Sean Payton didn’t hide from the mess.
The Broncos walked out of Seattle with a 17-14 overtime win on Thursday Night Football, but the head coach left no doubt about what he saw from his team after halftime. Denver built a 14-3 lead by the break, then spent the second half giving the game back piece by piece before Wil Lutz finally ended it with a 53-yard field goal after a Ja’Quan McMillian interception.
That final kick preserved a 4-2 start through six demanding games, but the way Denver got there told a different story. The offense went ice cold after halftime, punted over and over again, and never seriously threatened to put the game away in regulation. The Broncos went three quarters of the second half without a meaningful answer, finishing with only two first-downs after halftime and taking a kneel down with three seconds left just to send the game to overtime.
Payton kept his postgame remarks short, but the frustration came through clearly.
“Obviously a lot of things to improve on, we have to,” Sean Payton said. “Certainly, we have to become more effective, more efficient offensively.”
Denver punted six times in the second half alone, and the offense never found any rhythm once the game changed in the final two quarters.
“We are going to see a lot that we want to clean up,” Payton said.
Still, the Broncos are sitting on a winning record after surviving a brutal early stretch, and Payton understands how close the whole thing has been to going the other way.
“I’m a little bit of a realist to know that 4-2 could easily be 2-4,” Sean Payton said.
Denver has already pulled off comeback wins against the Jaguars, Rams and Chargers, then followed that up by barely hanging on against Seattle. The defense was the difference Thursday, piling up five sacks and intercepting Sam Darnold twice to keep the Broncos from leaving empty-handed.
“Defense really was light outs. Obviously it’s easier to make these corrections when you get a win,” Payton said. “It was a good win, but there’s a lot of work to do.”
Now the Broncos get a mini-bye before facing the Cardinals next Sunday. Payton has a win in hand, and he knows exactly how much fixing still needs to happen.
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Broncos Suddenly Face A Brutal Thursday Test In The Secondary
Denver is staring at a quick turnaround with its secondary suddenly in rough shape for Thursday nights game against Seattle. The Broncos are already planning without Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, a pair of important defensive backs whose absence changes the look of the back end just as the team prepares for a Seahawks offense that still has plenty of passing-game firepower.
The concern gets sharper with Riley Moss listed as questionable because of a rib injury, which could leave Denver stretched thin in a key area of the field. Seattle has some injury issues of its own, including linebacker Drake Thomas, linebacker Chazz Surratt and running back Zach Charbonnet, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Leonard Williams are expected to play, so the Broncos may still be looking at a demanding test under the prime-time lights. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Face A Brutal Week 6 Test In The Secondary
Denvers secondary is heading into Week 6 with some real uncertainty as it prepares for Seattle, and the timing is hardly ideal. Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga are both out with ankle injuries, while Riley Moss is listed as questionable, leaving the Broncos thinner than usual in a part of the defense that is usually built to travel and match up.
Seattle brings a clear focal point in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has become the centerpiece of the passing game and the kind of receiver Denver has to account for on every snap. With the back end shorthanded, the Broncos may have to lean on coverage adjustments and a steadier pass rush to keep the Seahawks from dictating the rhythm of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Pass Rush Hinges On Jonathon Coopers Uncertain NFL Status
Jonathon Coopers status has become one of the key questions hovering over Denvers pass rush as the outside linebacker remains on the NFL commissioners exempt list while his domestic violence case continues. The league is monitoring the matter under its personal conduct policy, leaving the Broncos in a holding pattern with a player who had been part of their edge-rushing plans and now cannot take the field while the process plays out.
The uncertainty is especially tricky because there is still a path, however unsettled, for Cooper to be back during the middle of the season if circumstances change. For now, though, Denver has to plan without knowing when or whether he will be available, and that lingering unknown could shape how the Broncos manage one of their most important defensive spots for weeks to come. [Read more 🡒]