The Denver Broncos missed an egregious 28 tackles in their Week 1 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, and one of the team captains wasn't mad enough about it.
Alex Singleton, a captain for the Broncos and one of the primary culprits of the missed tackles against the Chiefs, made some postgame comments about the tackling that pointed to a much deeper issue than missing 28 tackles in one game as a defensive unit indicates on the surface.
Singleton said after the game: "We're going to be fine. We're going to work on it this week. We're going to do what we need to do, and we're going to be fine."
The lack of urgency from Singleton -- dating back to issues the defense had during the preseason -- raises an important question after a game like that: Why should anyone believe him?
Alex Singleton's ho-hum comments about Broncos' missed tackles point to deeper issue
Denver's D going back to last year's postseason, has allowed 183, 141 and 220 yards in its last three games. That's 181.3 rushing yards per.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) September 15, 2026
The last three games for the Denver Broncos' defense (dating back to the 2025-26 playoffs) have been awful against the run. Tackling had been an issue for them since they came off their bye week last season against Washington, which was another example of a pathetic display of defense.
Even though the Broncos have been one of the best defenses in the NFL over a two-year sample, they clearly haven't been "fine" for some time. And the idea that everything is eventually going to be fine feels like a guarantee Singleton himself shouldn't be making. He's at the center of the struggles.
Singleton himself had five of the team's 28 missed tackles, which resulted in 247 additional yards for the Chiefs.
The Broncos defense missed 28 tackles against the Chiefs, allowing 247 yards after missed tackles, the most yards allowed by any defense in a game since at least 2018.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 15, 2026
The Broncos had eight different defenders miss multiple tackles on the night.#DENvsKC | #ChiefsKingdom
This wasn't a preseason game for the Broncos. This wasn't a tune-up before the real thing.
This was the real thing.
The response from Singleton after a game like that against a division rival -- and on a national stage -- is far too blasé for my liking from a team captain. And perhaps there is some value in having a captain who will say that everything is going to be okay in front of cameras and microphones, but who will say the hard things behind closed doors to his teammates.
Still, the fan base is feeling it after a game like that, and when it feels like every single game matters so much, to have one of the leaders of the defense come out and say, "We'll be fine," after one of the most embarrassing displays of tackling from a defense in the last decade?
It rings hollow, to say the least.
The Broncos decided to forsake other linebacker options this offseason in order to bring back Singleton, who signed a 2-year deal worth $15 million in total money and $11 million in guarantees.
Broncos fans begged for the team to go after Devin Lloyd in free agency. They begged for Kaden Elliss in free agency. They begged for anything from this team in a loaded draft class at the linebacker position, but were sold on the idea that Singleton's knowledge of the defense and ability to get everyone lined up was the best option.
Sure, it's just one game this season, but it's not the only example of the team having issues with tackling, stopping the run, or giving up big plays. And the promise that everything will be "fine" feels like a flippant statement after an ugly loss.
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