DENVER — Seriously? We’re doing this again?

Saturday night was the worst possible scenario for a final preseason game. It was also reality.

Teddy Bridgewater looked like Teddy Bridgewater. Drew Lock came in and fumbled the ball away. The Broncos beat the Rams 17-12 in an exhibition game that doesn’t count, unless you’re talking fan morale, hopes and dreams.

The Broncos still don’t have a real, live, dangerous quarterback. Still. It’s wild! Instead, they are trying, again, to beat All-World stars Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert with a future motivational speaker. Teddy Keenum, I mean, Teddy Flacco, I mean, Teddy Bridgewater, isn’t it. Bless his heart, he’s just not.

The Rams trotted out a third-stringer named Bryce Perkins at Empower Field at Mile High, and I had to Google the man. No offense whatsoever, but I did. Turns out he played at Arizona State, Arizona Western College (Googled that, too) and Virginia. Turns out he outplayed the Broncos’ starting quarterback, Bridgewater.

Bryce Perkins moved up and down the field against Denver’s starting defense — Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Bryce Callahan, all the rest. Teddy Bridgewater started 1 of 6 for 4 yards against the Rams’ hopefuls — Ernest Jones, Brontae Harris, John Daka, my neighbor Kevin, Jake from State Farm, all the rest. One played against NFL starters, one played against second- and third-stringers. Remember the past half-decade of good defense, bad offense? This was that, repeated. We’re seriously doing this again?

“Yeah, it was a slow start for our pass offense for sure,” Vic Fangio said at halftime on 9News.

I’m setting the Over-Under on Lock starting for the Broncos at Week 4 against the Ravens.

Place your bets.

Lock completed 19 of 28 preseason passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Bridgewater completed 22 of 30 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Even steven. Bridgewater “had some high throws,” Fangio said Saturday.

You have no idea how badly I hope to be wrong about this 2021 Broncos operation. Or maybe you do. Maybe you watched the past six years, remembered this is likely Von Miller’s last run here, and are enduring the same flashbacks.

Maybe the training camp practice with one total touchdown, the preseason game where Bryce Perkins outplayed Teddy Bridgewater, and the shaky history of both Bridgewater and Lock are setting us up for a big surprise. I saw the “Sixth Sense,” too, but that’s a whole lot of maybes.

It must be noted the Broncos’ defense did not allow a touchdown in three preseason games. The Broncos ‘D’ should be the best it’s been since the Super Bowl 50 champs. That’s fun, and it’s all the more reason to pull out all the QB stops.

But come on. This was discouraging, and it was against the Rams’ backups on defense. In the time it takes Bridgewater to go 1 of 6 for 4 yards, Mahomes goes 8 of 9 for 120 yards and two touchdowns. I’m not lying. I’ve seen it. Eleven … straight … times … against the Chiefs. Yes, it was only preseason and, yes, there are 17 real games for these Broncos to prove they’re not more of the same. But if that’s the trailer, are you shilling out $150 for the movie?

ABC analyst Brian Griese is a straight shooter, and he came out of halftime with this appraisal: “First things first, nobody got hurt.” I had dates like that: First things first, great personality.

Nobody getting hurt can’t be the offensive highlight when Mahomes and Herbert are the rivals within the division. It doesn’t end well.

Broncos general manager George Paton was the halftime guest on the local broadcast. Paton’s great on camera. He’s funny, sharp, Southern California easy. And he has a six-year contract.

“I like our future,” Paton told Griese.

Same. Courtland Sutton (caught a touchdown in his first game in over a year), Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, “Pookie” Williams, Noah Fant, Pat Surtain II, Dre’Mont Jones, all the rest — how could you not like the future? But why waste the now when it’s so clear this now won’t work?

“It’s really imperative to get off to a good start (this season),” Paton said.

George Paton, Vic Fangio and the Broncos should call an audible. Bench Bridgewater, start Lock, and give this season a chance. If you think Saturday’s production would beat the Chiefs and Chargers, it’s not only the throws that are high.