Another unbelievable fourth quarter comeback, another win over the hated Kansas City Chiefs. The Denver Broncos are 6-2, sitting pretty to challenge for the AFC’s top seed. You’d think it’s all sunshine and rainbows, right? Wrong. Head coach Sean Payton just dropped a bombshell, making it crystal clear that despite the wins, there’s a massive problem brewing on offense.
The Stat That Lies
This team is leading the entire NFL in defensive snaps. Usually, you’d think that means their D is just constantly out there, dominating. But Payton? He flat out called it an *offensive* stat. Seriously, he hates it. “There’s a lot that goes into that,” Payton explained Monday. “That’s a stat I don’t like. It’s a stat that on offense, we have to do a good job of possessing the ball. So that’s something that we pay attention to.” What does that mean? It means the offense isn’t staying on the field. They are ripping off three-and-outs like it’s their job, forcing the defense back out there again and again. And guess who’s getting blamed, even if the fans won’t admit it? The run game. Bo Nix is trying to make magic happen on every drive, but when you can’t get a consistent ground attack going, it’s an uphill battle. Payton admits they are “continuing to work at it” and “definitely feel like there’ll be improvement.” We need to see it.
Jonah Coleman’s Electric Spark
For weeks, frankly, I wouldn’t have believed Payton about the run game improving. Why? Because of his stubborn commitment to J.K. Dobbins. Look, no shade on Dobbins, but it’s been clear he’s missing a step this year. Then Sunday happened. Against the Chiefs, trailing 24-13 late in the third quarter, things looked absolutely dire. The offense was just stacking three-and-outs, and the defense couldn’t even wrap up rookie running back Emmett Johnson. But Payton finally saw what so many of us had been seeing: Jonah Coleman had that spark. Coleman emerged as the featured back in the second half, and what a difference he made. He was a HUGE part of that comeback, making Payton’s talk about the run game getting better suddenly feel a lot more real. That’s the kind of game-changing shift you love to see in the middle of a slugfest.
AFC West in Play, But at What Cost?
That gutsy performance against the Chiefs not only locked up another comeback win, it catapulted the Broncos to the top of the AFC West. Yeah, you heard that right. They seized control of the division! The big question now is, will this win make them go all-in as buyers at the NFL trade deadline? With Coleman now in the mix, can Denver’s run game really turn the corner and lift some of that pressure off Bo Nix? The AFC West is theirs for the taking right now, but they’ve got to sort out those offensive issues, especially possessing the ball, if they want to make real noise and challenge for the AFC’s top seed. Every single snap from here on out matters.
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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