3 biggest overreactions to Denver Broncos crippling Week 10 loss to the Chiefs
The Denver Broncos lost in tragic fashion in Week 10 against the Chiefs, so let's talk about some overreactions after the dust has settled. I am with you in that this game has just made me sick, period. And somehow, this Broncos team is still ahead of schedule and still in a playoff spot, so let's all take a breath.
The Broncos have three winnable games in front of them before their bye, and they'll need to at least be 7-6 when the bye week hits. Well, after the dust has settled from this Week 10 loss, there have been some overreactions from the fanbase that we need to talk about.
3 biggest overreactions to Denver Broncos crippling Week 10 loss to the Chiefs
Overreaction No. 1: Alex Forsyth should be cut
Alex Forsyth has apparently been beaten many times this year on the field goal protection between extra points and field goals, and I did personally see some over-the-top reactions that the Broncos should just cut Forsyth because of this. This is a huge overreaction and not something the team is going to do.
In Luke Wattenberg's absence, Forsyth was playing reasonably well at center. He's got previous chemistry with Bo Nix from their time at Oregon, and even if Denver looks to upgrade their center position in 2025, Forsyth is, at the very least, a quality backup option.
Denver should not cut Alex Forsyth. He's a young player that is still growing in the NFL, and he's had to not only develop as a center, but he's also clearly still figuring out field goal protection, and that's fine.
Overreaction No. 2: The Broncos should have tried to score a touchdown on their final drive
This would have been the wrong move. The Denver Broncos converted a huge third down to get into a position to milk the clock out and kick a game-winning field goal to win by a point. The final score should have been 17-16. Let's just say that the Broncos offense caught the Chiefs off guard during this final drive and actually scored a touchdown.
Well OK then, the score is now 21-16 in favor of the Broncos. The Broncos would then kick the ball back to Patrick Mahomes and give him a chance to drive down the field for a game-winning touchdown. Do you see how silly that would have been? It does not matter how many points a team wins by in the NFL; the Broncos were absolutely right to keep the ball out of Patrick Mahomes' hands in this scenario.
Converting that third down to Courtland Sutton allowed Denver to milk the clock out and kick a field goal, and if the Broncos lined up 100 more times for that exact kick, I bet they make it 95 times. It's a shame that the game ended like it did, but them trying to score a TD was not the right move, so what they did was correct.
Overreaction No. 3: Sean Payton's play-calling is [insert negative adjective here]
OK, so if you have a complaint about Sean Payton's play-calling, can you elaborate on what specific plays you want to see? Or we are just looking for things to complain about? The Denver Broncos have a very poor group of playmakers on offense, a rookie QB, and were going up against a top-2 defensive coordinator in the NFL in Steve Spagnuolo.
The Broncos being able to hang in that game was amazing to begin with, and my goodness, Bo Nix carved up the Chiefs defense on that potential game-winning drive. So no, there is no "play-calling" issue.
I understand that the three-and-outs are frustrating to watch, but every team goes through those, so it's not like the Broncos are alone in that. The offense is still a work in progress, but this was a huge turning point for Bo Nix and the team. The Broncos, their head coach, and their play-calling are and will be just fine, I promise.