Bo Nix, Courtland Sutton shine, run game fizzles

It was Sam I Am time for Denver on Saturday, as QB3 Sam Ehlinger led the Broncos to a 28-19 win over the Saints in the final preseason game of the year. Here’s a stock report as head coach Sean Payton and staff try to sort out a final 53-man roster.

Stock up

The Nix-Sutton connection: It didn’t start pretty, but it ended spectacularly. Courtland Sutton dropped a short ball from Bo Nix on the first play of the game Saturday in New Orleans, and the two looked off through a shaky first couple of Denver drives. Nix overthrew Sutton on one wide-open third down in which Sutton appeared to sit against a zone. Wasn’t great.

From that point forward, though, they clicked into rhythm. First came a fourth-down call by Payton — in clear exasperation at his offense’s slow start — for a one-on-one back-shoulder for a first down. Then came a twisting 43-yard bomb by Nix rolling to his left, not missing a step on a highly difficult rotation back to his right. They capped off the final drive for starters with a back-shoulder slant from Nix to Sutton in the end zone, the wideout showcasing his well-revered body control in pivoting midair. Crisis averted. Nix barely threw to anyone else on the day.

Cranky Sean Payton: At no point, on any early pan to Payton on the sidelines on 9News’ broadcast of Broncos-Saints, did the man look happy. For good reason. The Broncos’ first-team offense looked bad, again, for a couple of drives. Payton smoldered.

He said this week that starters would play eight to 10 plays. But after 13 cumulative plays across Denver’s first two drives, Payton sent Nix and the first team back out for a third drive. They needed rhythm, and they found it. Acute decision-making from Payton to create some good vibes entering Week 1.

Lucas Krull: A few weeks ago, Krull looked like an afterthought in Denver’s tight end room. A few weeks later, he’s made it rather difficult for the Broncos to cut him. He had three catches for 49 yards Saturday, including one athletic 27-yard grab up the seam from Sam Ehlinger. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound 27-year-old has had a great camp and could offer Payton some unique two-tight-end packages next to Evan Engram if he made Denver’s roster.

Isaac Shewmaker and Brian Niedermeyer: Boy, the Broncos’ edge guys are going to make their coaches some money. There’s been no drop-off throughout the entirety of camp between Denver’s first-team pass-rush and their third-team, and that continued at every level in New Orleans. Jonathon Cooper sacked the Saints’ Spencer Rattler on their second drive. Jonah Elliss made a couple of nice plays against the run. Rookie Que Robinson destroyed rookie Saints tackle Jonathan Mendoza for a strip-sack in the second half.

Shewmaker was promoted to Denver’s linebackers coach this offseason, and Niedermeyer has worked primarily with the OLBs as a quality-control assistant. They’ll have some juicy lines on their resume after a year with this pass-rush.

Stock down

Revamped first-team rushing game: Nix ended up turning around his entire preseason on his last drive. He could not, however, instill much confidence in Denver’s ground game. Reserve backs like Tyler Badie and Audric Estime popped on a few plays Saturday, but early attacks from RJ Harvey — both in inside and outside zone — yielded little. Denver’s first-team offense finished the preseason with just 36 yards on 12 carries. Payton has expressed extreme confidence that this is a different Broncos running game, and J.K. Dobbins didn’t get a single carry yet this preseason, but the tape hasn’t been thrilling.

Lou Ayeni’s sanity: Beyond the first team, though, none of the Broncos’ backup backs made it any easier for running backs coach Ayeni to give input on the final 53-man roster. Badie had a 47-yard kick return and caught five passes. Estime had his best game of the preseason, leading Denver with 45 rushing yards. Watson turned a negative play into a few-yard completion by making a guy miss. There are no cut-and-dry decisions here.