They’re playing the Yawner Bowl in Denver this week.
The CU-CSU game, where the gates open at 6 a.m. and kickoff is scheduled for 10? No. Tonight’s Broncos-Cardinals game at Invesco Field at Mile High. And I use the term game loosely.
Glorified scrimmage is more like it. Good luck spotting a Broncos starter. If you do, he’ll probably be on the sideline with his hands in his pockets.
It has become a tradition in the NFL for coaches to rest their starters in the final exhibition game. The other tradition, unfortunately, is that the owners charge regular-season prices.
The difference this year is that, with a dozen new starters compared to the team that reported to training camp ’06, the Broncos could use some more work before the season opener at Buffalo. The defensive front seven is a particular concern, not to mention the offensive line, where Ben Hamilton has missed the entire preseason with a concussion.
Doesn’t matter. Mike Shanahan isn’t going to risk getting a starter hurt. Not after seeing Ebenezer Ekuban go down for the season in the Dallas game. Shanahan is going to watch second- and third-stringers, many of whom won’t be wearing Broncos uniforms next week. Unfortunately, the rest of us will have to join him.
Now for the good news: The NFL regular season, the most compelling theater on the sports map, is just over the dashboard.
Find more preseason coverage at .
