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Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops back to pass in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. David Gonzales-Imagn Images

5 Burning Questions Broncos' Offense Must Answer vs. Cardinals

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Erick Trickel | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 4:03 PM ET

While the Denver Broncos beat the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason opener, they didn’t exactly find the lasting answers to our questions entering the game. As the Broncos prepare to face the Arizona Cardinals, including another joint practice on Thursday, they're hoping for better results in answering the questions still lingering around the offense.

What are these questions for the Broncos to answer on offense? Let's dive in.

Can the Starting Unit Look Improved?

The Broncos' starting unit struggled to be effective against the 49ers. Granted, it was only a few drives, but the first-teamers didn't have the showing you’d want to see. The Broncos now face a different kind of challenge with the Cardinals, but how much the starters play remains to be seen.

At Levi's Stadium last week, it all started with the Broncos' interior offensive line, where center Luke Wattenberg, right guard Quinn Meinerz, and Ben Powers all struggled. Bo Nix looked a bit panicked at times in the pocket, and the run game was lackluster. It is a small sample size, and preseason means little, but you want to see more.

Nix reportedly looked very sharp in Thursday's joint practice vs. the Cardinals. Hopefully, he can translate that momentum into Saturday's game.

Can the RBs Show More Big-Play Potential?

Part of the Broncos' issues with their first unit was the run game. J.K. Dobbins didn’t carry the ball, and RJ Harvey was lackluster, picking up 18 of his 24 yards on two runs. Denver's best back was Tyler Badie, who saw the field against the second and third unit defenses.

Against the Cardinals, it’d be nice to get some runs from Dobbins and see more of Harvey's vision and explosive ability. Even Jaleel McLaughlin, who seems poised to be the third back, needs to show more, though he did have a nice run called back for a penalty.

Can the Depth Repeat the Success?

While the starting offense struggled, the second unit performed exceptionally well, consistently moving the ball and scoring points. Even though you don’t want to see the second-teamers on the field during the regular season, you want to see them succeed in case they have to see the field due to injury.

It was a good game against the 49ers, but a repeat performance would be outstanding to see for the depth, especially with the offensive line. Now, the Broncos' backups are playing against guys lower on the depth chart, which doesn’t always translate to success against top guys, but it can build trust in the coaching staff.

Can the TEs Make a Positive Impact?

Evan Engram didn’t do much against the 49ers, and while Lucas Krull had a wide-open touchdown catch, he didn’t do much else. The rest of the Broncos' tight ends were lackluster with their play, especially Adam Trautman as a blocker.

It was a preseason game, so there isn’t much stock put into Engram's showing, but the rest of these guys are going to get plenty of opportunities, and the Broncos need to see more. Denver needs Trautman and Nate Adkins to provide some answers as blockers so that the tight ends don’t hold back the offense like they did last year.

Can Anyone Rise to Become Trade Bait?

The Broncos seem to have solid depth at multiple spots, and not everyone can make the 53-man roster. When that is the case, you want to showcase players to try and get another team to trade for them, so can the Broncos get those players to stand out for that to happen?