Renck: The exit brought an insult. As Broncos fans left the overground train at White Heart Lane, an NFL usher offered, without prompting, this assessment: “You all need a new chant. ‘Go Broncos!’ is lazy work.” Hate to think of what he thought of the offense. The Broncos were a mess against the Jets. They collected 246 yards on 57 plays, a total that would have spelled doom if not for a Denver defense delivering one of the most dominating performances in franchise history. The Broncos have yet to take the step forward that was expected. So is it because of the play-caller or the players?
Keeler: It takes a village to build that much ugliness. But I’ll give the edge to Sunshine Sean here. Let me ask you this, my friend: Was it Adam Prentice’s fault that his coach called a fullback draw on third-and-10 with 1:56 left in the third quarter while trailing by one in a foreign country? Was it Jaleel McLaughlin’s fault that he had a screen dialed up for him on third-and-4 in the third quarter while Denver was nursing a 1-point lead? And should we mention that this was McLaughlin’s first action of the young season? The same five words kept banging in my head Sunday afternoon, and I hope they’re banging in Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s: What are we doing here?
Renck: The Broncos lack talent at skill players. In four of the first six games, the opponents have boasted better receivers, tight ends and running backs. Enough with the experiments, coach. This problem traces back to Payton. It’s time for the best players to get the lion’s share of reps. That means more J.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram and less everyone else. The Broncos lack consistency offensively because they lack consistency with the personnel. At one point in the second quarter, Payton used Dobbins on first down, R.J. Harvey on second and Jaleel McLaughlin on third. Uncle. Time to taper off the line changes that would make Jared Bednar blush. The Broncos need to establish an identity. It is hard to know who you are when you don’t know who is in the game.
Keeler: Payton’s worst enemy? Sean Payton. Sean Payton, Offensive Genius. Sean Payton, Riverboat Gambler. Sean Payton, Super Bowl Champ. The shadow of a mad scientist is always creeping over his shoulder, tapping on it, reminding him to be clever. To experiment. Reminding him of the pressure, the expectation, to prove that he’s the smartest guy in the room. The problem with being the NFL’s Baron Frankenstein is that the creature that rises from the slab is inevitably a patchwork job — but it’s rarely a monster.
Renck: If Broncos play with Jet lag like this, they can forget about winning AFC West
Renck: Payton is not solely to blame. It was new left guard Matt Peart who was flagged for three penalties, including a holding penalty that erased a red zone trip, not Payton. Receiver Pat Bryant had a false start that stalled momentum. There must be consequences to these mistakes, perhaps benching Peart. But Payton can help by streamlining the offense. He is a brilliant offensive mind, but there are times he sees the game through his play sheet instead of his eyes. The Broncos need to take their cue from rescues on “Restaurant: Impossible.” Simplify the menu, pare down the items, determine what you do well, and do it the most.
Keeler: Bo Nix and this offense have more juice when the run sets up the pass, not the other way around. On Denver’s initial 21 first-down plays, the Broncos ran it 12 times for 3.1 yards per carry, which is, let’s just say, sub-optimal. But the alternative wasn’t much better. They threw it at least nine times on first down, but completed only four of those. Throw in a run for no gain, and the Broncos faced a second-and-10 or longer at least six times in London. No amount of genius can cute your way out of that.
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