Broncos reflect on 17-16 defeat

Sunday’s loss stings on the heels of several losing seasons, though it’s only the beginning of this year and we have several weeks to redeem ourselves.

The defeat didn’t come without insight from the players, either. By and large, many of them gave strong performances. It was a tight game, a tough loss, and unfortunately a repository of penalties. And it just wasn’t good enough for the Broncos.

Head coach Sean Payton was followed by multiple players from all three phases, discussing the outcomes of tonight and what led them there. You can find Payton’s whole interview below:

During player interviews, when asked how they can find ways to win, CB Patrick Surtain II admitted there were “some things [they] left on the table.” He added that they need to learn from it, correct it, and move on.

“It’s a long season. We need to focus on improving this and that,” Surtain continued, “We have a lot to look forward to as a team. This is only the beginning. I have trust and belief in everybody on this team. I know we’re going to get better and improve.”

S Kareem Jackson, who was given a personal foul penalty for a hit on Jakobi Meyers, weighed in on the injury he caused the WR. “First of all I hope that he is alright. It’s a tough sport we play...definitely sending my thoughts and prayers to him and hope he’s fine.”

Jackson noted that he hopes Meyers can come back to the field.

As with Surtain, Jackson had his own two cent’s worth on how to win going forward. “We have been in this situation too many times. So for us it is all about finishing, you know...defensively we are not doing nothing.”

Echoing Jackson’s sentiments with an air of optimism was DE Zach Allen, who seemed confident in the plan, the team, and their ability to improve.

“I think we can improve a lot, but at the same time there are those positives,” Allen shared, “Like you said, we are building a winning culture. Obviously, you know it sucks it didn’t happen today, but I think guys are encouraged and guys want to get back to work.”

Denver Broncos kicker Will Lutz landed in an awkward position in this equation, missing both a PAT and a 55-yard field goal. Lutz confessed that his confidence is shaky right now after such a rough Broncos debut, but that it will make him better.

“It is tough right now. It is going to be a hard 24 hours,” he admitted, “But I know what I am capable of and why I am here. The hard part is obviously this team putting us in a position to win the game, and I was not able to do my part.”

The kicker assured that his confidence was not an issue during today’s game, nor a factor in what happened. “Bottom line is, I have to figure out what happened today and move forward.”

On the offensive side of the ball, WR Courtland Sutton mentioned some of the things they want to change up for next week, and a lot of it boiled down to the red zone.

“Ultimately,” Sutton shared, “when you get in the red zone, and we’re able to score touchdowns, that’s going to give our defense a little more of a cushion to be able to go out and do what they do and ultimately be able to play the game with a common mind.”

“At the end of the day, the moral victories, I’m kind of just pushing those to the side,” he continued, “It’s more of just getting the job done, and we weren’t able to get that done today.”

Finally, QB Russell Wilson emphasized “finding one more play.”

“I thought we played well all throughout the game,” Wilson stated, noting that the team made some great plays in six possessions. “I think the biggest thing is finding one more play here.”

“We knew it was going to be a fight,” he said, “We knew it was going to be a battle. We thought we were going to come out on top, unfortunately we didn’t.”