It was a scorching day in Dove Valley as the Denver Broncos took the field again for Day 7 of training camp. Wednesday’s practice was a red-zone emphasis day for Sean Payton as the offense looked to bounce back from getting stifled by the defense on Tuesday.
Denver Broncos offense and defense trade series in red-zone period
So far, throughout the early start of Denver Broncos training camp, the defensive side of the ball has made things difficult for Russell Wilson and the offense. Tuesday’s practice saw the defense generate tons of pressure, leading to sacks.
On Wednesday, the Broncos’ offense and Wilson had a chance to respond in the red-zone period, which hasn’t been kind to the team’s production for the past few seasons.
On the first play from scrimmage, the Broncos’ defense once again sent pressure after Wilson, who managed to scramble outside to pick up several yards. Needing some momentum, Wilson connected with wide receiver Courtland Sutton on the next play for a big gain.
Ben Powers and Samaje Perine helped make the play possible by providing extra protection against the blitz, allowing Wilson to stand in the pocket to deliver the throw.
Wilson maneuvered through the defense on the next play and ran it into the endzone, giving the offense a spark against the defense they hadn’t previously had in training camp.
The second red-zone series of the day to end camp didn’t go as planned for the offense, however. Nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams ended practice by intercepting Russell Wilson’s pass attempt.
Williams has put together a very solid training camp as he prepares for his second season with the team, earning himself praise from Payton following practice.
“He’s had a good camp,” Payton said. “He’s got good ball skills. You see his speed, and he’s got really good range. I think he plays well deep and some guys have trouble with the ball deep, but he’s someone that I think is very comfortable going from low to high, and vice versa. I think he stood out.”
The Denver Broncos will continue ramping up their practices and will work on their first two-minute drill of training camp later this week.
Other Broncos news and notes from Day 7
- Denver Broncos third-round rookie cornerback Riley Moss will miss at least four weeks, according to Sean Payton after having core muscle surgery to repair a sports hernia. It’s unclear whether or not Denver makes a procedural move after the roster cutdown period, where he could have a brief stint on short-term injured reserve.
- Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci each had good days of practice. Both players connected with tight end Adam Trautman for big plays down the field.
- Undrafted rookie free agent Jaleel McLaughlin continues to impress at training camp, consistently running for various big plays in each practice.
- New addition offensive guard Ben Powers had several big plays on the day in the blocking game, pancaking defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster and helping out in pass protection against Jonathon Cooper during the red-zone series where Russell Wilson connected with Courtland Sutton.
- Justin Simmons came away with another interception of Russell Wilson during the first team period of the afternoon; Wilson’s pass floated a little to high past the receiver, and Simmons jumped it.
- Running back Javonte Williams and outside linebackers Randy Gregory and Aaron Patrick each had load management days as they all come off major injuries from last year. Sean Payton’s plan is for players coming off of major injuries to practice in pads for two straight days, giving them the third day off.
- Wide receiver Taylor Grimes seemingly won the day during the Broncos one-on-one period with catches against P.J. Locke and Justin Simmons. He’s a name to keep an eye on.
The Denver Broncos will return to the practice field as Training Camp continues on Thursday.