Broncos Defense Under Fire, But Sean Payton Isn’t Buying the Narrative
The numbers might raise eyebrows, but Sean Payton isn’t hitting the panic button. After Sunday’s 34-20 loss to the Jaguars - Denver’s worst defensive outing of the season - the Broncos head coach made it clear: he doesn’t believe his defense is regressing.
“I don’t buy it,” Payton said Monday, brushing aside concerns that Denver’s defense is slipping. And while the scoreboard told one story - Jacksonville scored on four of five red zone trips and racked up more points than any team has against the Broncos all year - Payton pointed to the bigger picture.
“You look for those trends,” he said. “And I think our defense has been outstanding this year.”
He’s not wrong. For most of the season, Denver’s defense has been the backbone of a team that’s gone 12-3 and put itself in prime playoff position.
But over the last month, cracks have started to show - at least statistically. The Broncos have gone 3-1 in their last four games, but they’ve allowed 25.8 points per game in that stretch, nearly a full touchdown above their season average of 19.7.
Opponents are also gaining 339 yards per game, up from the Broncos’ usual 291.6.
Against Jacksonville, the issues were glaring: missed tackles, breakdowns in coverage, and a red zone defense that suddenly looked beatable. That last part stings a bit more considering Denver entered the game ranked No. 1 in red zone defense. After Sunday, they dropped to No. 2, now allowing touchdowns on 43.2% of opponents’ trips inside the 20.
Still, Payton isn’t ready to sound the alarm. He pointed to the previous week’s win over the Packers - a game where the defense looked sharp and composed - as proof that the unit is still capable of playing at a high level.
“They [Jacksonville] played a good offense yesterday, and look, they struggled,” Payton said. “We didn’t play well yesterday defensively.
But certainly, the week before against a good offense, we played well and had a big win. So I don’t see it.”
Inside the locker room, the players aren’t sugarcoating things. Defensive lineman Zach Allen, a Pro Bowler and one of the team’s vocal leaders, kept it simple.
“We didn’t tackle,” Allen said. “We didn’t execute on defense.
When you do those two things, you aren’t going to be in a great spot. But again, fixable things and move on.”
That’s the theme right now: fixable. Even with the slip-ups, no one’s pressing the panic button - not Payton, not the players. But they know the margin for error gets thinner with each passing week.
Penalties didn’t help either. The Broncos were flagged three times on defense, totaling 41 yards.
One of those - a questionable pass interference call in the end zone - set up a Jaguars touchdown. Nik Bonitto, another Pro Bowler, knows those moments can swing games.
“It is what it is,” Bonitto said. “We just have to find ways to not create those penalties for us.
A lot of those times, it’s keeping drives alive and giving teams scoring opportunities. So we just have to be better.”
If there’s a silver lining, it’s the run defense. After a rocky start to the season in that department, the Broncos have tightened things up.
They held the Raiders to a season-low 40 rushing yards and limited the Jaguars to just 81 - Jacksonville’s third-lowest total of the year. That’s a step in the right direction, especially as the postseason looms.
And speaking of what’s next - Denver’s got a golden opportunity to bounce back. They’ll face a battered Kansas City team on Christmas Night.
The Chiefs are 6-9 and just lost backup quarterback Gardner Minshew to an MCL injury. With the game set for 6:15 p.m.
MT in Arrowhead, it’s a chance for the Broncos defense to reset and reestablish their identity.
It’s also a chance for rookie quarterback Bo Nix to get back on track after an uneven performance against the Jaguars.
For cornerback Jahdae Barron, it’s about leaning into the culture that’s gotten them this far.
“We are a close team,” Barron said. “We are very family-oriented, so just coming together to clean up mistakes.
Also hitting on the things you do well too. So just hitting on the mistakes and the things that you do well, and just bring it all back together on a short week, go out there and play Kansas City.”
The Broncos have already proven they can win ugly. Now, with the playoffs on the horizon, they’ll need their defense to tighten up - and fast.
But if you ask Sean Payton, there’s no crisis in Denver. Just a team that knows it can be better - and still has time to prove it.