The Denver Broncos had a valiant comeback effort fall just short against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday as the team lost 34-28. Here are our five quick takeaways from the team’s latest loss.
1
The offensive line found a slightly better formula
Going into the game, the Broncos were without all but one of their regular starting offensive linemen (Quinn Meinerz is the last man standing). With Dalton Risner (shoulder/back) inactive, Denver started third-string center Luke Wattenberg and moved Graham Glasgow to guard. That initial lineup had disastrous results and the Broncos eventually benched Wattenberg and moved Glasgow back to center. After that, Netante Muti and Quinn Bailey rotated in at guard. The group performed better when Glasgow went back to center, but it was a poor showing overall as quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked six times and hit 11 times. The offensive line will obviously be a big priority for Denver’s front office this offseason.
2
That was Russell Wilson's best game of the season
For the first time this season, Wilson threw three touchdown passes. He also made plays with his legs, rushing four times for 57 yards. Unfortunately, Wilson suffered a concussion on one of those runs, but the quarterback was having the best game of his Broncos career before leaving the contest. Fans in Denver can only hope that’s the version of Wilson that the Broncos get in the future — once he’s healthy.
3
That's the Jerry Jeudy we've been waiting for!
There’s no question that Jeudy has the talent, but he has struggled to live up to his first-round draft status in Denver. Until Sunday, anyway. The third-year receiver had the best game of his career against the Chiefs, catching eight passes for 73 yards and three touchdowns, including one TD pass that was thrown by Brett Rypien. Was it a one-game wonder or a sign of things to come for the young receiver?
4
Dfense kept Denver in the game with turnovers
The Broncos’ first two touchdowns on Sunday came after a pair of interceptions, the first by Josey Jewell and the second by Pat Surtain. Jewell later grabbed a second interception, giving the defense three on the day. The unit also sacked Patrick Mahomes twice and if not for Wilson’s pick-six, Denver would have trailed by just six points at halftime. The defense did allow 27 points, but that’s not uncommon for a team facing KC. Overall, the squad did their part on Sunday.
5
That might have been the Broncos' best performance of the year
Even though it was a loss, that might have been Denver’s best game of the season. After going down 27-0 early, the Broncos never quit and they fought back to make it a close game. If not for Wilson suffering a concussion late in the game, Denver might have completed a comeback. That’s the kind of sign of life that Broncos fans have been hoping to see. Denver lost on Sunday, but there is now a little more hope for 2023 after the team demonstrated on Sunday that they can compete with some of the NFL’s best.
