Initial thoughts from Broncos’ 26-23 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 16 at Empower Field at Mile High on Christmas Eve:
Orange flush: We cannot say enough good things about the “snowcapped” helmets the Broncos wore on Sunday night. The logo? An all-time classic. The blue and orange stripes? Chef’s kiss. The all-orange tops and pants? Throw them into a fire and then shoot the ashy remains into the sun. It would be one thing if just the tops or just the bottoms were orange. That much orange, we can sign off on. But going for the all-orange Christmas pajama onesie look? That, dear readers, is an abomination.
Marvin giveth and taketh: One of the great mysteries of this season has been Sean Payton’s inability to harness Marvin Mims Jr.’s game-changing speed on offense. As his second punt return of the evening (a dazzling 52-yarder) illustrated, the rookie out of Oklahoma is special with the ball in space. But as his fumbled kick return in the third quarter showed — Mims’ second this season — there’s still some serious kinks to be worked out. Among the items on the offseason to-do list: Figuring out a way to get more from a player who’s exhibited clear home run potential (and did so again on a 47-yard reception in the fourth quarter).
Where’s Jerry?: If your Christmas wish list included a breakout game from Jerry Jeudy, it appears you’ll have to settle for a lump of coal. Through two quarters, the 2020 first-round pick didn’t have a target to his name, even after Courtland Sutton was taken to the locker room with a concussion. Things got better in the second half (five targets, three receptions, 44 yards), but it was too little, too late. How much of that can be pinned on Jeudy is certainly up for debate. The Alabama product was open more than once. But whether Russell Wilson just isn’t seeing him or simply doesn’t trust him enough is immaterial. Right now, this just isn’t working.
Hall of shame: When the autopsy is complete on this disappointing 2023 campaign, Sean Payton’s first in Broncos Country, the cause of death will be manifold. But if there’s one thing that stands out more than anything else, it’s Denver’s failure to beat very beatable teams at home. Among the hit list: the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8), Washington Commanders (4-11), New York Jets (6-9) and, now, New England Patriots (4-11), the worst of the bunch. Russell Wilson and the Broncos offense took way too long to wake up. A 20-point third quarter for this Pats team is unforgivable. And those bizarre timeouts from Sean Payton at the end of the fourth quarter were nearly as bad. Now Denver will likely be sitting at home come playoff time because of it.
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