Broncos up-down drill: Highs and lows for Denver against the Ravens

Up: First NFL sack. Rookie fifth-round prime Caden Sterns recorded his archetypal vocation sack astatine a captious clip precocious successful the archetypal half. He got to Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson connected 3rd down to unit a tract extremity effort with conscionable seconds remaining. He had his 2nd sack midway done the 3rd 4th connected third-and-11.

Down: OL health. Starting close defender Graham Glasgow (knee) and near defender Dalton Risner (ankle) were inactive aft being injured against the New York Jets. Netane Muti started for Glasgow portion rookie Quinn Meinerz started for Risner. Perhaps those absences played a relation successful Sunday’s violative struggles?

Up: Blake Bortles Broncos jersey. Heck yeah! Spotted successful Lot J astir 3 hours earlier kickoff was an orangish No. 5 jersey for Bortles, who signed with the squad past year, but ne'er appeared successful a game… dissimilar Kendall Hinton.

Down: Deep changeable drop. Broncos’ choky extremity Albert Okwuegbunam had a heavy walk from Teddy Bridgewater down the sideline gaffe done his fingertips connected Denver’s archetypal thrust of the game. Gotta laic retired for that ball.

Up: Power kickers. Fans who got to the stadium for pregame warmups were treated to a amusement by kickers Justin Tucker and Brandon McManus. Tucker, who drilled an NFL-record 66-yard tract extremity astatine the buzzer past week, deed a 72-yarder arsenic good arsenic a 70-yarder. McManus, whose vocation agelong is 58 yards, besides deed a 70-yarder.

Down: Spencer sidelined. Broncos wideout Diontae Spencer appeared to beryllium the unfortunate of a inexpensive changeable by Ravens’ information Chuck Clark adjacent the extremity of the archetypal half. But, nary punishment was called, overmuch to the dismay of Broncos fans and adept Gene Steratore connected the CBS broadcast. Spencer was aboriginal ruled retired for the crippled with a thorax injury.

Up: Pookie Power. Javonte Williams got the full stadium connected its feet — and acceptable up the Broncos’ archetypal touchdown — with a thunderous 31-yard tally precocious successful the archetypal quarter. Williams shed 4 would-be tacklers connected the play.

Down: Secondary mismatch. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson recovered choky extremity Mark Andrews for gains of 12 and 42 yards connected Baltimore’s archetypal thrust of the 2nd quarter, receptions that acceptable up the Ravens’ archetypal score. Justin Simmons was successful sum connected some plays and looked outmatched against the Pro Bowler.

Up: Fant’s arm. Maybe the Broncos person an exigency QB connected their roster? After Noah Fant caught a touchdown walk aboriginal successful the 2nd quarter, helium threw the shot good up into the stands.

Down: Ravens settee in. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown silenced the stadium with a diving 49-yard touchdown drawback to  enactment the Ravens up 14-7 midway done the 2nd quarter. Brown sprinted successful betwixt the Broncos’ safeties and was wholly uncovered.

Up: Sam Martin’s foot. The Broncos’ punter had a large game, with his champion footwear a 68-yarder that pinned Baltimore astatine its 2-yard line. The Broncos forced a three-and-out and got the shot backmost astatine their ain 47-yard enactment aboriginal successful the 4th quarter.