The Denver Broncos: A Tale of Two Halves
Photo Credit: Aaron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
The Broncos only scored 13 in the first half of their Week 1 game versus the Las Vegas Raiders, but that did not stop them from taking the lead into halftime. They scored a total of three points in the second half, ultimately losing by one point. In Week 2, the Broncos scored 21 points in the first half to take a seven-point lead into halftime. At one point in the 2nd quarter, the Broncos were even up by 18 points. They lost in the final seconds after a failed two-point conversion.
Many fans have complained about the bad pass interference call, or rather the lack of one, on the two-point conversion that ended the game. Yes, it was a blatant miss. But the truth is, the Broncos should not have even been in that position to begin with, and they certainly did not deserve to win after the way they played in the second half. These second half issues have been a reoccurring issue in both games of the Sean Payton era, starting with the offense.
A winning NFL team does not constantly play the Jekyll and Hyde act. If they are going to start winning games, Russell Wilson and the Broncos’ offense cannot look like two completely different teams between the first and second halves. Besides, they certainly are not going to get any help from their defense. A review of the Broncos’ defensive film shows too many missed tackles and unnecessary penalties, even to the point where Payton called out his new defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph. And ultimately, that is where the Broncos’ issues start: the coaching staff.
In an interview, Payton made this statement to the media. “We’re currently tied for a league-high 19 penalties. We lead the league defensively with defensive fouls called. We have five personal fouls. We have a number of plays where we’re off the field on third down, but there’s a flag on the turf, there’s holding or defensive pass interference, which makes it an automatic first down. Instead of being off the field, those are turnover penalties. We have to be more disciplined in that area, and that starts with us coaches.”
Photo Credit: (Brandon Sloter, Icon Sportswire)
The Broncos might be one of the best 0-2 teams in the league right now. Their issues can certainly be chalked up to a new coach and a new scheme, but that grace period only lasts so long. The AFC West is still wide open, with the Raiders and Chargers dealing with similar situations and the Chiefs only one game ahead, but the window is closing fast. If the Broncos are going to start winning football games, Payton needs to make quick amends with his coaching staff and his quarterback, and then the Broncos need to address their issues so that they stop shooting themselves in the foot. They could easily be 2-0 right now, but the biggest obstacle in the way of that undefeated record is the Broncos themselves. If a quick solution is not found to the second half woes, this is going to be a long season for Broncos Country.
