After the last-second loss by the Denver Broncos against the Indianapolis Colts, 29-28, there is no doubt that the defeat stings for everybody on the team, including head coach Sean Payton. While Broncos quarterback Bo Nix took accountability for the loss against the Colts, Payton would give his thoughts on the collective team loss.
There were a ton of fourth-quarter mistakes from Denver that, when looking back at the film, will pain the team and fans as they had numerous opportunities to seal the deal. Before Spencer Schrader of Indianapolis kicked the game-winning field goal, a Broncos offensive drive was stalled due to a penalty on JK Dobbins for spiking the ball when celebrating, leading to a missed field goal.
Then, on the Colts' game-winning drive, Schrader was setting up for a tough 60-yard field goal, but Denver would be called for a leverage penalty, giving the team a better look, leading to the made kick. Payton would say that despite the collapse, this is a prime “opportunity,” according to Luca Evans.
“Today's the day, though, that man, we gotta really not miss out on the opportunity to correct. And not miss out on the opportunity to recognize, maybe, why,” Payton said Monday.
Payton would say right after the loss was fresh that it would be “painful to watch that film,” according to Sports Illustrated.
“Let me start by saying, obviously, a disappointing loss,” Payton said. “We did a lot of things late in that game to keep us from winning. It’ll be painful to watch that film. And yet, we’ll get the corrections made. So, starts with me, our staff. But we had a number of opportunities to not be in that position late, and unfortunately, we shot ourselves in the foot too many times.”
Loss for Bo Nix, Sean Payton, and the Broncos will leave a “bitter taste”
While that leverage penalty by the Broncos will be a tough pill to swallow, the team could use the mistakes as a chance to right their wrongs and build better discipline. Payton would echo the same sentiments after the game, though admitting it will leave “a bitter taste in our mouth.”
“Look, we’ve got to be smart,” Payton said. “You can’t spike the ball, and then we’ve got to capitalize on our field goal opportunity. There will be a bitter taste in our mouth for a little bit, and it’s because we put ourselves in a position to control that game late, and then it slipped out of our hands. So, it’s hard.”
At any rate, Denver heads back home at 1-1, looking for a bounce-back win next Sunday as the team takes on the Los Angeles Chargers.
