home last week. They flipped that against Minnesota’s rejects. Neither result matters much now.
What matters is which of these backups made the 53-man roster. That decision is likely what Payton was referencing when he talked about guys making a team. This game gave the coaches a last live look at players who will be expected to contribute in September.
Next up is Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes isn't sitting out. The backups won't be the story. And a preseason blowout over the Vikings won't be worth a single point in that game.
So enjoy the win, Denver. Just don’t mistake it for a preview. The score that counts is still a week away — and the opponent is a lot better than Minnesota’s second string.