The New England Patriots were the Grinch that had stolen the Denver Broncos‘ Christmas in a 26-23 Week 16 loss. Denver’s last-second loss likely ended its far-fetched postseason chances, barring a miracle in the final two weeks of the regular season.
Head coach Sean Payton lamented the missed opportunities on offense against the Patriots. During his December 26 press conference, Payton was honest regarding the unit’s inconsistency, citing the output has not been “not good enough.”
“Yeah, I think so many times when we look at some of the stuff it’s self-inflicted problems,” Payton told reporters. “That’s communication. Is there too much in? Right now, we are average to below average in a lot of categories, and it’s not good enough.”
The Broncos had minus 15 yards in the third quarter, a week after being held scoreless before halftime in a 42-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. Payton was correct about his team’s “average to below average” offensive rankings.
Denver is 16th in scoring, averaging 21.8 points per game and ranks near the bottom in passing yards (25th) and attempts (28th). Per Troy Renck of Denver7 Sports, there is also not a receiver or running back on pace for 1,000 yards.
Regardless of what happens in the final two games, Payton has shifted his focus to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17.
“The message this week will be we have to win this game, our last home game. We haven’t played well enough at home for Broncos fans. Our message, it’s going to be short-sighted. The ongoing step is learning how not to lose games before you learn how to win. We are still learning that the hard way,” Payton said.
Russell Wilson Dances Around Question About His Broncos Future
Following the devastating loss to New England, Wilson was asked by a reporter about his future in Denver. The star quarterback seemingly danced around the question, echoing Payton’s comments ahead of the Chargers game.
“I’m just worried about next week and playing great football,” Wilson said in his December 24 press conference. “I came here to win and win a championship for us and find a way to do that. Obviously, I love being here with these guys, these teammates. I’m excited to keep playing ball and playing hard for us.”
After falling behind 23-7, Wilson rallied the Broncos to 16 unanswered points to tie the game at 23 apiece. Wilson had 84 passing yards through the first three quarters before throwing for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Despite the near-comeback, the veteran has a murky future under Payton in the Mile High City. Through 30 games with the Broncos, Wilson has an 11-19 record. He has also taken a staggering amount of sacks since the 2022 campaign.
Russell Wilson has now been sacked an even 100 times in 30 games over two years with Broncos. No NFL QB has been sacked more in that span. https://t.co/CCiwNitJ8r
— 9NEWS Sports Denver (@9NEWSSports) December 25, 2023
Final Two Games Will Pose a Significant Challenge for Denver
While the loss to the Patriots was disappointing, Payton and Wilson understand the importance of moving on quickly. However, the final two games will be challenging despite Denver facing two interim head coaches.
The Chargers nearly stunned the red-hot Buffalo Bills on December 23 in its first game without former head coach Brandon Staley. Los Angeles failed to pull off a Festivus miracle as Bills’ kicker Tyler Bass kicked a game-winning 29-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining.
The Chargers will be the final home opponent for Denver ahead of the Week 18 road finale at the Las Vegas Raiders.
Antonio Pierce is making his case for the full-time gig after the Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 20-14 on Christmas day. Reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes coughed up the ball twice, with both turnovers being returned for touchdowns in the second quarter.
Even with wins in the final two weeks, the Broncos’ playoff hopes are on life support. According to The New York Times, Denver has a 6% chance of making the postseason.
