Denver, CO
Broncos at Chargers: The No Bull Review
The Denver Broncos lost to the Los Angeles Chargers because of two significant reasons:
- Poor coaching all around from the Broncos
- One-sided refereeing that favored the Chargers deeply
I’m not going to spend a ton of time on point #2 as that’s just the NFL (and our own John Holmes goes into it at a far greater depth than I am capable of). You have to deal with bad ref jobs, though it honestly puzzles me to see such favoritism paid to the lowly Chargers. At the end of the day, good teams overcome this and the Broncos didn’t play good football.
The blame for this loss lays flatly at the feet of Sean Payton and Vance Joseph. Either of them could have called a more sensible game and clinched the win for the Broncos.
Offense
I absolutely loved the run offense dialed up early and often for the Broncos. Sean Payton was rotating backs in almost every play and it kept the Chargers guessing. The play calls were creative and utilized pulling guards and superb blocking.
Unfortunately, Payton decided to abandon his run game once again as the game wore on. This really numbs the mind when you factor in how well it was working.
The other problem with the offense was Payton not forcing more downfield plays. To be fair, this could have been superb coverage by the Chargers as our viewing angle isn’t great for seeing the secondary. That being said, the Chargers were down players in their secondary and I believe good coaching could have schemed up some advantage matchups.
Also, Payton’s decisions at the end of the first half didn’t cost us the game, but make no mistake, they were bad decisions. The Broncos had all of the momentum in the game. You don’t need to try to pass for a first down. Just run the ball three times and get the half over with. I don’t blame the player from special teams for his silly penalty. I blame the head coach for putting them in that position. It was just bad situational football and it cost the team 3 points and momentum.
Quarterbacks
Bo Nix had a pretty solid game at first glance. The problem is that his greatness was on display in the first half when the run game was potent. The second half was a different story as he kept dumping off the ball to his outlet receivers an inordinate amount of times instead of finding a way to push the ball downfield.
One of the big pluses Nix brings to the field is his ability to scramble. His second touchdown of the game was largely due to the threat he is as a runner. The defender on that side had to honor his ability to run and tried to play halfway between Nix and Burton to defend them both until help could get there. Nix made a great throw on the run for the easy touchdown.
The big area of improvement we saw for Nix in this game was his play against the blitz. He really didn’t handle it well and either didn’t have answers, or the answers he had were smothered by the opponents.
At the end of the day, Nix is still a rookie quarterback who has a lot to work on. I believe he’s nowhere near his ceiling yet. This game is in the long run going to be great for his development even if it stung a bit to lose the game.
Line
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I loved seeing our line block so well early. This was one of their better run-blocking games of the season. The line is still getting some pretty silly penalties that they need to clean up.
One stand out to me was seeing us run plays while pulling Ben Powers. He made some bruising blocks on the move that were impressive.
Running Backs
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Audric Estime needs to be the starting back moving forward. He should have gotten more carries in this game as he was averaging over 5 yards per carry. He runs with power and has a knack for finding creases in the defense. It was pretty obvious to me that he was out when we wanted to pass the ball. If that is because of his pass blocking, he needs to level that skill up in a hurry.
Ben Watson got a surprising number of plays in this game. I wasn’t too encouraged by them, honestly. He missed a catch late and only had an average of 2.5 yards per carry.
Receivers
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It was nice to see Devaughn Vele get a touchdown catch off a really smoothly run route. I’m a fan of the young player and would have loved to see him get more targets than the measly 3 he got in the game.
Our #1 receiver on the day was Javonte Williams. He hauled in 7 catches for a whopping 29 yards. Averaging 4 yards per catch is not a winning formula.
Marvin Mimms, Jr. had an eye-popping reception as he scrambled for over 50 yards. This is another player that seems to be thriving, yet the offense doesn’t seem to find its way to him enough.
Defense
It is not new news to us that without Riley Moss, the Broncos don’t seem to be able to play man coverage well enough for Vance Joseph’s tastes. Instead, we’re playing a lot of zone coverages and getting beat often because of blown coverages.
This team needs to figure out what its identity is. I know it sounds good to hear Joseph talk about adjusting his defense to do what his players do best, but I question if that’s really what’s going on. Our inside linebackers especially were not up to the task of defending the middle against crossing routes. This weakness was abused throughout the game.
