Davis Webb’s big debut as the Denver Broncos’ offensive coordinator? Yeah, it was a disaster. Denver managed a measly 10 points in a brutal 31-10 beatdown from the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, and it looked rough out there. Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who made waves this offseason by handing off his play-calling duties, didn’t hold back after the season opener, calling the whole thing “frustrating.” And honestly, who could blame him after that performance?
Payton’s Hands-Off Approach Hits a Wall
Payton, who revealed his decision to give up play-calling this offseason, told reporters that the frustration hits no matter what. “Just as a head coach always, whether you’re calling the plays or you’re not. Regardless of who’s calling the plays. When you have a game like that, and you’re the head coach, you know it’s frustrating,” he said. He didn’t even try to sugarcoat it, adding, “It’s disappointing. And I don’t know that the feeling is any different, whether you’re calling them or not. Honestly.” It’s a tough spot for Payton, watching his team sputter like that right out of the gate, especially with a new offensive mind at the helm. Davis Webb might be new to the OC title, but he’s no stranger to the Broncos, having served as their quarterbacks coach for the past three seasons. He knows Bo Nix, he knows the offense, so why did it look so disjointed?
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Total Offensive Meltdown
The Broncos offense was just plain anemic. After scoring a touchdown in the opening quarter, they literally couldn’t find the end zone again. Their aerial attack was grounded, and the run game was going nowhere. Quarterback Bo Nix completed just 17 of 28 passes for a paltry 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Oh, and he lost a fumble for good measure. The rushing attack? A pathetic 61 yards on the ground. Want to know how bad it really was? Not a single pass-catcher broke tight end Evan Engram’s 43 receiving yards. But here’s the stat that should make every Broncos fan , and Sean Payton , lose sleep: the Chiefs dominated in total yards, 392 to 176. And get this: former Seattle favorite, Kenneth Walker III, playing for the Chiefs, tallied 173 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards, for a grand total of 191 offensive yards *by himself*. That’s more production than the *entire* Denver Broncos offense combined. That’s not just frustrating; that’s straight-up embarrassing.
Look, Webb is probably going to get another shot to turn this around. He’s been around. But after a Week 1 performance where the offense scored just 10 points and got absolutely outclassed, things have to change. If the Broncos seriously want to contend for the AFC West, they’re going to need to be *a lot* better than what we saw on Monday. A whole lot better.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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