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Predictions

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons

By Bush StaffUpdated 7d ago·2 min read
Denver BroncosDEN(0-0)
Atlanta FalconsATL(0-0)
27—7
FINAL
Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Broncos(0-0)
LWWWL
27
Falcons(0-0)
WWWWL
7
Best BetBroncos -218
Postgame

Stidham and Denver's reserves made this look easy from the jump, scoring on the opening drive and building a 17-0 lead before the first quarter even wrapped — exactly the mismatch in unit continuity the pre-game case pointed to. Tagovailoa's rough audition validated the read on Denver's deeper QB2 group; -218 looked like a gift by the final whistle.

Pregame

Denver's the heavy favorite here, and it's a fair price given Payton says he's playing his starters while Atlanta's starting quarterback situation is still murky with Penix sidelined. Backing the Broncos moneyline in a preseason opener is more about which team commits to game-planning than which roster is better on paper.

Nix sat out Denver's preseason opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, handing the offense to Jarrett Stidham, and Sean Payton's backup made it look easy. Tua Tagovailoa got the start for Atlanta in his first appearance in a Falcons uniform, but the debut was forgettable — 3-for-5 for 22 yards and no points to show for his two possessions before giving way to Cooper Rush. With Michael Penix Jr. still not cleared for full-contact work, this was Atlanta's first real look at how its QB competition plays out under center.

Denver was already without Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle and J.K. Dobbins, and none of them saw the field here either. Atlanta, meanwhile, is bracing for a season without linebacker James Pearce Jr., who drew an 8-game suspension this week. Neither absence mattered much once Stidham got rolling and Denver's top defensive grouping went to work, forcing empty possessions before either team's reserves even got a look.

Adam Prentice punched in a 1-yard touchdown on Denver's opening drive, and by early in the second quarter the Broncos were already up 17-0 — a laugher before most fans had found their seats. Atlanta's offense never found any footing behind its projected QB1, an inauspicious first step for a Falcons team that handed Cooper Rush rotational reps as the backup plan Kevin Stefanski signed off on this week.

Denver closed last season 3-2 in its final five games before a January loss to New England, while Atlanta finished on a four-game heater, capped by a nail-biter over New Orleans. None of that carries over to an exhibition slate where rosters are still being built, but it's a reminder of the talent gap on paper heading into this one.

Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
(0-0)
Jan 25Lvs Patriots7-10
Jan 17Wvs Bills33-30
Jan 4Wvs Chargers19-3
Dec 26W@ Chiefs20-13
Dec 21Lvs Jaguars20-34
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
(0-0)
Jan 4Wvs Saints19-17
Dec 30Wvs Rams27-24
Dec 21W@ Cardinals26-19
Dec 12W@ Buccaneers29-28
Dec 7Lvs Seahawks9-37

The bigger story for both teams is what happens away from the box score. Bijan Robinson's three-year extension and Drake London's continued growth as Atlanta's WR1 give the Falcons a real offensive core to build around once Tagovailoa or Penix settles in as QB1. Denver's own backfield picture is taking shape too, with RJ Harvey expected to carry a bigger workload in Year 2 and Jonah Coleman turning heads at camp — reinforcements that didn't even need to touch the field Friday to matter.

Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
(4)
  • QuestionableAlex Forsyth (C) — Forsyth (ankle) participated in Denver's training camp Tuesday, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.08/06
  • QuestionableCaleb Lohner (TE) — Lohner (lower body) does not yet have a return timeline, Luca Evans of The Denver Post reports.08/03
  • OutJordan Turner (LB) — Denver announced Monday that Turner (undisclosed) has passed his physical and been removed from the team's non-football injury list, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.08/11
  • OutNick Gargiulo (G) — Gargiulo (knee) is likely to begin the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.07/28
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
(6)
  • QuestionableMichael Penix Jr. (QB) — Penix (knee) still hasn't been cleared for 11-on-11s and won't be available for Friday's preseason opener against Denver, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.08/12
  • QuestionableCameron Sample (DE) — The Falcons signed Sample (knee) on Monday, Will McFadden and Tori McElhaney of the team's official site report.08/10
  • OutZach Harrison (DE) — The Falcons activated Harrison (undisclosed) from the active/non-football injury list Friday, William McFadden of the team's official site reports.08/08
  • OutDeAngelo Malone (LB) — The Falcons placed Malone (undisclosed) on the reserve/PUP list Tuesday, Will McFadden of the team's official site reports.08/04
  • OutBilly Bowman Jr. (CB) — The Falcons placed Bowman (Achilles) on the active/PUP list Wednesday.07/30
  • OutAnterio Thompson (DT) — The Falcons placed Thompson (undisclosed) on the active/non-football injury list Saturday, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.07/26

None of it changes what Friday actually was: a lopsided tune-up that means nothing for either team's record but plenty for roster battles still being decided. Denver's group looked like the more finished product from snap one, and it wasn't particularly close.

Sources

NFLDenver BroncosAtlanta FalconsPolymarketKalshi