Broncos head coach Sean Payton came away from Week 2 believing Jaylen Waddle’s best work is still ahead of him. After watching what Waddle did, Payton said the Broncos have even more designed for the receiver, and Courtland Sutton echoed that view.
“I think that’s only the tip of the iceberg for him,” Sutton said, via the team’s website. “We have more plays in our back pocket that we didn’t even get to.
And for him to be able go out there and do what he did and us be able to have the success, and him being able to go and put together a very efficient day today, it was very promising. And I look forward to seeing where that goes the rest of the season.”
In Kansas City, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy praised Rashee Rice for the way he has handled his first two games back. Bieniemy pointed to Rice’s versatility and the details he’s bringing to the job.
“Rashee is a football player. He’s done a great job of embracing whatever role we want him to assume… He’s done a hell of a job.
He’s doing a great job of blocking. He’s done a great job of working to get open… He does a great job of taking notes in the meeting room and asking questions…”
Bieniemy also addressed the backfield, where Kenneth Walker III and fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson are working in tandem. He stressed the need for balance while Johnson’s workload grows.
“It’s always a balance. The thing is, we want to continue to make sure we’re bringing our players along the right way… Emmett’s role will continue to grow as the season progresses… You don’t want to put young players in a situation that is detrimental to them… You want them to see what it takes to win…”
Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck added that left tackle Josh Simmons has been in team meetings and is making progress in rehab. Wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea also had praise for a pair of young pass catchers, starting with fifth-rounder Cyrus Allen.
“It’s always a work in progress as a rookie at the WR position… He’s done a great job of improving every day, both fundamentally and schematically… He’s really embraced the challenge of getting better every day…”
O’Shea also singled out second-year receiver Jalen Royals for the energy he has brought to the room.
“He goes and gets his hair cut, comes back, gets his first TD, has great energy… He puts the team first in everything he does… It’s been a lot of fun to be around. It has really energized our guys. Rashee (Rice) and the guys have had a lot of fun with him in the room.”
Out in Las Vegas, Cody White made the most of a small sample against the Chargers. White turned two catches into two touchdowns and 24 yards, and head coach Klint Kubiak said the receiver has been standing out since the Raiders added him to the practice squad.
“All he’s done since he got here is make plays on special teams and on offense with his opportunity,” Kubiak said, via Sam Warren of The Athletic. “ So, that’s what we expect from our 70-man roster.
The guys on the P-squad, when you get your opportunity, you make the most of it. He’s a poster child for that right now.”
Kubiak said he is still working with general manager John Spytek on whether White will stick on the active roster permanently.
In Other News...
Tim Tebow Faces Serious Questions As Off-Field Controversy Grows
Tim Tebow is dealing with a very different kind of spotlight these days, one tied not to football but to his off-field work. The former Broncos quarterback has been connected to Life Surge, the Christian group now facing allegations that it pressured people into expensive financial advice programs that offered little in return. Tebow has said he is taking the claims seriously and is stepping back from his involvement while an investigation plays out.
Life Surge has denied the allegations, and Tebow has been a featured speaker at multiple events for the organization in recent years. For a public figure who has long blended faith, charity and celebrity, the situation adds another layer of scrutiny to a profile that has often drawn attention well beyond the game. For now, the central question is how far this controversy reaches and what it means for the relationship he had built with the group. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Lose Promising Rookie Back Just As His Role Was Growing
Jonah Colemans role in Denver was starting to grow at just the right time, and the rookie running back had shown enough against Jacksonville to suggest the Broncos had found a useful piece in their backfield rotation. He played through the game despite a high-ankle sprain, finishing with 39 rushing yards, a touchdown and three catches, the kind of all-purpose effort that usually earns a young player more trust in the weeks ahead.
Instead, the Broncos will have to navigate the next stretch without him after placing Coleman on short-term injured reserve. The timetable points to a return in late October against the Arizona Cardinals, which gives Denver a clear target while leaving the backfield picture a little thinner in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Face A Bigger Davante Adams Problem
Puka Nacuas soft tissue injury has already changed the shape of the Rams passing game, and it leaves Denver preparing for a heavier Davante Adams workload than it likely would have seen otherwise. Adams has been more productive when Nacua is off the field, which gives Sean Paytons defense a different kind of problem to solve heading into the matchup.
The Broncos are expected to answer with Pat Surtain II shadowing Adams and by trying to make life uncomfortable for Matthew Stafford, whose mobility remains limited. Even so, the chess match can turn quickly if Adams starts finding room early, because Denvers game plan depends on keeping Stafford under pressure while limiting the one receiver the Rams can lean on most in this setup. [Read more 🡒]