Broncos LT Garett Bolles Responds to the OL's Bad Preseason Debut

The Denver Broncos' offensive line has been roundly criticized after failing to protect Russell Wilson in Arizona.

Veteran left tackle Garett Bolles' recent bullish declaration that he wants to form one of the best offensive lines in football fell flat on Friday night in the Denver Broncos' 18-17 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals. 

According to Warren Sharp's advanced analytics, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson had the highest pressure rate over the first weekend of NFL preseason action. Furthermore, Wilson's 64% pressure rate didn't ease up when his backup Jarrett Stidham entered the line-up either, with the Broncos' new QB2 also having to endure a dismal 59% pressure rate when he was inserted under center behind a clumsy-looking O-line.

context for QB preseason performance

preseason week 1 pressure rate:

64% - Russell Wilson
63% - Jake Browning
59% - Jarrett Stidham
53% - Nathan Rourke
52% - Tommy DeVito
50% - Mason Rudolph
50% - Chris Streveler
50% - Gardner Minshew
50% - Brett Rypien
50% - Trey Lance
50% -…

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 14, 2023

Bolles looked particularly shaky on Wilson's all-important blindside against the Cardinals. Considering the 31-year-old Bolles is returning from a serious broken leg, which cost him all but five games last year, to hear him complain post-game about the rust falling off came as no surprise.

“I just think that we dusted the rust off and started getting into a groove,” Bolles said post-game Friday night. “It is good to see those things. We have new faces in our lineup, so it is good to see those guys get in there and do the things that they need to, but one touchdown isn’t going to cut it.”

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Keeping Wilson upright will be a key factor in what the Broncos will try to achieve this season. The fact that Bolles' training camp struggles translated to preseason action is bound to set off alarm bells at Broncos HQ.

Much work will need to be done to build some kind of cohesion in the unit because Bolles wasn't the only culprit. High-dollar free-agent acquisition Ben Powers was leaky at left guard, and with Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey remaining sidelined, getting the O-line to gel could prove difficult for new OL coach Zach Strief.

Bolles' struggles could be rooted in his ongoing battle to overcome his long-standing discipline lapses and the lasting effects of last season’s unfortunate injury. But with the regular season looming, time is becoming the enemy for Bolles and the Broncos.

Sean Payton's nuclear alternative of benching Bolles doesn't bear contemplating at this juncture. With free-agent options around the NFL being sparse at the moment, Payton and company have little option but to trust that Bolles can get his game back on track in short order and work to give him the tools to do so.

Bolles sounds far less worried than perhaps those who were watching him struggle in pass protection, and as the dust settled after Friday's one-point defeat, he seemed more at ease with ironing out the issues as a group.

“We have to do better on all aspects of the game,” Bolles said. “Seven points isn’t going to cut it. It’s not where we need to be. It is a good starting point. We are going to watch the film, break down the film and see what we need to do to improve.”

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