Sunday’s loss for the Denver Broncos was tough, but it also revealed three things that have to be addressed going forward as the team now prepares for the 2026 season.
Denver Broncos loss vs. Patriots reveals three key takeaways
This one is going to sting all offseason and through next season as the Denver Broncos reflect on being one game away from going to the Super Bowl. What would the results have been had Bo Nix played? What if Sean Payton kicked a field goal instead of going for it on 4th and 1?
We can ask these questions until our faces turn blue, but there are things that Denver can do differently this offseason to address some areas that ultimately prevented them from winning on Sunday.
Broncos need a revamped run game
Whether it be scheme or personnel, the Denver Broncos’ rushing attack was far too inconsistent this season, and their inability to run the ball on Sunday contributed in part to their loss against the Patriots.
Rookie running back RJ Harvey has all of the tools to be a dynamic player in the NFL. He was thrust into a larger role due to J.K. Dobbins’ injury and had to learn a lot on the fly. Harvey can be better going forward, especially with just hitting the hole, getting more north-south, but everybody needs to be patient with him.
He’s young and is still developing, but that shouldn’t prohibit the Broncos from being aggressive and trying to get a dynamic rusher in NFL Free Agency. The dilemma here is whether or not the Broncos will re-sign Dobbins, whose injury in Week 10 had a huge impact on the efficiency of the offense down the stretch.
His injury history is the biggest question here, or do the Broncos look to sign Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, or Travis Etienne?
From a schematic standpoint, the Broncos’ run blocking scheme requires physicality, but it’s also about finesse and getting to certain angles and landmarks to seal off defenders with their implementation of the outside zone scheme. Denver ran a combination of gap-specific runs, inside zone, and outside zone looks this season.
There’s value to be had in the outside zone, but there has to be more of an emphasis on physicality when it comes to specific gap runs and inside run looks.
Bo Nix needs some help at receiver
Drops were an issue for the Denver Broncos wide receiver room for a large portion of the season, and at times in Sunday’s loss in inclement weather.
Bo Nix made up for a lot of deficiencies or blemishes the Broncos offense had this season, and that’s clear from Sunday’s result. They missed him.
However, going into 2026, the Broncos need to bring in help for Nix at receiver.
Courtland Sutton is the clear-cut No. 1 for the team, but he’s receiving far too much attention from defenses who have bracketed him all season long, daring the Broncos to have somebody else beat them.
Marvin Mims has proven how valuable he can be at wide receiver, and it shouldn’t have taken injuries to Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant to showcase that. Keep Marvin as a punt returner, remove him from kick return, and give him more snaps at receiver.
Bryant and Franklin are two young players who have so much promise and potential — they are still developing.
With all that said, the Broncos need to go add another dynamic weapon at receiver that can help take pressure off of Sutton, which in turn could help create more one-on-one opportunities for him to thrive next season.
George Pickens and Alec Pierce are the top two names that come to mind who are free agents in March that could help.
Tight end needs to be more than a decoy
The Broncos brought in Evan Engram to be the ‘Joker’ in Sean Payton’s offense, but his utilization was nothing like the role typically details. That’s not on Engram.
Engram has come up big in several games this season in clutch moments, but Denver’s inability to consistently feature him with the constant mixing and matching of personnel at tight end made it more difficult for him to thrive.
He played a career low 42% offensive snaps, which is a significant drop off from his previous career low of 67% in 2018, and that was due to injury.
Despite the low feature rate and lack of targets or production, Engram has never once pouted or shown poor body language on the field or in the locker room, even if he had every right or reason to. His veteran character is important, and his skillset is something that can help the Broncos offense, but the tight end position and how it’s used inside of Payton’s scheme has to evolve.
Since Payton has arrived in Denver, the Broncos haven’t had enough of an impact production-wise at the position itself, even if they’ve had role players like Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins, who impact the game in different ways as blockers and run support.
The lack of a security blanket receiving option has been noticeable, and with opposing teams bracket covering Courtland Sutton, the offense has felt like it’s playing 9 vs. 11 because of the tight end position as well.
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