Sutton made the most of every opportunity, catching all three of his targets for 60 yards.
His biggest play was a roughly 40-yard downfield reception in one-on-one coverage, where he went up and won the ball despite being matched against 6-foot-1, 205-pound CJ Henderson. He also made a one-armed, one-handed grab on a well-placed back-shoulder throw from Stidham and converted another downfield opportunity. Denver was able to isolate Sutton partly because Evan Engram attracted three defenders underneath, leaving Sutton with the matchup outside. After receiving veteran/load-management days during camp, Sutton looked sharp when he actually got on the field.
Cody Roark·
Stidham gave Denver exactly what it needed from the starting quarterback spot, completing 6 of 8 passes for 122 yards while helping the offense pile up 167 net yards in the first quarter. The operation was clean and efficient, with Denver regularly getting the snap off with eight or nine seconds still on the play clock and successfully mixing under-center and shotgun looks. Stidham also took advantage of the play-action game and pushed the ball downfield rather than simply settling for short preseason completions. His best connection came with Courtland Sutton, including a well-placed deep ball that Sutton won one-on-one. Denver finished the first quarter with 11 first downs and converted two of three third downs, reflecting how consistently Stidham kept the offense moving.
Unlock full player intel
Go beyond the surface with trusted beat-writer insight on every player.
