The NFL is a brutal business, and the Denver Broncos are on the receiving end of the aftermath that follows a 70-20 loss.

Denver Broncos players react to Sunday’s loss

It’s been a while since the Denver Broncos were considered a winning franchise, and after three weeks of play, the overall vibe in Dove Valley has the makings of the same trend that’s been impacting them since winning Super Bowl 50.

For the last couple of seasons, the Broncos have lost a handful of close games, but Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins was historically bad.

Russell Wilson, team eager to respond after Sunday

Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos offense haven’t been the issue that’s held the team back so far this season. Wilson and the offense tried to keep the team in the game early on in Sunday’s loss, but Denver’s defense couldn’t find a way to stop the Dolphins offense.

Denver’s 50-point loss and 70-point defensive allowance is a traumatic blow that cuts deeply to the optics of the team’s season, especially in the eyes of the fanbase. Despite the loss, Wilson hopes the team can find a way to bounce back next Sunday.

“From a leadership standpoint, I think the biggest thing we have to do is learn everything that we can from the film,” Wilson said following Sunday’s loss. “Learn what we did well. Learn what we didn’t do so well. Learn that every game has a history of its own. That was one we want to put in — not think about anymore, but we have to learn from it still. I think the best thing we can do is come back on Monday and have the best film session we can have, have the best work ethic we can have. Everybody is giving their all, but there is more that we can do and we’ll make sure we do that.”

The Broncos’ schedule gets even more difficult as losses continue to pile up for the franchise. Wilson expressed confidence that the team can bounce back despite the negative optics surrounding the team’s outlook right now.

“Yeah, I agree,” Wilson said. “We’re all in this thing together as a team and there is a lot to learn, there is a lot to grow from. Like I said, there is also a lot of perspective to understand that 0-3 doesn’t feel good, but the reality is we got 14 games left and you got to put your blinders on and you got to know it’s a race, and you’ve got to know that it’s a journey, and you got to know that it’s a
battle, and you got to know that you’re starting in the far outside lane. All we can do is keep focused on the fundamentals and the details, and that’s what will get us to where we want to go. It’s going to be a challenge, it’s going to be a journey. It’s going to be ups and downs. I think the biggest thing we can do is continue to focus on what we can do together as a team.”

Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles was very open during his postgame interview following the game.

“Sh*t, it’s sh*t,” Bolles said. “Tired of losing. I’ve been here for seven years, and all I’ve done is lost and it’s frustrating.”

Broncos defense reflects on Sunday’s performance

It’s been a while since any NFL team has surrendered over 700 total yards of offense. On Sunday, the Broncos defense allowed the Dolphins to register 726 total yards of offense including over 350 rushing yards.

No matter what Denver tried to do to adjust, they had no answer for Tua Tagovailoa, who finished the game 23-of-26 passing, Devon Achane who ran wild for 203 yards, or Raheem Mostert, who ran for three rushing touchdowns and one receiving score.

Sunday’s loss was Denver’s worst in franchise history.

Right now, there’s a lot of soul-searching that will have to happen for Denver’s defense to bounce back from a performance like Sunday.

“No,” Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain said on whether he’s ever experienced a loss like that. “It’s tough to lose like this. We just have to regroup and look at the film and just get better, there’s nothing else you can say.”

Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton shared the same sentiment.

“No,” Singleton said on whether or not he’s ever felt this way after a loss. “I still don’t know. Once we look at it, I think we’ll be able to pinpoint stuff, see what went wrong, but 70 (points) doesn’t happen by one or two mistakes. I think it’s going to be all over the tape. You got to eat it. You got to take it for what it is. We got to learn, learn fast and move on.”

The Denver Broncos will be on the road once again in Week 4 to take on a struggling Chicago Bears team. They’ll have to burn the tape of this week, burn some sage, and find a way to get their first win of the season.