The Denver Broncos suffered an almighty collapse during their week two loss to the Washington Commanders at Empower Field. Sean Payton’s side was 21-3 ahead in the second quarter, but following a fumble by quarterback Russell Wilson, it all fell apart, and the defeat left the team 0-2.
The Commanders made the most of the situation to complete a 35-33 win, and now head coach Sean Payton has some thinking to do. The 59-year-old, who joined the Broncos in January, pointed some of the blame towards Wilson in his post-game comments.
“There were several drives where we’re late with personnel [and] getting out of the huddle. We burned timeouts in the first half, which I’m not used to doing. We’ve got to be better; I’ve got to be better; and Russ has got to be sharper with getting the play out.”
Fans of the Broncos, who may feel this is only a blip and good times are around the corner, may want to assess the many options when it comes to Colorado sportsbooks before selecting the brand that offers the best payouts possible.
Under-fire, star Russell Wilson did however, see some positives from the game.
“That first half (against Washington) was some of the best we’ve played as a collective group,” said Wilson. “We have to make it two halves.”
“We have to play cleaner in the third quarter. In the first game, we scored right before the half and got the ball back. In that first drive, we want to excel. That’s the focus.” Wilson added.
Despite giving up an 18-point lead, the Broncos could have pulled out a victory at the death when Denver failed with a two-point conversion late on.
Sean Payton touched upon the possibility of his safety Kareem Jackson getting a suspension for a hit on Commanders Tight End Logan Thomas.
“Gosh, I don’t have an answer for you," Said Thomas. "Those things happen so quickly from my vantage point. You just get to see it one time. You look up and—they make the call, and you have to go with it.”
The Broncos have been on a downhill slide since winning Super Bowl 50. Head coach Gary Kubiak left the franchise due to health issues after the following season and was replaced by Vance Joseph, who was in charge for two losing record seasons before Vic Fangio stepped in from 2019 to 2021 and last season, which saw Nathaniel Hackett and Jerry Rosburg both take the reins, was the franchise’s six successive losing campaign.
Payton, a Super Bowl winner from his time in charge of the New Orleans Saints, is now probably fully aware of the challenge ahead, and the two opening defeats should act as something of a wake-up call for those under his charge.
Next up for the Broncos are back-to-back games on the road, first against the Miami Dolphins and then the Chicago Bears, and Payton will need to have something on board by the time the New York Jets come to Denver on October 8th.