The Denver Broncos lost to the Detroit Lions 42-17 on Saturday night. Here are five quick takeaways from the loss that dropped Denver to 7-7.
1
Defending the run remains a big weakness
Even during the team’s impressive winning streak, defending the run remained the defense’s biggest weakness. Going up against Detroit’s formidable rushing attack on Saturday, that weakness was exploited to the tune of 185 yards allowed on the ground. If the Broncos manage to squeak into the playoffs, having a leaky run defense could be a huge problem.
2
The three nullified scoring plays were backbreakers
Gene Steratore felt that Javonte Williams was short of the goal line on the third-and-goal run, but he felt like Jaleel McLaughlin had the ball across the goal line on the second-and-goal pass. The Broncos chose not to challenge the second-and-goal.
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) December 17, 2023
In the third quarter, the Broncos appeared to score on three plays in a row — first Jaleel McLaughlin, then Javonte Williams then Michael Burton. McLaughlin and Williams were ruled down short of the end zone. Burton’s rushing touchdown was nullified by guard Quinn Meinerz having his helmet in the neutral zone, deeming him offside. After that penalty backed Denver’s offense up to the five-yard line, coach Sean Payton opted to settle for a field goal. It was an extremely frustrating sequence and Payton seemingly took his frustration out on quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline. A touchdown would have made it 28-14 and while there’s certainly no guarantee the Broncos would have managed a comeback, the deficit would have felt more manageable if one of those three touchdowns counted.
3
Saturday was not a good night for Sean Payton
After those (questionable) decisions by the officials kept the Broncos out of the end zone, Payton made a questionable decision himself when he opted to kick a field goal while trailing by 21 points. Payton also could have challenged the McLaughlin or the Williams run. He later chose to punt in the fourth quarter when Denver was trailing by 25 points. Payton lashing out at Wilson on the sideline also wasn’t a great look. It’s understandable that Payton is frustrated, but he shares in the blame for the team’s struggles.
4
The playoffs are still within reach
Despite the ugly loss in Detroit, the Broncos could still make the playoffs if they win their final three games and finish the year with a 10-7 record. That would not guarantee a playoff spot because there are many teams still alive in the AFC Wild Card race, but ten wins would put the team in good position. Denver will face backup quarterbacks in each of the next three weeks when they take on the Patriots, Chargers and Raiders. If the Broncos are unable to go 3-0 in those three winnable games, they don’t deserve to reach the postseason.
5
This team might get embarrassed in the playoffs
The Broncos faced a playoff-caliber team in the Lions on Saturday night and it was ugly. Denver also has losses to the Texans, Chiefs and Dolphins in the AFC this season. Getting matched up against the Ravens and Baltimore’s rushing attack would be a nightmare. Anything can happen on any given Sunday, but squeaking into the postseason might not end well for the Broncos. We’ll still be rooting for a playoff push, though, and Denver can aim to prove us wrong in January.
