The Denver Broncos got a win in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers, giving them the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs and a bye in the Wild Card round. Still, it feels like many fans in Broncos Country are concerned with the way the offense is playing.
Over the past handful of weeks, the Broncos have had a seemingly very conservative game plan for the past two games as they've gone up against the Chiefs and Chargers. The goal is to win games, and Sean Payton has talked about the fact that it's not important how it looks aesthetically, but Denver's execution has been sub-par on top of a conservative game plan.
At least, we assume it's been a conservative game plan based on what we're all seeing out there. After the win against the Chargers, tight end Evan Engram was asked point-blank about whether or not the Broncos were calling plays conservatively in order to keep their cards close to the vest. His answer should encourage everyone as the team gets ready for a postseason run.
Evan Engram coy about Broncos possibly going with an extra conservative game plan vs. Chargers
Asked Evan Engram if the #Broncos playbook was extra conservative tonight before the playoffs.
— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) January 5, 2026
"That's not really good to get into that. We want to go and dominate no matter what...We got the 1 seed." pic.twitter.com/y3YbQsyNjm
Engram is clearly not getting into the offensive strategy discussions here, deflecting the question a little bit and talking about how the team wants to "dominate" no matter what.
We've seen the Broncos' offense struggle plenty this season, so it's justified for the fan base to be a little worried going into the playoffs after a performance like this, along with a performance like we saw against the Kansas City Chiefs. Everyone's favorite phrase after games like that is, "They're not going to win in the playoffs if they play like that," and there is some merit to that.
The Broncos have to execute better in the red zone. They have to score touchdowns when they get down there. They have to be able to run the ball. They can't be letting Bo Nix get hit, sacked, and pressured as often as we saw on Sunday against the Chargers.
There's a lot of film out there on every team at this point in the year. That's why you need to be able to run the ball effectively in the playoffs. If you can't win the line of scrimmage, you don't dictate the pace of the game. If you can't finish in the red zone, you leave yourself vulnerable against any team that makes it this far in the year.
This Denver offense has been explosive this season. They've scored a lot of points in short spurts. Even with their inconsistency, they've been able to find their way to 14 wins. Sean Payton said after the game that coaches "shouldn't be" happy after games because you're always looking for ways to improve.
But the way everyone seems unbothered by this speaks volumes to their self confidence going into the postseason.