Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich caught just one pass for 5 yards in Sunday’s preseason opener.
But it sure felt good being back on the field.
Denver’s 34-30 win at Indianapolis marked Dulcich’s first game action since Oct. 12, 2023. He played in just two games last season due to hamstring injuries.
“It felt great,’’ said Dulcich, who got in for 10 snaps against the Colts. “Living the dream being back out there. Totally just happy to be with my teammates again, contributing and playing ball.”
Dulcich missed seven games due to right hamstring issues as a rookie in 2022. In the two games he got into last season, he re-injured his right hamstring in the September opener against Las Vegas and then in the October game at Kansas City.
Dulcich said two weeks ago he spent a lot of time during the offseason “changing the gait” and “cleaning things up a bit” with how he runs.
Dulcich caught his pass on Denver’s first series from starter Jarrett Stidham. Later in the first quarter, he was the intended target on a deep ball from Bo Nix, the rookie quarterback's first NFL preseason pass.
Nix misfired on his first two passes but finished 15 of 21 for 125 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 102.3. He might now have the upper hand to be Denver’s starter.
“I think he did great,’’ Dulcich said. “I’m super excited for how he did. I mean, we all knew that he was going to do a great job when he was in there.”
Dulcich didn’t start Sunday with Adam Trautman getting the nod. Trautman, listed first on the depth chart, wasn’t targeted in the game. Lucas Krull, the third tight end, led the Broncos with four catches for 31 yards before leaving in the third quarter with a toe injury. Coach Sean Payton said the injury isn’t serious.
Penalties hit early
The Broncos had four penalties on their first two offensive possessions Sunday, which was too many for Payton.
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“We’ve got to be smart enough … to clean up and correct some of the things that we weren't doing as well with,’’ he said.
On the the Broncos’ first drive, there were penalties on wide receiver Tim Patrick for taunting, receiver Courtland Sutton for a false start and tackle Mike mGlinchey for a false start. On their second drive, tackle Garett Bolles was called for holding.
“It’s just a smidge early, trying to time up the cadence and jump on it,’’ McGlinchey said of his infraction. “It’s one of of those things you got to get better at. … (Penalties need to) be cleaned up as the season goes one.”
The penalties hampered Stidham in his two series. The Broncos eventually settled down with Nix and third-string quarterback Zach Wilson in the game. They had just one more offensive penalty and also had one defensive penalty to finish with six in the game.
Solid defensive effort
The Broncos’ defense came a long way last season after giving up 70 points in Week 3 at Miami. And the defense is off to a solid start this year.
The Colts got two touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Denver’s deep reserves. But in the first three quarters, they managed only 10 points on offense. One touchdown in the third quarter came on a 45-yard return by cornerback Micah Abraham off a fumble by running back Audric Estime.
“I think we did really well,’’ safety P.J. Locke said of the defense. “We really executed the calls. We had some mistakes here and there, but that happens in the preseason.”
The Broncos allowed the Colts just 283 yards of total offense. And they were playing without four listed starters in cornerback Pat Surtain II and defensive ends John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen, who were rested, and safety Brandon Jones, out with a hamstring injury
Briefly
Most Broncos starters Sunday got in for around 20 plays. That total could increase for some in Sunday’s second preseason game, against Green Bay at Empower Field at Mile High. “We're going to play guys in this game,’’ Payton said. … Rookie receiver Devaughn Vele had just one catch for 8 yards Sunday, but his height clearly creates problems. The 6-foot-5 Vele, taken in the seventh round, drew pass interference calls for 11 and 29 yards. … Denver’s other rookie receiver, fourth-round pick Troy Franklin, didn’t have a reception while being targeted once.
