Broncos-Packers 4 downs: S Keidron Smith making case to stick with two picks in two weeks

Initial thoughts from Broncos’ 27-2 win over the Packers at Empower Field:

1. Keidron rocks: We’ve found 2024’s Essang Bassey! Second-year safety Keidron Smith, who bounced around with the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders last season, recorded his second preseason pick in as many preseason weeks to close out an emphatic opening two quarters. The former SEC star snagged a Sean Clifford misfire and returned it 56 yards to set up the Broncos’ second and last touchdown of the first half. The bright side for Smith: Even if the last two games don’t help his roster status with the Broncos, the film should surely help around the league. Bassey recorded three picks for the Broncos during the ’23 preseason. He wound up playing four games in the regular season before being cut in early October, eventually catching on with the Chargers (’23) and the Lions (’24).

2. Punter looks like Dixon’s to lose: QB1 isn’t the only race that probably got signed and sealed on Sunday night. Riley Dixon dropped a 45-yard boot to the Packers’ 5-yard line. Newbie Trenton Gill, who played the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears, launched a 45-yarder on his first attempt. His second? Well, let’s just say it left more than a little to be desired. Gill fired off a 34-yard rainbow with 9:55 left in the game that went out of bounds at the Packers’ 25-yard line. Dixon averaged 46.3 yards per boot last fall, landing 27 of 79 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

3. New uniforms looked … good?: There are two things the denizens on “X” will never agree on. One is politics (naturally). The second is the Broncos’ new uniforms. From the press box at Empower Field, the white-tops-and-orange-pants combo looked fairly clean. And pretty slick, truth be told. Although we’ll admit, from a distance, it also looked an awful lot like the Packers were scrimmaging Boise State. But hey, we’ll get used to it. Probably. Eventually.

4. 2-0 preseason means …: Not much, based on recent history, sadly. The Broncos are unbeaten after their first two exhibitions for the first time since 2021. That team, Vic Fangio’s last, wound up 7-10. It’s only the sixth time over the last 20 summers, though, that a Denver team won its first two preseason tilts. Three of those squads (’05, ’14, ’15) made the postseason. The last two (’17 and ’21) didn’t. Average regular-season win percentage: .605, which would mean 10 wins this fall. Again, not much.

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