Inside the locker room with Browning, Jewell, and Jeudy

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This year it was mostly the worst of times. I wish the Denver Broncos hard-won victory today was a reflection of the rest of their season, but it wasn’t. That’s okay because we have to move on, and right now we have the ability to focus on a good finale after a bad year.

Following the win over the Los Angeles Chargers today, reporters made their rounds through the locker room and on the field. Here are a few snippets from a few of them.

LB Baron Browning, who logged a sack and three tackles tonight, shared that he’s been learning a lot throughout this year, even in the games they haven’t won or when he hasn’t been able to make a lot of plays. Tonight was something he wants to hold onto for next year.

“I feel like for us, all year we’ve just been in those games where we just couldn’t find a way to get out of the hump,” he admitted, “So to finally get that win in a close game like this means a lot, and I feel like it’s a good thing to take that momentum to the offseason, keep building on it.”

ILB Josey Jewell recorded five tackles and a fumble recovery, and was in good spirits when they interviewed him in the locker room.

“Ended with a win. We played pretty good, and [we have] a lot of things to build on next year. We had some great positives that we saw throughout the year, we just need to start fast next year.”

Jewell described Jerry Rosburg as a good “old school” coach. “He’s been around it long enough, so he knows a lot of ins and outs, and [he’s] fun to play for. Understands the game, I love the insight that he brings.”

Asked what he’s going to remember about this season, he said, “A bunch of tough guys. Guys that didn’t give up. And that’s what we saw today.”

“So you know, that’s what means the most,” Jewell went on, “Maybe it wasn’t a great season, but we finished strong...just like I said earlier, we need to start on a better note next year.”

The offensive side of the ball really found their stride today, too. Without a doubt, WR Jerry Jeudy was shining, with five receptions for 154 yards. After the game, he expressed that the victory to close out a tough season was a big deal. Absolutely felt, Jeudy!

“We started off slow kind of, but having us win this last game was big,” he shared, adding what really allowed them to end on a high note, “Coaches put us in a great position to make plays, and we executed our assignment, and we did what we had to do.”

When asked to say something directly to the members of Broncos Country, Jeudy looked confident and sincere as he stated, “Next year’s going to be a different story, man.”

After these last few weeks, I can believe that next year might be a different story, and I’m cautiously optimistic to watch it unfold. At any rate, tomorrow begins our offseason. Hopefully this time next year, we’ll be talking about a postseason instead, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself.

At any rate, enjoy your Victory Monday, Broncos Country!