ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – While the Broncos near their Sept. 14 opener against the Tennessee Titans, the team prioritized situation football during their practice at training camp on Sunday.
During several practices, the Broncos worked to stop the clock with only a few seconds left, throw Hail Marys, run red zone plays and operate out of the shadow of the offense ‘goal line.
Then, to conclude the exercise, the Broncos’ attack tried to drive the ball down the field for a final score from ahead.
“Obviously it was a difficult situation there in the end,” said head coach Vic Fangio. “We had 40 seconds offensive left. We were five under [points] with no timeouts. The advantage is there for the defense, but those are situations we need to have to come up with an answer and get that touchdown. “
The foul came close when Drew Lock found Noah Fant under the seam for a big win to put the Broncos in the red zone. With two seconds left, Bryce caught Callahan Lock in the end zone to end the drive and secure a win for the defense.
The veteran unit was largely successful Sunday against the young offender. In an earlier move-the-ball period, the defense of the first team forced a turnover on downs.
CUSHENBERRY GETS HIS CHANCE
After the team’s off-day on Saturday, rookie Lloyd Cushenberry III worked extensively on Sunday with the first team’s offensive line.
The LSU product held up well against the first team’s defensive line and did not allow much pressure. His snaps were on target when he worked with Lock for the most lengthy camp.
During one-on-one drills, Cushenberry also held his own against several members of the team’s starting unit.
And while Fangio said the Broncos will make a determination about who starts at center based on the practice band, Cushenberry’s experience at center in college alone can help.
“I mean, it’s obviously an advantage for him personally that he’s played most of his college career center,” Fangio said. “He played it at a good college. Of course they won the championship last year. He played it at a high level of competition in the SEC. You could say he’s more ready if some players come from certain programs. “
Austin Schlottmann and Pat Morris are also in competition, and attacking coordinator Pat Shumur gave no indication on Sunday when a decision would be made.
“Time will tell in terms of the center, but they all get jobs, they all catch the ball to Drew, and so the rotation there has been good,” said Shurmur. “Time will tell, and I’m sure you’ll check back with Coach Fangio, and he’s going to keep you posted on all of that.”
