Another game, another loss for the Denver Broncos. This time on National TV since it was a primetime game, against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos ended up losing by 11 points, and are 1-5 headed into week seven.
Denver lost its 16th consecutive game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which became the longest active losing streak against the same team in the entire NFL.
With that being said, here are my two main takeaways from the game ...
1. The defense looked very improved against a top-tier offense:
The Denver Broncos defense has been a huge problem throughout the season, as they allowed 36 average points in the first five weeks. Many people believed that Denver should have fired defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, but on Thursday Night, against a top-tier offense led by Patrick Mahomes, they looked very improved, especially in the red zone.
The defense stopped key offensive drives from Kansas City. They played with heart, discipline and courage. Regarding sacks and turnovers, Denver had two sacks (Jonathon Cooper and Zack Allen) and one interception (Justin Simmons). Safety Kareem Jackson also had an interception, but it was overturned due to a pass interference penalty from cornerback Damarri Mathis.
𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘 𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗘: This was pass interference on #Broncos cornerback Damarri Mathis. pic.twitter.com/ifvbDqO8Bd
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 13, 2023
The Chiefs had only one touchdown, they went 1-5 in red zone trips. Still not enough for the Broncos to get the dub at Arrowhead.
2. Was Nathaniel Hackett calling the offensive plays for the Broncos? Sean Payton with concerning playcalling:
This game definitely was the Broncos' worst offensive performance of the season (so far). Russell Wilson had his first game as a Denver Bronco with less than 100 passing yards, to be specific, he had 95. It is his third career game with less than 100 passing yards, the first one since 2018, where he had 72 with Seattle, against the Minnesota Vikings.
This is not only Wilson's fault, I know that he played badly, but it is also Sean Payton's fault. He had a very bad playcalling game and sent bad formations for specific plays. Denver had screen plays with no blockers in third-down situations, and overall Sean Payton did not look confident at all.
The Broncos will be back at home for week 7 to face the Green Bay Packers. Was the game against KC the final game as Denver Broncos for some players?