DENVER — Given Christmas Day to think about his team’s disappointing – and potentially devastating – defeat Sunday night to the New England Patriots, Broncos’ head coach Sean Payton came back to work Tuesday a bit irked at his offense.
“Right now, we’re average to below-average, I would say, in a lot of things offensively, and it’s not good enough,’’ Payton said in his two-days-after-game Zoom conference call Tuesday with local media.
Indeed, the Broncos are below average in total offense (25th rank, 298.2 yards per game) and passing (25th, 187.5 yards per game). They are average in rushing offense (14th, 110.7 yards per game, down from 12th and 115.5 three weeks ago) and points per game (16th, 21.8).
Payton said much of his offensive issues are “self-inflicted problems.’’ The difference between the Broncos when they won five in a row this season compared to the team that has since lost three of its last four games?
“We were protecting the ball better,’’ Payton said. “It’s out all the time now. The other day, we were lucky we only had two turnovers.”
Against the Patriots on Christmas Eve, the Broncos’ offense was dreadful in falling behind 23-7 after three quarters. Their only score came on a 25-yard drive set up by Marvin Mims’ 52-yard punt return.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson brought the team back in the fourth quarter with two sustained drives that both ended with touchdown passes and 2-point conversion throws to tie it, 23-23.
But once tied, the Broncos’ offense stunk it up again, going three and out on a final-minute possession where they only needed a field goal to win it. Instead, it was the Patriots who converted a deep third-down throw to set up a game-winning field goal.
“It was more spontaneous,’’ Payton said of the Broncos’ fourth quarter comeback. “It was more spread, empty (backfield). We were in the stage of the game where we weren’t in two minutes (hurry up), but we were certainly up tempo. And a lot of it was empty, no back. And we made some plays. But it’s hard to say you’re going to make a living that way as your base offense.”
The Broncos played well mid-season to get in position to play pressure, playoff-chasing games. But once there, they were not ready for primetime players, performing poorly for long stretches in losing their last two games at Detroit and home against the Pats.
“I don’t feel the pressure was necessarily different the other night than the pressure was against, oh, the Chargers (three weeks ago),’’ Payton said. “I get what you’re saying. I think the ongoing step is understanding how not to lose games before you learn how to win them. Two-thirds of the game we see each weekend are lost before they’re ever won. We’re still learning that the hard way.”
Prior to the past two games, both losses, there was a lot of talk from the Broncos about how if they won their last four games, they would make the playoffs. Then, it was: All they had to do was win their final three games and they’d make the playoffs. With two games remaining, Payton wants his team focus back on the next game only, which is this Sunday (2:25 p.m. kickoff) against the 5-10 Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High.
“The way it’s covered anymore, I don’t think I have to discuss it,’’ Payton said about the team’s playoff possibilities, which now has longer odds. “When these guys come in here tomorrow morning, the message is going to be about winning this game. And our last home game. We haven’t played well at home considering, or at least to the expectations of Broncos fans. And then from my experience of playing at home. So this is our last opportunity to play a home game. And it’s going to be about getting this win. It’s going to be that shortsighted.’’
The Broncos are 7-8 overall, 4-4 at home. Among the 12 AFC teams still in playoff contention, only the Jaguars (3-5) and Colts (3-4) have a worse home record. In his 15 previous seasons as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Payton's teams were 79-41 (.658) at home; 73-48 (.603) on the road.
Payton said there’s no secret to playing well at home.
“The better teams win a lot of games at home, and the teams that are in the middle of the pack (Broncos) win some games at home, and the poor teams struggle at home,’’ he said. “It’s the same thing when a good team wins on the road. They’re a good team, first. So we’ve got to become a better team this week and take advantage of playing at home.’’
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports