The third game of preseason is always the most intriguing.

Not only does it mean that the official NFL season is peaking around the corner, but it also gives fans a true depiction of what their team will look like during the upcoming campaign. The starters see the field for more than a few drives, and the bottom dwellers don’t see much playing time until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter (cough, cough — Paxton Lynch).

If tonight was any indication of what the Denver Broncos are going to showcase every week, I’ve got to be honest, I am A-OK with it. We saw a strong performance out of Case Keenum and the Denver offense, while the ‘No Fly Zone 2.0’ made things nearly impossible for newly acquired Redskins quarterback Alex Smith.

Let’s glance at four takeaways from Denver’s 29-17 win over Washington:

1. Case Keenum is worth every penny

Some may see this as a bold statement considering the fact that Keenum has been less than stellar so far this preseason. The six-year veteran only managed to complete nine of his 17 pass attempts for a total of 83 yards through his first two preseason games.

No, the 30-year old quarterback out of Houston did not go out and put up jaw-dropping statistics against the Redskins, but he has now completed 21 of his 35 pass attempts for 231 yards without an interception.

Do I need to repeat myself?

Kennum has now throw 35 pass attempts without an interception. This should be music to the ears of everyone Broncos fan on planet earth.

Last season, Denver finished second, only to the Cleveland Browns, with 22 interceptions thrown. Former quarterback Trevor Siemian threw a pick every 25 passes and the team’s aforementioned third-string quarterback, Lynch, tossed a turnover every fifteen pass attempts.

Ever since the departure of Peyton Manning, and realistically even during his final season, the Denver offense has been the Achilles heal to the Broncos’ defense. Not only have they struggled mightily to move the ball up and down the field, but they have constantly turned the ball over, putting the Denver defense in undesirable situations.

This season is going to be different with Keenum under center. He seems to not only control the offense well, but he is careful with the football. A game-manager is exactly what this team needs right now.

Well done, John Elway. Keenum was a fantastic signing.