The Broncos escaped Los Angeles with a win Sunday night, but Sean Payton didn’t sound interested in celebrating the comeback as much as warning about the mess that came before it.
Denver spent the first half getting pushed around by the Rams, and Payton’s main point was simple: that kind of start is going to come back to bite them. As he said in an ESPN report from Jeff Legwold, the Broncos’ habit of disappearing early will “cost us in bigger games,” even if the team keeps showing fight late.
The numbers from the opening two quarters tell the story. Los Angeles outgained Denver 273 yards to 67 in the first half, a one-sided stretch that left the Broncos down 16-0.
It could have been uglier, too. The Rams scored a touchdown on their opening drive and then settled for three field goals in the second quarter.
That matters because one or two of those drives turning into touchdowns likely changes everything. Instead, Denver got the opening it needed for a fourth-quarter rally, even though this team is now three games into the season and still hasn’t put together a full game.
A major swing came from the defense. The Broncos grabbed an interception that became a score, and that helped keep the offense afloat while it struggled to get moving.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga, who had dropped multiple interceptions down the stretch last season, came away with two against the Rams. On one of them, he had nothing but open field in front of him.
There’s no mystery about where Denver’s strengths are. The defense is physical, but it wasn’t spotless. Davante Adams had a huge night against Pat Surtain II, while Riley Moss was flagged for one of those pass interference calls that felt like a throwback to last season’s problems.
The pass rush did show up late. Defensive tackle Zach Allen added another sack, and the pressure eventually arrived, but the linebacker group has been ordinary so far with Jonathon Cooper out of the lineup due to his legal issues.
Payton also made clear that some cleanup has to happen quickly. Last season, Denver took advantage of Kansas City’s struggles and rode a midseason surge all the way to the AFC’s top seed.
This year is different. The Chiefs are 3-0, the Raiders are 3-0, and the Broncos are still trying to figure themselves out while facing a tough early slate.
Next up is a road game against the San Francisco 49ers.
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