Wins have rarely looked this uncomfortable for the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton’s team escaped the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 in overtime Thursday night at Empower Field at Mile High, and the head coach was the first to admit how close this season has come to going the other way.
“I’m a little bit of a realist to know that 4-2 could easily be 2-4,” Payton said, according to DenverSports.com.
Asked what gives him the most reason to smile six games in, he didn’t hesitate. Payton pointed to the record “because those wins are hard to get.”
Why Sean Payton isn’t trusting the record
Thursday showed why. Seattle outgained Denver 353-168, and Sam Darnold threw 51 passes against a defense that was on the field for 85 snaps, according to PFF. The Broncos led 14-3 at halftime, then managed 30 yards and two first downs after the break.
The finish nearly cost them. Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted Darnold with 1:25 left, but Denver took just 16 seconds off the clock before punting. Rashid Shaheed returned it 31 yards, and Jason Myers tied the game with a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left.
“Obviously, you’re wanting to burn time,” Payton said of that possession. “When they sit with all their timeouts, though, it’s a little bit more time than you think.”
It hasn’t been a one-week pattern, either. Denver’s first three wins, over the Jaguars, Rams and Chargers, all came from behind, and Payton has said for weeks that the entire offense must improve.
What keeps tipping these games is the defense. Alex Singleton posted a 90.5 overall grade while playing all 85 snaps, the best mark on the team, according to PFF. The Broncos sacked Darnold five times, hit him 17 times and picked him off twice, with Ja’Quan McMillian’s interception in overtime setting up Wil Lutz’s 53-yard winner. “Defense really was lights out,” Payton said.
He also leaned on home field. Payton said home teams on Thursday nights win 88% of the time with a halftime lead, compared with about 76% in other NFL games. “I wouldn’t count on going into overtime, but that’s how it ended,” he said.
There’s a reason the beaten team mattered to him, too. “Two years in a row, we beat the Super Bowl team, and that’s not easy to do,” Payton said.
The Broncos now get a mini-bye before the Arizona Cardinals visit Oct. 25, and Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga both left Thursday with ankle injuries. Payton is right about the record. Without those two, the margin only gets thinner.
More on the Denver Broncos
- Sean Payton Says Playing It Safe Was the Plan, and That’s a Problem for Bo Nix and Denver
- Broncos Snap Counts Show Kris Abrams-Draine Holding His Corner Job as Riley Moss Eases Back
- What’s Wrong With Bo Nix After 107 Yards? Answering 5 Questions Broncos Fans Are Asking
- Broncos’ Pass Rush Leads 4 Positives From Overtime Win Over Seahawks, but 2 Negatives Linger