In the short term, Riley Moss getting healthy is going to be a shot in the arm for this defense. In the long term, this team needs to get more corners who can play man coverage on the outside.
Front 7
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Zach Allen impressively wrecked a 3rd and 1 single-handedly. It was an example of superb timing mixed with raw power as he blasted into the backfield and got the TFL. He spent a good amount of time pressuring the pocket as he had 4 hurries in the game as well.
Justin Strnad had such a rough game this week. He badly over pursued from the edge on a run that gave up a 1st down. Later on a 3rd and 5 he was flat-footed and let the tight end cross without pursuit. He was just too slow recognizing that it was a pass. He even gave a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty by hitting a sliding Justin Herbert who had clearly given himself up. It was bone-headed and absolutely could have been avoided.
Drew Sanders had only one snap in the game and made it count. He came up the middle on a blitz that the Chargers didn’t account for and got a huge sack. Hopefully, we’ll get to see more of him in the last two weeks of the season as I feel like he’s got more ability at ILB than what we’re seeing on the field lately.
Secondary
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Kris Abrams-Draine made a game-breaking interception as the Chargers were driving late in the first half. He played with technique that my boy Chris Harris Jr. would be proud of and robbed the pass by breaking underneath the route. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the rookie. He’s got a big career ahead of himself at corner in the NFL.
Brandon Jones led the team in tackles with 10 (not necessarily what you want from a safety). He was on McConkey one of his big crossing routes and blew the coverage. It wasn’t all bad from Jones, as he did have a really big pass defense late in the game on 3rd down.
P.J. Locke just awful coverage on the outside crashes too deep and lets his receiver go over the top for an easy touchdown. Locke is one of the weakest pass-defense players in the secondary. He’s a guy that keeps everything in front of him but with too much of a cushion and it leads to him oftentimes being late to a play.
Special Teams
Tremon Smith made a huge mistake in punt return coverage that led to 3 points for the Chargers off a free kick (which hasn’t been done in decades). He has to keep himself away from the returner on a fair catch.
Final Thoughts
It is starting to look a bit ugly for the Broncos as the season winds down. Yes, they control their destiny. Win one game and they make the playoffs.
This was a rough outing, though. This team looked like the team with poor coaching going up against a very well-coached team in the Chargers. I’m seeing a bit of hubris in Sean Payton’s play-calling and game decisions that I’m not a big fan of. It isn’t enough that you act like the smartest guy on the field. It is better when you just do the smarter actions and win the friggin game.
The new year in Colorado brought new restrictions for people who vape in Denver. As of January 1, a voter-approved ban on flavored nicotine products is now in effect in Denver, prohibiting the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products within city limits.
Just outside the Denver border, vape shops say they’re already feeling the ripple effects.
At Tokerz Head Shop in Aurora, located about a block and a half from the Denver city line, owner Gordon McMillon says customers are beginning to trickle in from Denver.
“I was in shock it passed, to be honest,” McMillon said. “Just because of how many people vape in Denver. But we’re hoping to take care of everybody that doesn’t get their needs met over there anymore.”
One of those customers is Justin Morrison, who lives in the Denver area and vapes daily. He stopped by the Aurora shop a day after the ban went into place.
Morrison says the ban won’t stop him from vaping. It will just change where he buys his products.
“I’m going to have to come all the way to Aurora to get them,” he said. “It’s pretty inconvenient. I smoke flavored vapes every day.”
The goal of the ban, according to public health advocates, is to reduce youth vaping.
Morrison said flavored vapes helped him quit smoking cigarettes, an argument frequently raised by adult users and vape retailers who oppose flavor bans.
“It helped tremendously,” he said. “I stopped liking the flavor of cigarettes. The taste was nasty, the smell was nasty. I switched all the way over to vapes, and it helped me stop smoking cigarettes completely.”
McMillon worries bans like Denver’s could push some former smokers back to cigarettes.
“If they can’t get their vapes, some will go back to cigarettes, for sure,” he said. “I’ve asked people myself, and it’s about 50-50.”
While McMillon acknowledges it will bring more business to shops outside Denver, he says the ban wasn’t something he wanted.
