Initial thoughts from the Broncos’ loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 15 at Ford Field:
1. Sean Payton needed to yell at himself: Did he rush the play? Did he change a call? The devil’s in the details, but Payton going Woody Hayes on Russell Wilson late in the third quarter was a weird rage flex. Especially after at least two potential touchdowns — and probably a third — weren’t challenged by the first-year Broncos coach in real time. Even Lions fans on social media couldn’t believe their football fortunes. Wilson was either shaken, hit or poor — No. 3 completed just four of his first 10 throws for 69 yards in the first half — early on, but Big Russ wasn’t the only reason the Orange & Blue laid a giant egg in Motown.
2. Meinerz was … what?: See, now, this is how conspiracy theories get started. It was bad enough that Sean Payton was too busy screaming himself hoarse at Russell Wilson to notice, but we’re having a hard time processing — from any angle, and we looked at them all — how right guard Quinn Meinerz was “offsides” on the fourth-and-goal at the Lions 1 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter. Michael Burton’s touchdown plunge should’ve counted. But then again, Jaleel McLaughlin’s catch and Javonte Williams’ run should’ve counted, too.
3. Third quarter streak snapped: Sure, the first two and two-thirds quarters had all the fun for Broncos Country of getting a root canal with a rusty drill. But Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s lap-trap of a touchdown catch to open the third stanza put a halt to one of the stranger streaks of the season — it capped the Broncos’ first scoring drive coming out of halftime in 11 attempts. So there’s that. Which is nice.
4. Branch’s hit made KJ cringe: Yo, Brian Branch? Kareem Jackson would like a word. If there’s any football justice in Motown, the league office would probably want a quick word, too. Branch’s first-quarter, helmet-to-helmet hit on Broncos tight end Adam Trautman was ugly in real time. It was atrocious slowed down. If it’s KJ doing the damage, that kind of collision gets a dude suspended until 2025.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
