The Denver Broncos have gotten off to another slow start. They are 0-2 to start the season after losing to the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders in the first two weeks of the season. The loss to the Commanders in Week 2 especially hurt.
The Broncos led by as many as 18 points in the first half but found themselves trailing by as many as 11 in the second half. For the first time in a long time, it was their defense that was unable to answer the call as Denver lost the game 35-33.
While the offense was able to put up some points, there were still some issues that persisted. Head coach Sean Payton was not happy with some communication issues that popped up throughout the game.
The team was forced to use timeouts in the first half because of miscommunications and getting out of the huddle too late. Late in the game, the issues came up again, as Payton said a major change could be coming to the offense.
“It was more than just one drive,” Payton said when asked about the communication issues on the second-to-last drive. “There were a number of drives where we were late with personnel, getting out of the huddle we took a while. That has to change. We had to burn timeouts in the first half, and I’m not used to doing [that]. We have to be better. I have to be better. Russ has to be sharper with getting the play out, and then we have to look at how much we have in. If we need to wristband it, we will.”
Payton was brought in to help alleviate some of the issues that the Broncos faced last season on offense, but it has been a slow burn when it comes to changes. Denver is still experiencing issues on that side of the ball, and a lot of it stems from quarterback Russell Wilson.
While Wilson’s stats have looked better in the early going of the season, as he threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns against the Commanders, Payton is less than thrilled. He knows there were a few plays that could have gone better, but he doesn’t sound as worried about things as Payton does.
“I thought we’ve done a really good job of getting in and out of the huddles,” Wilson said on Sunday. “I thought we had two or three plays where we could’ve been a little bit faster. In the first half, we called a timeout on one of them. We have to be cleaner. We’ll be cleaner next time.”
The Broncos certainly need to be cleaner as they cannot afford another loss. 0-2 teams have a hard enough time climbing out of the hole and making the playoffs; if you fall to 0-3, your season is essentially over.
That makes their Week 3 matchup on the road against the Miami Dolphins essentially a must-win game. Payton knows the importance of this game, as he cannot change the team’s record; he can only put them in a position to be better in the future and learn from their mistakes.
“I get it, and I get that we’re going to write and talk about it,” Payton said. “I can’t change that we’re 0-2, but I can certainly change how we approach the next game and prepare to play the third game. That’s all we can do.”