“Even if it helps me over here in Aurora, I’m against it,” he said. “I feel like adults should have the rights if they want to vape or not.”
More than 500 retailers in Denver removed their flavored products. For many, they accounted for the majority of their sales. Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment says it will begin issuing fines and suspensions to retailers found selling flavored tobacco products.
Both McMillan and Morrison say they’re concerned the ban could spread to other cities. For now, Aurora vape shops remain legal alternatives for Denver customers.
Despite the added drive, Morrison says quitting isn’t on the table.
“It’s an addiction. You’re going to find a way to get it. That’s why I don’t see the point of banning it here,” Morrison said.
Denver will be the site of the United States’ first-ever American Indian Cultural Embassy.
Funding for the project was approved by Denver voters in the Vibrant Denver Bond measure.
The vision is for the embassy to welcome Native people back home to Colorado.
On the snowy day of CBS News Colorado’s visit, Rick Williams observed the buffalo herd at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
“These animals are sacred to us,” said Williams, who is Oglala Lakota and Cheyenne. “This was our economy. They provided everything we needed to live a wonderful lifestyle.”
Williams is president of People of the Sacred Land and a leader in the effort to build an American Indian Cultural Embassy.
“‘Homeland’ is a special term for everybody, right?” Williams asked. “But for people who were alienated, for American Indians who were alienated from Colorado, they don’t have a home, they don’t have a home community that you can go to, this is it. And I think that’s sad.”
The First Creek Open Space — near 56th and Peña, near the southeast corner of the Arsenal — is owned by the City and County of Denver and is being considered for development of the embassy.
“To have a space that’s an embassy that would be government-to-government relations on neutral space,” said Denver City Councilmember Stacie Gilmore, who represents northeast Denver District 11. “But then also supporting the community’s economic development and their cultural preservation.”
Gilmore said $20 million from the Vibrant Denver Bond will support the design and construction of the center to support Indigenous trade, arts, and education.
“That sense of connection and that sense of place and having a site is so important if you’re going to welcome people back home,” added Gilmore.
“What a great treasure for people in Colorado,” Williams said as he read the interpretive sign at the wildlife refuge.
He said the proposed location makes perfect sense: “Near the metropolitan area, but not necessarily in the metropolitan area, we would love to be near buffalo. We would love to be in an area where there’s opportunities for access to the airport.”
The Denver March Powwow could one day be held at the embassy.
Williams dreams of expanding the buffalo herd nearby and having the embassy teach future generations Indigenous skills and culture.
The concept for the embassy is one of the recommendations emerging from the Truth, Restoration, and Education Commission, a group of American Indian leaders in Colorado who began to organize four years ago to study the history of Native Americans in our state.
And the work is just beginning.
“We have to think about, ‘how do we maintain sustainability and perpetuity of a facility like this?’” Williams said. “So there’s lots of issues that are going to be worked on over the next year or so.”
Williams added, “One day our dreams are going to come true, and those tribes are going to come, and we’re going to have a big celebration out here. We’re going to have a drum, and we’re going to sing honor songs, and we’re going to have just the best time ever welcoming these people back to their homeland.”
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s staff sent the following statement:
“We are excited about the passing of the Vibrant Denver Bond and the opportunity it creates to invest in our city’s first American Indian Cultural Embassy. We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the Indigenous community to plan and develop the future embassy, and city staff have already been invited to listen and engage with some of our local American Indian groups, like the People of the Sacred Land. We are not yet at the stage of formal plans, but we are excited to see the momentum of this project continue.”
Denver, CO
Parker Gabriel’s 7 Thoughts after Broncos capture No. 1 seed, including Bo Nix barking at Sean Payton, then looking inward
The Broncos are in prime position.
They didn’t wow many people Sunday, but they controlled a 19-3 win against the Los Angeles Chargers from start to finish and in the process secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed, a first-round playoff bye and homefield advantage as long as they’re in the tournament.
They are two home wins away from playing in Super Bowl 60.
Head coach Sean Payton after the game did as much shrugging off of an offensive o-fer in scoring position as he’ll ever do.
Players were business-like, but they can feel the inbound rest already.
As they arrived home Sunday night, there are 14 teams still playing in the NFL.
