Denver Broncos @ New Orleans Saints
Final Score: Broncos 28, Saints 19
Lead Analyst: Jay Felicio (@GMenJay)
The game followed the script most of us had assumed it would. Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton look just as in synch as last season. The Saints are in a heap of trouble at quarterback. And the Broncos defense is pretty, pretty good.
Three Up
- Courtland Sutton – He’ll continue to get fed by Bo Nix.
- Devin Neal – Showed explosiveness that’s worthy of keeping an eye on.
- Kendre Miller – Did enough to likely enter the season as the backup to Alvin Kamara.
Three Down
- Spencer Rattler – Inaccurate. Missed wide open receivers in every way imaginable.
- Tyler Shough – Touted for his deep ball, but constantly overthrew his targets.
- Kellen Moore – Having to name a starting quarterback from this bunch.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Bo Nix: 10/14, 110 yards, 1 TD
Expected to only be on the field for about eight to ten plays, that changed when the first team offense gained negative two yards on three plays on their opening drive. Bo Nix recovered nicely, completing 10/14 passes and leading the Broncos to scores on his next two drives. Nix and Sutton started right back where they left off, connecting for a 43-yard play action pass and 19-yard touchdown on their final play of the day.
Sam Ehlinger: 22/31, 198 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Sam Ehlinger extended plays and made some impressive throws in his extended action. He flashed his mobility by extending plays as well as rushing for 25 yards on six carries. Ehlinger may have had the play of the preseason with a scramble drill and prayer throw to the endzone that was brought down by Kyrese Rowan for a touchdown. Ehlinger made his case that he could and should be the backup on several teams across the NFL, and maybe the starter for a few.
🚨 Scramble drill TD! 🚨
📺: My20 pic.twitter.com/LHCCvWMP4B
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 23, 2025
Running Back
RJ Harvey: 3 carries, 4 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 1 yard
Audric Estime: 8 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 6 yards
Tyler Badie: 4 carries, 14 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 31 yards
Blake Watson: 4 carries, 13 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards
Audric Estime led the way with 45 yards on eight carries and a touchdown. Estime wasn’t overly impressive, but he did force a few missed tackles on his five-yard touchdown run. JK Dobbins didn’t play, and RJ Harvey was out with the ones, but didn’t do anything of note. The backfield likely starts the season as a committee, with the majority of the work going to Dobbins and Harvey.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Courtland Sutton: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD
The Bo Nix to Courland Sutton connection was on display on all three drives the first team offense was on the field for the Broncos. Sutton saw 50% of Nix’s pass attempts, connecting on a beautiful back shoulder throw and a big-time 43-yard catch on play action. Sutton added about 10 extra yards with a nice spin move.
Pat Bryant: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards
Offseason darling Pat Bryant came down with just two of five targets, but not to his fault. Sam Ehlinger missed him more than once. Bryant didn’t see the field with the first team, but is someone to keep an eye on with Devaughn Vele traded to New Orleans.
Troy Franklin: 2 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards
Marvin Mims Jr.: 1 carry, 0 yards
Neither Troy Franklin nor Marvin Mims Jr did much of anything, but they entered the season as the second and third receivers behind Courtland Sutton. Mims is the WR2 for now, but Franklin’s impressive preseason closed the gap just a bit.
Evan Engram: 1 target
Evan Engram saw just failed to record a catch on just one target, but there’s no concern for his fantasy value heading into the season. He should slot in as one of Nix’s top options after Courtland Sutton.
Kyrese Rowan: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 33 yards, 1 TD
Jerjuan Newton: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards
Michael Bandy: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 5 yards
Courtney Jackson: 1 target, 1 reception, 20 yards
A.T. Perry: 1 target
Evan Engram: 1 target
Lucas Krull: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 49 yards
Caleb Lohner: 2 targets, 1 reception, 23 yards
Adam Trautman: 1 target, 1 reception, 1 yard
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Spencer Rattler: 5/8, 43 yards | 1 carry, 0 yards
Spencer Rattler opened the first drive with a 12-yard toss to Chris Olave, but it was the first of his many underthrown passes throughout the day.. In his defense, he was pressured nonstop by the ferocious Broncos pass rush. But even when given a clean pocket, Rattler was off target on nearly all his completions, including throwing behind a wide-open Rashid Shaheed on a deep ball that should have gotten the Saints inside the red zone. Rattler did nothing to garner any confidence in him as the Saints’ starting quarterback.
Tyler Shough: 12/20, 102 yards | 2 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD
Not great, Bob. You can replace “Spencer Rattler” with “Tyler Shough” in the blurb above and have a pretty good idea of Shough’s performance. Completions were mainly short, easy throws: ugly floaters and inaccurate pass attempts to wide-open receivers. Shough’s constant overthrowing of the ball caused Saints passcatchers to have to jump instead of catching the ball in stride, either causing an incompletion or costing valuable yards after the catch. His rare underthrow was a costly one, forcing receiver Mason Tipton to slow down and come back to the ball after he had the defender beat, leading to yet another incompletion instead of a touchdown had Shough hit him in stride. With 5:10 left in the third quarter, Shough was staring down the first read and failed to see the blitzing linebacker who blew past the lineman and hit his arm, causing a fumble and turnover. Shough recovered ever so briefly, a couple of nice completions late in the 3rd, but would miss wide-open Cedrick Wilson at the 7 in what could have been a TD, would have been inside 5 at least. The lone positive was Shough’s athleticism on display, extending plays with movement in and around the pocket, as well as a 15-yard touchdown run on a read option in the fourth quarter.
Tyler Shough keeps it and runs it in untouched ‼️
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/sVvG3MhrwV
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025
Jake Haener: 5/9, 37 yards | 1 carry, 10 yards
Jake Haener will not open the season as the Saints’ starting quarterback.
Running Back
Kendre Miller: 3 carries, 15 yards | 1 target
Kendre Miller made the most of what was given to him. He hit the lanes when they were given to him, averaging five yards per carry on three attempts, and had a nice seven-yard run called back due to a holding penalty. His lone target was overthrown by a rushed Spencer Rattler.
Devin Neal: 5 carries, 20 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 10 yards
Finally getting on the field after a hamstring injury cost Devin Neal the Saints’ first two preseason games, he was solid. Neal looked more explosive than Kendre Miller and was able to come down with both of his targets. He was able to convert a third and five from a dump off from Tyler Shough on a busted play early in the fourth quarter.
Cam Akers: 2 carries, 5 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 2 carries, 4 yards
Velus Jones Jr.: 1 carry, 2 yards
Marcus Yarns: 1 target, 1 reception, 13 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Chris Olave: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 29 yards
Chris Olave came down with all three of his targets and looked like his old self. It was encouraging to see Kellen Moore draw up a screen for Olave on his second target, a potential sign he’ll scheme touches for his best receiver effort to overcome the agonizing play at quarterback.
Rashid Shaheed: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
Rashid Shaheed should have had a much better day, but came down with two of three targets. Rattler threw behind him on what should have been a 20+ yard catch late in the first quarter.
Brandin Cooks: 2 targets
Kevin Austin Jr.: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 34 yards
Dante Pettis: 4 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
Cedrick Wilson Jr.: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards
Mason Tipton: 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards
Roderick Daniels Jr.: 1 target
Moliki Matavao: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 23 yards
Treyton Welch: 2 targets, 1 reception, 21 yards
Jack Stoll: 1 target, 1 reception, 12 yards
Seth Green: 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards
Unless one of Rattler or Shough makes a massive leap forward, the only pass catchers on the Saints you should have any interest in from a fantasy perspective are Olave and Shaheed.