The Broncos knew DeMarcus Ware was a quick study. Less certain was whether the veteran defensive end was still quick.
After consecutive pedestrian seasons by his standards, including his first injury absence, Ware responded with authority in the preseason opener Thursday night.
During the Seahawks’ 43-8 rout of the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, Russell Wilson’s elusiveness proved decisive. But the Seattle quarterback couldn’t run away from Ware in Ware’s cameo at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
On the Seahawks’ third offensive play Thursday, Wilson tried to wiggle past defenders and Ware notched a sack.
Ware netted two more pressures, and his best moment didn’t count. On a third-down play, after a 45-minute delay caused by lightning near the stadium, Wilson dodged left and circled back to his right. He has forged his career on making big plays at optimal times, but he couldn’t outrace Ware. The 32-year-old forced Wilson to the sideline, preventing the quarterback from squaring his shoulders and leaving him no option but to throw the ball away.
“I felt his presence,” Broncos coach John Fox said after Denver’s 21-16 victory.
A face-mask penalty called against Broncos safety T.J. Ward negated Ware’s effort, but it didn’t diminish his impact.
“It is still training camp, where you can throw everything out there. You throw the kitchen sink out there, and at the end of training camp we have the tool box ready for the season,” Ware said of his approach to August football. “Now, that is what each preseason game is about, to get better.”
Concussion at running back. Seeing extra reps with Montee Ball unable to play, running back C.J. Anderson exited Thursday with disappointment. Anderson left in the second quarter with a concussion and figures to miss time based on NFL protocol. Anderson, competing with Ronnie Hillman for the backup job behind Ball, finished with one carry for 5 yards.
Juwan Thompson, a big back capable of being used in short-yardage situations by the Broncos, continued his strong camp. He was Denver’s leading rusher Thursday, gaining 59 yards on six carries. The newcomer from Duke was slammed down awkwardly on his last run, a 20-yard gallop, but he was cleared after being evaluated for a concussion.
Left is all right. It was subtle but noticeable. As the Broncos marched to their first touchdown, Peyton Manning was able to step up in the pocket. That didn’t happen when the teams last met. And left tackle Ryan Clady deserves some credit. He was a brick wall against edge rushers, his first game since last September, when he suffered a Lisfranc injury in his left foot.
Footnotes. Ward brought promised aggressiveness. A little too much. The newcomer to Denver’s secondary committed two penalties — pass interference and the face-mask infraction — but gained a measure of redemption with a sack on a blitz. … Lerentee McCray was a starter in place of linebacker Von Miller and provided consistent pressure. … Rookie cornerback Bradley Roby caused a fumble with a hard hit on tailback Christine Michael. … Emmanuel Sanders (quad) started but didn’t catch a pass.