By the time they next take the field, that number will be eight.
Now the fun really begins.
Here are 7 Thoughts following Denver’s dominant defensive performance and a remarkable 14-3 regular season.
1. Bo Nix asked Sean Payton for more urgency early in Sunday’s game. Afterward, he said he should have provided it himself.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix looked to the sideline.
Early in the second quarter, Denver’s trudging offense finally found a bit of a spark.
Tyler Badie had just taken a third-and-13 swing pass for 16 yards and a first down.
Now the offense could kick into gear.
Except the second-year quarterback clearly didn’t feel the momentum.
Nix got sacked and lost 5 yards on first-and-10.
Then he shot a look to the home sideline and his head coach, Sean Payton. The CBS cameras picked up his words clearly.
“Sean, wake up,” he barked. “Let’s go.”
Bo Nix earlier in the second saying, apparently, “Wake up, let’s go” toward the #Broncos sideline. pic.twitter.com/JkR1mSulgY
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) January 4, 2026
Nix clapped his hands the way he does when he wants the play calls relayed to him faster.
Payton after the game acknowledged the overall sluggishness and his own.
“I certainly wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be,” the veteran head coach allowed.
Nix, though, had a different take on the encounter and on the offense’s inability to get rolling in its regular season finale.
“I should have done a better job today having more urgency in the huddle, getting us going,” Nix said. “I felt like I failed us on that. Overall, I thought we didn’t play with the tempo and the passion that we normally play with.
“Now, there’s a lot that goes into that. It’s Week 18, it’s the last game of the year. You’re up 10-0, it’s weird early. Strange football game. You prepare for one thing all week and get something different. You don’t know who’s going to show up (for the Chargers).”
Nix turned in statistically one of the worst passing performances of his career. His 141 yards are the fewest he’s had in a game this season and the fourth-fewest of his career. He took four sacks for the first time this season and just the second time in his career.
His offense found itself at the Chargers’ 20-yard line or deeper four times and did not find the end zone.
Nix, though, called the red zone struggles in particular “nothing to panic about,” and expressed confidence overall that the Broncos’ offense will be ready to go in two weeks.
What he lamented more was the way he handled himself.
“The next time we get in that spot, I’ve got to have better urgency and be a little bit of a spark myself,” he said. “The rest of the guys will do the same.”
That’s all part of the growth of a young quarterback.
You can want the coach to be a little bit sharper. You can wish the game-planning for an opponent in flux on the last week of the season came together a little bit cleaner.
You can find all kinds of reasons for fluster or frustration.
At the end of the day, though, everybody else is going to look to you to be the source of the spark.
At the end of the day, how quarterbacks play in these games and in particular over the next month are the kind of stretches that define legacies and change lives.
2. After the game, Sean Payton got to riffing about the Super Bowl. Given the Broncos’ roster, he’ll likely spend a lot of time the next couple of weeks talking about it with his team.
There are several players on the Broncos’ roster who have played in a Super Bowl.
Mike McGlinchey joked recently that injured fullback Mike Burton stole a ring from him when McGlinchey was with the San Francisco 49ers and Burton with Kansas City back in February of 2020. OK, maybe that was more Patrick Mahomes’ doing, when the Chiefs scored three touchdowns to erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. ILB Dre Greenlaw played in that game. He played in 2024, too, though he ruptured his Achilles in that game.
The Broncos, though, do not have much in the way of experience actually winning a Super Bowl.
In fact, Burton is the only player on the active roster, practice squad or injured reserve — the only player in the Broncos building, period, with a ring.
That makes Payton this team’s Super Bowl sherpa.
It’s been 17 years now since he and the 2009 Saints lifted the trophy, but once the Broncos head man got talking about the experience on Sunday night, he barely slowed down.
That’s what the No. 1 seed means. It means, as Payton said, being able to see light at the end of the tunnel. Denver has two games, the type of which this franchise hasn’t played in a decade, it must win just to get there.
But they have a real chance and the best position of anybody in the field.
The coach knows it.
And he wants, as he says, for a bunch of first-timers to experience what it’s like.
“I mean this, the thing that was hardest about that (NFC Championship Game) loss, the no-call, was that you’re so excited for those that have never been and experienced it,” Payton said, recalling the 2019 NFC title game when an egregious missed pass-interference penalty helped cost the Saints a Super Bowl appearance.
