Denver Broncos quarterback Chad Kelly hands the ball off to running back Phillip Lindsay (2) in Saturday's 42-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. (Photo: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
The first time out produced mixed results for the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos fell to the Minnesota Vikings, 42-28, in the preseason opener for both teams on Saturday night at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.
The Broncos struggled out of the gate, gaining only 20 yards of total offense and failing to get a first down in the first quarter.
Starting quarterback Case Keenum played two series and was 1-4 passing for five yards.
The Broncos saw the Vikings jump out to a 17-0 lead. Denver finally got on the scoreboard on Royce Freeman's 23-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Later, Isaiah McKenzie returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Broncos to within 24-14 with 1:39 left in the second quarter.
Quarterback Chad Kelly come on in the third quarter and threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matt LaCosse to cut the deficit to 27-21 with 3:26 remaining.
Then after the Vikings punted, Kelly engineered an 11-play, 85-yard drive that took 4:43 and capped it with a 19-yards touchdown pass to running back Phillip Lindsay.
The Broncos had their first lead 28-27.
The Vikings bounced back behind quarterback Kyle Sloter, a former Bronco. He pushed Minnesota back into the lead with a nine-yard scoring strike to Chad Beebe. Sloter's two-point conversion pass to Jeff Badet made it 35-28 Vikings with 6:01 left in the game and Minnesota put the game away from there.
Check out KOA NewsRadio postgame interviews with, in order, head coach Vance Joseph, QB Case Keenum, QB Chad Kelly, PR Isaiah McKenzie, LB Zaire Anderson and TE Matt LaCosse.