Minnesota Vikings vs Denver Broncos

DENVER -- — Sam Ehlinger capped a three-touchdown performance with an 88-yard strike to rookie tight end Justin Joly in the Denver Broncos' 34-6 rout of the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night in their preseason finale. “Honestly, it felt like the ball was in the air for like 30 seconds, like I was waiting for it forever,” said Joly, a fifth-round pick from North Carolina State who blew past the deep safety, who passed him off at midfield as though he had help behind him. He didn't. “I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh! He’s wide open,'" Ehlinger recouted. "I was like, there has to be somebody around him. And luckily, there wasn't.” Joly was just as nervous about finding himself so wide open. “It's like an open layup in basketball,” he said, adding, “I saw it was Cover-1 and the safety dropped me, and I was like, ‘Go vertical and don’t get yourself covered.' You've just got to go back to fundamentals: catch the ball, tuck it, run and don't drop it at the 1.” Ehlinger also directed a smooth two-minute drill that ended with a 20-yard TD toss to Jaleel McLaugilin just before halftime and connected with running back Cody Schrader on a 14-yard TD strike after relieving Jarrett Stidham, who led Denver to scores on his two drives. Ehlinger finished 15 of 20 for 233 yards, three TDs and an interception. Neither team played its starting quarterback and Minnesota (1-2) didn't even play backup J.J. McCarthy, who was beaten out by Kyler Murray in training camp and sustained a minor ankle injury last week against Baltimore. With Bo Nix looking sharp against Green Bay a week earlier in his only preseason game action, the Broncos split snaps between Stidham and Ehlinger. Nix was one of 30 Broncos who didn’t dress for the game, and one player who did, wide receiver/kick returner Marvin Mims Jr., left after hurting his right foot on the opening drive: “He's going to be fine. It's a bruise,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “So we were really just more cautious with him.” sustained a right foot injury on Denver’s opening drive. Mims recently returned from a lower leg injury that sidelined him much of training camp. The biggest star for Denver (2-1) was Schrader, the third-year running back who rushed for 42 yards and caught six passes for 90 yards, including the touchdown grab that made it 27-6 and capped a 17-play, 85-yard drive in the second half. Stidham led the Broncos to scores on both of his drives with a Wil Lutz field goal and a 1-yard TD run by fullback Adam Prentice staking Denver to a 10-0 lead before Kahlef Hailassie's interception of Ehlinger's pass set up the first of two field goals by Will Reichard. After Reichard's 28-yarder made it 13-6, Ehlinger covered 65 yards in five plays and just over a minute with the payoff coming to McLaughlin on the running back's crossing route over the middle for a 20-6 Denver halftime lead. Pass rusher Jonathon Cooper was one of Denver's game captains. Cooper faces a Monday arraignment on a felony strangulation charge in a domestic violence case that could result in a lengthy suspension from the NFL. Injuries: Vikings: LB Jacobs Roberts injured his left knee and WR Terrill Davis injured his right calf. Broncos: CB Reese Taylor left with a concussion. Up next: Vikings: Host the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13. Broncos: At the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 14. ------ See AP’s full NFL coverage here