“You try to tell them, ‘whatever you think it is, it’s a million times different,’” Payton said. “Like, the first five minutes playing in that game, your feet are floating. You’re really not present. It’s hard. I got lectured about it.”
Payton, referring likely mentor to Bill Parcells, said he was told to have something basic to start the game with.
“The very first play we ran slant, belly,” Payton said. “Two weeks later he said to me, ‘You had two weeks to prepare for that and you ran a freakin’ slant?
“It’s like any time you want someone to see a movie or go to a restaurant or experience something. That’s the thing that was so difficult getting that close. … There are so many great players in our league that have never even been to one.”
He wasn’t done.
“And I’ve been a part of a team that lost one and that’s traumatic, now. We played the Ravens and didn’t score a touchdown. We had a kick return for a touchdown. And we go back to the party and there’s my mom saying, ‘you were magnificent tonight.’ And you’re like, ‘No. I wasn’t.’ And you get shooed off the field.”
Payton has said since July he thinks this 2025 Broncos team can compete for a Super Bowl title. He’s believed it perhaps longer than anybody else on the planet.
Players bought in quickly. Reporters, analysts, fans all came along at varying speeds and maybe a few still don’t think it’s possible.
But Denver is two wins at Empower Field away from getting its shot.
“We’re in this thing,” Payton said. “We’ve got great respect. The field will be tough.”
3. Broncos players are off until Friday but at least one coach (and maybe more) will likely have a busy week interviewing for other jobs.
Part of Denver’s win and perch with the No. 1 seed is that it will impact the potential interview schedule for anybody who might get a look for head coaching vacancies around the NFL.
That, of course, likely includes Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. He interviewed for jobs last year and once again oversaw a terrific defense this year.
There’s also a chance quarterbacks coach Davis Webb gets interviews as teams survey a potential pool that is heavy on defensive coaches and features fewer true offensive assistants.
Because the Broncos have a bye week, teams with head coaching vacancies can request interviews with Denver assistants as soon as mid-week. Those interviews would happen virtually and must be completed by the time Wild Card weekend ends.
Then subsequent interviews can take place either once the Broncos are eliminated from the playoffs or, if Denver makes the Super Bowl, on the bye week between the conference title game and Super Bowl week in the Bay Area.
Broncos defensive players have had nothing but effusive praise for Joseph.
“He deserves every opportunity in the world,” inside linebacker Alex Singleton told The Post on Sunday night. “I think he’s one of the best coaches in the world. The best coach in the world. He deserves every opportunity.”
Singleton joked that he’s a free agent after the season, so if Joseph gets a job it may not be the end of the road for the two as a pair.
“We win three and he can come get his boy,” Singleton said with a smile.
Webb told The Post during the week he hasn’t given much thought to what might be ahead, though he’s among the most well-thought-of young coaches in the league. He acknowledged, though, that he wants to be in the business for a long time.
“Well, I retired to hopefully do that kind of stuff or else I would have kept playing for another five years,” he said. “But in the same breath, I’ve got plenty to worry about (Week 18) and then hopefully a long playoff run. So, not really too (concerned). I mean, it will all work out.
“But I really enjoy my job here. I enjoy this quarterback room. This is fun and I love living here.”
As of Sunday night, the openings include the New York Giants, Tennessee and Atlanta. There are almost certainly more to open on what’s referred to as “Black Monday” in the NFL.
4. After a wild finish to the AFC North title game, the Broncos have four teams they can face at Empower Field on Divisional weekend. Here’s a quick look at each.
No. 4 Pittsburgh (10-7)
The Steelers got a late touchdown drive from 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers on Sunday night, then led by only two because of a missed extra point. Lamar Jackson led Baltimore to field goal range and then Tyler Loop missed a game-deciding field goal of his own.
Crazy ending.
The Steelers have been a bit up and down all year, but they’re a veteran group with a Hall of Fame quarterback and a coach who just keeps finding ways to win in Mike Tomlin.
Recently: Pittsburgh’s won four of its past five, with the lone loss coming in Week 17 to Cleveland.
