Sam Ehlinger Torches Vikings for 3 TDs and 88-Yard Bomb: Is He Denver’s Backup for Real?
Sam Ehlinger showed up in Denver’s preseason finale, and he showed out.
Ehlinger threw for three touchdowns, including an 88-yard strike, as the Denver Broncos routed the Minnesota Vikings 34-6 to close out the exhibition schedule. It was the kind of performance that reshapes the depth chart conversation in a hurry.
Ehlinger has been trying to prove for years that he is more than a career backup. This is not the first time he has flashed. He had moments in Indianapolis where he looked like a viable NFL quarterback in short stints, and he has consistently been described by coaching staffs as a smart, coachable player who prepares like a starter.
Now he gets to prove it in Denver.
The Broncos have Bo Nix locked in as their franchise quarterback. Nix’s rookie year exceeded expectations, and Denver is fully committed to him as the future. But every team needs a reliable backup, and the Broncos have been working through the summer to figure out who theirs is going to be.
Ehlinger just made the answer look easy.
An 88-yard touchdown pass in a preseason game is the kind of highlight that lives on the internet for a week. It also tells you something about Ehlinger’s arm and his willingness to push the ball down the field. He has sometimes been characterized as a check-down passer, and this game undercuts that reputation.
Three touchdown passes total mean he was efficient in the red zone. That is another area where Ehlinger’s reputation has been mixed. In Denver’s system, he showed the ability to complete tough throws in the tight spaces.
Head coach Sean Payton has always valued quarterback play. He is not going to let a good preseason performance go unnoticed. Ehlinger is very likely the Broncos backup entering Week 1, and if the reps continue to look like this, Denver has one of the more comfortable QB2 situations in the league.
The Vikings, meanwhile, had a lousy day. Losing 34-6 in a preseason finale is not the way you want to head into your season, especially with J.J. McCarthy out due to an ankle injury. Minnesota has real questions to answer about their offense, particularly at the quarterback position.
McCarthy’s injury has cast a shadow over the Vikings’ preparation for months. He missed almost all of his rookie year with a knee injury and has been trying to build up trust with the offense in his second training camp. Missing the preseason finale with an ankle problem is not the way head coach Kevin O’Connell wanted to enter the season.
Backup Sam Howell is not the answer if McCarthy misses real time. That is Minnesota’s biggest looming concern.
Back to Denver. The Broncos are set up as a team that could sneak up on the AFC West this year. Their defense is good. Bo Nix is developing into a real player. Sean Payton knows how to build a functional offense. Now they have a backup quarterback who can win a game if he has to.
Ehlinger’s job is to make sure Nix never has to be the whole show. On Saturday, he showed he is capable of that.
Denver got exactly the answer it needed. Now the games start counting.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
