The Denver Broncos dropped to 1-5 on the season following Thursday Night’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Broncos defense found ways to get stops against Patrick Mahomes, it didn’t matter after Denver’s offense struggled in the passing game.
Denver Broncos long season of struggles continue
1-5 is not where the Denver Broncos wanted to be at this juncture of the season. Thursday Night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs was another tough realization that Denver’s turnaround aspirations will likely fall short in head coach Sean Payton’s first season.
In the first half of play, the Broncos found themselves consistently struggling to produce anything on offense outside of their first drive of the game. They went into halftime down 13-0 but only accumulated only 94 yards of offense in the first half, with 70 of those yards coming on the ground in combination between Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Samaje Perine.
The passing game struggled on a night where gusty winds impacted Denver’s ability to take shots downfield. Protection issues also impacted Denver’s offense in the first half, where they struggled to find answers to limit pressure from George Karlaftis and Chris Jones which created opportunities for others to get home.
Russell Wilson was sacked three times in the first half alone. He finished the game 13-of-22 passing for 95 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Denver utilized a lot of heavy protection looks which eliminated the consistent number of available route runners on the evening. For the second consecutive week, the Broncos struggled with playcalling issues.
Despite their struggles coming into the game, the Broncos’ defense held their own in the first half against Mahomes, forcing Kansas City to settle for field goals and only one touchdown. Denver didn’t have an answer for Travis Kelce, who exploded for nine catches for 124 yards.
Justin Simmons intercepted Mahomes in the first quarter, becoming the only player to have more interceptions off of him than any other player in the NFL.
Despite allowing 389 total yards of offense to the Chiefs, Denver’s defense holding Mahomes and their offense to only one touchdown was a promising development from Thursday’s game.
Now, the Broncos will have 10 days off until their next game at home next Sunday. Could changes be on the horizon?
What’s next?
The Broncos will play the Green Bay Packers in Denver next Sunday at 2:25 p.m. MT.