Strength: Experience on a defense that nearly collapsed late vs. Baltimore but features edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, defensive lineman Cam Heywerd and defensive back Jalen Ramsey. That group has given up points and yards this season but entered Sunday having taken the ball away 27 times, too.
No. 5 Houston (12-5)
The Texans roll into the playoffs on an incredible run but having come up short in the AFC South because Jacksonville’s also been on a mega heater. They snuck out a win Sunday against Indianapolis that ultimately wouldn’t have mattered because the Jags won the division, but all the same this is a group that has offensive firepower and a ferocious defense.
Recently: Well, the Texans have won nine in a row. In fact, they haven’t lost since dropping an 18-15 home game to Denver on Nov. 1. The Texans played most of that game without quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was knocked out early due to a concussion.
Strength: A terrific defense orchestrated by head coach DeMeco Ryans. Houston has one of the league’s best pass-rushes, led by outside linebackers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. It has a terrific secondary topped by All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. and safeties Calen Bullock and K’Von Wallace. They entered Week 18 No. 1 in the NFL in scoring, total defense, first downs allowed and a host of other metrics.
No. 6 Buffalo (12-5)
The Bills rested a bunch of guys in Week 18 and still steamrolled the New York Jets. Really. Mitchell Trubisky threw four touchdowns in a regular season game.
Recently: Buffalo’s won five of its past six, the lone loss coming in a one-point loss against Philadelphia. Buffalo fell behind the Patriots early in the season and could never catch up in the AFC East, but Sean McDermott’s team is playing good football and can run the ball with the best in the NFL.
Strength: Easy. They have the big, bad wolf. That’s quarterback Josh Allen. With the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow watching the playoffs from home this year, Allen is the best and most decorated player in the AFC postseason field.
He’s an MVP. He’s a proven game-changer. He’s not been to a Super Bowl and, despite the low seed, might not have a better chance. The Bills will have to do it on the road beginning in Jacksonville, but it’s hard to count Allen out.
No. 7 L.A. Chargers
Not much needs to be said here. The teams just played, albeit without quarterback Justin Herbert and company. They’d pushed hard to get to the doorstep of playing for an AFC West title, but fell short in Week 17 against Houston and settled for playing for health in Week 18 rather than to improve seed.
Recently: Justin Herbert put a beleaguered offensive line on his back and led the Chargers to seven wins in eight games before the club dropped its final two games.
Strength: Herbert and head coach Jim Harbaugh. Those guys can give the Chargers confidence against anybody in the field — including the Patriots next weekend — and when Herbert plays, Harbaugh has not yet lost to the Broncos.
5. One thought after a rough offensive outing: Perhaps it will be a Jaleel McLaughlin Playoffs for the Broncos.
For the first time since J.K. Dobbins’ injury, a running back besides rookie RJ Harvey started for Denver. That was only a nominal development, since Harvey came in for Jaleel McLaughlin after one snap.
What happened after that, however, felt substantial.
McLaughlin churned out 41 yards on six carries and added a 17-yard reception. That’s 58 total yards of offense on seven touches.
Harvey, meanwhile, plugged ahead for 28 yards on 15 carries, his least productive outing since taking over the starting role when Dobbins was hurt in early November. He caught one pass on four targets for 5 yards and dropped one, too.
Denver, for better and for worse, knows essentially what it has in McLaughlin. He’s got burst but he’s slight. He’ll create chunk plays but isn’t a home run hitter. He profiles like a good pass-catcher but really hasn’t been an efficient one in his career.
What he’s done consistently the past two months, though, is give the Broncos a spark whenever he’s in the game.
McLaughlin is up to 5.1 yards per carry on the season.
He’s still seeing reps in line with being the No. 2 back, but come the playoffs, it’ll be interesting to see if Payton and company give him a bigger work load or perhaps are at least willing to ride the hot hand if he continues to out-produce Harvey.
6. It’s mostly a conversation for another day, but the Broncos’ decision-making at inside linebacker this offseason is going to be very interesting
Singleton, as he mentioned Sunday night, is a free agent after the season. So, too, is Justin Strnad. Veteran Dre Greenlaw is in the first of a three-year deal with Denver but the way the contract is structured, it wouldn’t be too painful for the Broncos to get out of it if they decide the continued injury risk is not worth the squeeze going forward.
