Overview
- Denver’s Week 1 loss to the Chiefs exposed major defensive failures when the team missed 28 tackles and allowed Kenneth Walker III to rush for 173 yards, with Next Gen Stats putting the missed-tackle rate at 29.8 percent.
- The offense struggled in Webb’s play-calling debut as Bo Nix lost three fumbles, the Broncos managed only five early handoffs, and Webb said he had multiple play calls and execution he would like back.
- Payton and coaches have emphasized a quick reset in practice and publicly backed Webb’s role, with Webb calling the offense a ‘Sean Payton offense’ and saying he learned lessons from the opener.
- An anonymous AFC executive warned that another slow start could force Payton to retake play-calling duties and create a messy internal power struggle for the coaching staff.
- Denver’s tough early schedule, which includes five teams that made last season’s playoffs, gives the offense little margin for error and makes Sunday’s game against Jacksonville a key chance for Webb to stabilize the unit.