Eighteen penalties in two preseason games. That’s the messy truth staring down Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton after his team’s eight-game preseason winning streak got absolutely wrecked by the Green Bay Packers on Friday night. In front of a packed hometown crowd, the Broncos put on a poor showing, consistently struggling outside of a few bright spots. Payton was clearly not pleased, stating that it “wasn’t good enough” and that the team fell short in pretty much every category you could pick: penalties, kickoff, kickoff return, rushing numbers. Oof.
Payton’s Fury After a Major Faceplant
Payton didn’t hold back in the post-game presser, flat out saying, “Each phase saw their share of what ended up being the final score.” He knows you can’t just brush this off as “preseason game two.” The man is demanding immediate corrections from both players and coaches, stressing that these games, these scrimmages, are “important steps towards the start of the regular season.” It’s a wake-up call, pure and simple. If they want to live up to the standard they’ve set, they’ve got to fix these issues.
Trouble Spots Everywhere You Look
The penalty situation is just brutal. Eight flags against the Falcons in the preseason opener, then ten more against the Packers. That’s eighteen total already. Last season, the Broncos were the fourth-most penalized team in the entire NFL with 129. If they keep up this pace, they’d lead the league by a mile this season. Payton himself admitted they’re “seeing the same penalties in the game” that they see in practice, and that was a problem last year too. That’s a consistent, ugly trend that needs to get cleaned up now.
But it wasn’t just penalties. Both the offensive and defensive lines, which Payton has confidence in to play at a high level, struggled hard against the Packers, especially the second-team units and beyond. The special teams? Still a mess. After “multiple snafus” on field goal units against the Falcons, they couldn’t even cover punts and kicks properly this week. To top it all off, the Packers outrushed Denver 118 yards to 69 yards and controlled the game’s pace. It’s an ongoing theme of issues that needs addressing.
The Broncos have one more preseason game left, then it’s go time for the regular season opener on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. There’s no time to waste here. These “important steps” better turn into huge leaps, because if these early trends continue, the regular season is going to be a long one for Denver.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
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