Cutting Greenlaw would save more than $6.8 million on on Denver’s cap in 2026 and incur about $3.3 million in dead cap space, according to Over the Cap.
They’ve got young, developing players at the position, too. The most interesting name there is rookie Jordan Turner, who has been good on special teams and pops every time he gets any kind of clean-up action late in games.
The most notable development through the regular season, though, is Strnad’s emergence. He has played high-quality football and has turned himself into a real, starting-caliber NFL player.
Strnad rolls into the playoffs with 4.5 sacks to his name. He had a team-best seven tackles (tied with Singleton) on Sunday and 57 total tackles.
Strnad played starter snaps on the weakside the first six weeks of the season with Greenlaw out due to a quad injury, then did a stint on the bench. He then wore the green dot and played Mike for a week when Alex Singleton was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November. Then he went back to the bench. Now he’s playing heavy snaps on the weak side again with Greenlaw out due to a hamstring injury.
A year ago, Cody Barton got $7 million per year in free agency after a year in Denver.
Strnad’s playing better football now than Barton did at any point last year. He’s in line for a nice payday. Singleton’s been the primary play caller for Joseph for three seasons. Greenlaw, when healthy, is a force in the run game and has a history of being good in coverage. But he’s not been healthy often.
Does Denver move forward with only one of the three? Maybe two? It’s difficult to see all three back and it’s become more and more difficult to imagine the Broncos let Strnad wear a different uniform next year.
7a. The turnovers showed up Sunday for Denver’s defense. Now, can they keep it rolling in the postseason?
The Broncos’ defense hasn’t had the kind of high-flying season it did a year ago when it comes to putting points on the board, but they did their job Sunday in the team’s clinching win. The only touchdown of Denver’s day came in the first quarter when nickel Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Los Angeles quarterback Trey Lance off a tipped ball and ran it back for a touchdown. It was just the defense’s 13th takeaway of the season and the first time Vance Joseph’s group has scored this year. That’s in substantial contrast to a year ago when the Broncos defense scored five touchdown and added a pair of safeties for 39 total points.
This one was well-timed, though, considering it came on a day in which the Denver offense did almost nothing. Denver’s mounted a 15-play drive to open the game that ended in an field goal and after that their next seven drives resulted in just four first downs and another field goal. Wil Lutz’s third conversion of the night came thanks to the defense again when a strip sack from outside linebacker Nik Bonitto set up the Broncos at L.A.’s 20-yard line. The offense went backward two yards.
Remarkably, when rookie DL Sai’Vion Jones jumped on the fumble Bonitto forced, it was the defense’s first fumble recovery since Week 1.
7b. Nik Bonitto finished the regular season with a flurry and Denver’s sack record will be difficult to ever top.
With 1.5 sacks in the Broncos’ regular-season finale, finished the season with a career-high 14.
The star edge rusher had gone quiet down the stretch, playing three straight games without a sack. Though he hadn’t actually sacked a quarterback in a while, Bonitto did record an 18% pressure rate in that stretch, which was not terribly far off his 19.4% mark entering Week 18.
Against the Chargers, Bonitto could have had even more. He had quarterback Trey Lance right in his sights and hit him squarely, only to have the quarterback bounce off him and take off toward the sideline.
Still, the flurry sends Bonitto into the bye week on a high note.
The Broncos as a whole, meanwhile, finished the regular season with a franchise record 68 sacks. They broke their own mark from last year in Week 17 and built on it with four sacks Sunday to close out the regular season. Zach Allen chipped in with half a sack and the other two came from a pair of role players who have had really solid seasons: Strnad (4.5 sacks) and DL Eyioma Uwazurike (3.5).
7c. A pair of Payton-related statistical quick-hitters to wrap this thing.
* Payton won 14 regular-season games for the first time in his career.
* He’s just the fifth coach to lead two different teams to a No. 1 seed in the postseason. The others: Andy Reid, Mike Holmgren, Marty Schottenheimer and Tom Caughlin.
7d. Thanks for reading 7 Thoughts this season as we’ve got it off the ground.
Turns out, there are at least 7 more thoughts coming later this month and perhaps beyond. Maybe 14. Maybe 21.
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