Forget the Super Bowl victory. Forget the three NFC championship appearances and nine playoff berths in New Orleans. In Denver, head coach Sean Payton faces a challenge that will take more than a glamorous coaching resume to overcome.
It was evident as he was fighting for words following the Broncos’ 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon — one of the worst in NFL history.
Against Miami, Payton might have been at his most vulnerable. His team was out-coached in every aspect. The Broncos allowed 10 touchdowns and 726 total yards while quarterback Russell Wilson and company only scored one offensive touchdown.
It was so bad Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel declined to kick a field goal in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, which would’ve given them the most points scored in a regular-season NFL game.
“This is one of those weeks where when you take a butt whooping like that, you find out a lot about everyone,” Sean Payton said on Monday’s conference call with reporters.
So what’s next after the Broncos lost in unimaginable fashion?
Payton said losses like Sunday require an inward look at the coaching staff and players. Yet, he said that there are no jobs in jeopardy.
“And that would not be shared on a conference call if that were ever the case,” he added.
Denver’s inward look will start in the film room. Payton debated whether to look over the film with the entire team but said they would be remiss if they didn’t.
“Today is not going to be fun, and it probably won’t be fun any time soon until we start winning some games,” Payton said.
The Broncos’ film from Sunday might be as uncomfortable as watching Regan’s spider-walk in the 1973 film “The Exorcist.” On defense, Denver had several missed tackles, while wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who had nine catches for 157 yards and a touchdown, found holes all over the secondary.
The Broncos did some good things on offense. Russell Wilson threw for over 300 yards for the second straight week while rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. continued to look like a potential star, recording 73 receiving yards and a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
At the same time, receiver Courtland Sutton fumbled the ball twice and dropped a touchdown pass. A pair of penalties negated two touchdown passes from Wilson, while the Broncos went 1 for 4 in the red zone and 3 for 12 on third down. Payton thought the two fumbles and Wilson’s interception late in the third quarter put the defense in a bad situation, as the Dolphins scored a touchdown after each turnover.
“It’s definitely not fun to go in and watch that film,” Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz said. “You really gotta reflect on yourself, take good notes when watching it, and refocus on this week of work.”
Payton thinks Denver’s attention to detail at practice needs to improve. He also mentioned that there’s a grit and toughness element that comes into play when trying to prevent a damaged ship from sinking.
“It’s for every one of us,” Payton said. “There’s a mental toughness and fortitude. Is it something you’re born with or something you develop? Probably a little of each.”
Mims compared Denver’s 0-3 start to when he bought a dog after the NFL scouting combine. Mims said the first two weeks were “awful,” as he reconsidered his decision. Now, his dog, Goofy, is one of the best things in his life.
The Broncos will try to put this loss and the two before Sunday behind them, even though that’s easier said than done.
“(We have to) keep our heads down (and) keep moving,” Mims said. “No one can tell you word-for-word how it’s going to look at the end of the season. At the end of the day, you have to give it all you got.”
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