Coming into the game on Sunday, the Denver Broncos‘ defense looked like the league’s best. Ranked 5th in total yards allowed and leading the NFL with 21 sacks, the defense shone against the New York Jets. They smothered the Jets with just 32 total yards in the first half, including only two net passing yards. Both of these are the lowest by any team in a single half this season. But things went downhill on the offensive side, which ended the match in a narrow 13-11 victory over the Jets

This was Denver’s first game without veteran left guard Ben Powers since he joined the team in 2023. And it showed. Matt Peart, who was called the replacement, struggled mightily, getting flagged twice. But Peart wasn’t the only concerning issue in the offensive meltdown. Quarterback Bo Nix also addressed the offensive struggles and said, “We weren’t in a very good rhythm at all.”

The Broncos endured three three-and-outs and even gave up a safety. This one is on Quinn Meinerz for holding in the end zone. The ground game also failed to impress. Denver’s running backs combined for just 47 yards on 18 carries, their worst performance this season. The Broncos finally pieced together a promising drive late in the game, reaching the first and goal at the 9-yard line, but that wasn’t enough. Three plays later, Bo Nix’s third-down pass to Courtland Sutton in the end zone sealed a frustrating night for Denver’s offense.

With all the offensive struggles, head coach Sean Payton made sure to acknowledge that after the game. “We had a number of errors that, there’ll be a lot of us that want to clean some stuff up,” Payton was upfront about his team’s performance.

Sean Payton and his staff have plenty to clean

Payton didn’t shy away from taking responsibility for the Broncos’ sloppy offensive showing. He recognized the self-inflicted mistakes that nearly cost them the game. “Obviously, that starts with me and our coaching staff,” Payton added. “I felt the same way in the kicking game. I felt we lost that battle, and fortunately, our defense played well enough for us to get the win.”

“We’re going to look at the tape, we’re going to be upset about the pre-snap fouls, the holding, false start on a third and one. I think there’s going to be a number of things that we’re going to look at that we’re going to have to clean up with.”

Still, fans were left scratching their heads at some of Payton’s play-calling decisions. One in particular was a 3rd and 10 run by fullback Adam Prentice from Denver’s own 18-yard line in the late third quarter. This drew plenty of criticism. The Broncos picked up just three yards and punted the next play.

After the win, fans flooded social media calling for Payton to hand over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi or quarterback coach and pass-game coordinator Davis Webb, hoping a fresh voice could reignite the offense.

The Broncos have flashed their potential. Scoring 28 points against the Colts in week 2 and the Bengals in week 4, but consistency has been the missing piece. Now, with a week to regroup, Denver’s offense will look to get back on track before hosting the New York Giants in week 7.