The battle to be the Broncos’ backup quarterback might already have been wrapped up, but Sam Ehlinger at least closed the preseason strong.

In Denver’s 34-6 win over Minnesota at Empower Field, Jarrett Stidham started and had a solid first quarter. And that came after Stidham already had the edge to be the backup to Bo Nix, who sat out against the Vikings.

Ehlinger has been battling Stidham for the job, and it didn’t look good when he took over in the second quarter and threw an ugly interception on his first pass. But Ehlinger bounced back after that.

Stidham, the Broncos’ backup the past three seasons, went 6-of-9 for 78 yards for a passer rating of 93.8 and led his team to a 10-0 lead. Ehlinger finished 15-of-20 for 233 yards and three touchdowns to go along with his interception and had a passer rating of 131.9.

“I thought those guys did a good job and the roles kind of played out like we wanted with (Stidham) going and then Sam coming in,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “The thing you look for is they’re moving the ball, finding completions and I’m sure the tape will be what we kind of felt we saw out there.”

NFL teams must get down to their initial 53-man regular-season roster by 4 p.m. Sunday. It will be interesting to see if the Broncos keep three quarterbacks or if they look to get Ehlinger on the practice squad.

Ehlinger is a vested veteran, so he would not have to go through waivers if cut. Last year, he turned down other offers to stay on Denver’s practice squad. He was asked what he might do this time if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster.

“You have to look at all your options, right?” Ehlinger said. “And so that’s what we’ll do. That’s what we did last year. I look forward to whatever opportunity there is.”

Ehlinger, though, said he’s not getting too worried about Sunday’s roster cutdown.

“When it comes down to roster decisions and things of that nature, it’s completely out of my control and so I don’t derive my confidence from the result of what happens with numbers or things of that nature,” he said. “I have great confidence in this organization and the relationship we have and the way they’ve handled things up to this point. So I’m in a really good spot.”

The Broncos used just two starters Friday. Center Luke Wattenberg, who sat out the first two preseason games due to an injury, played the first series. And outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper played the first two series.

Cooper is facing a felony charge for domestic violence and two misdemeanors for an alleged incident in June in Douglas County and has a hearing scheduled for Monday. He could face an NFL suspension or be put on the commissioner’s exempt list, so it’s uncertain when he will next play.

Payton acknowledged that Cooper playing Friday has something to do with the uncertainty surrounding him but also said that he didn’t want to play other outside linebackers too much in the game.

The Broncos took the opening kickoff and Stidham led them to a 43-yard field goal by Wil Lutz for a 3-0 lead. On their next possession, Stidham led them to a 1-yard touchdown run by Adam Prentice and a 10-0 lead.

Ehlinger then took over in the second quarter. His first pass on the left sideline to Dane Key was picked off by Kahlef Hailassie at the Denver 47 and returned for 1 yard.

In the final minute of the first half, though, Ehlinger did throw a 20-yard touchdown pass to running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who was wide open across the middle, for a 20-6 lead. And in the fourth quarter he threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide-open running back Cody Schrader for a 27-6 lead.

Ehlinger midway through the fourth found another wide-open receiver in rookie tight end Justin Joly. He hit Joly in stride for an 88-yard touchdown pass and a 34-6 lead.

“Sam had great protection by the ‘O-line,’ and I was wide open,” said Joly, who added he was amazed at how open he was.

The Broncos didn’t use their top running backs in J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman. But Cody Schrader came up big, carrying 13 times for 42 yards and catching six passes for 90 yards.

Also getting work were Tyler Badie, who had six carries for 24 yards and McLaughlin, who had seven for 23 yards. It remains to be seen if the Broncos will keep three or four running backs on the initial 53-man roster.

The Broncos played wide receiver and top returner Marvin Mims Jr. after he sat out the first two preseason games due to injury, and he was lost early in the first quarter with a foot injury. But Payton said afterward that Mims is “fine” and merely has a “bruise.”

The Broncos used rookie receivers Kolbe Katsis and Cameron Ross and rookie defensive back Sean Fresch Jr. throughout the preseason for all returns. Katsis, after returning a kickoff 40 yards in the second preseason game against Green Bay, had a 48-yard kickoff return Friday.

After a shaky defensive showing by Broncos reserves in a 33-13 loss to the Packers, they bounced back against the Vikings. Denver held Minnesota without a touchdown and to 269 total yards.