When it comes to the 2026 Denver Broncos, one must give credit where credit is due.
The Defense.
And that’s it.
As for the other side of the ball, 2026 appears to be an ongoing investigation the likes of which might require Sherlock Holmes, the FBI and Sean Payton to solve. The Broncos offense might as well be on a milk carton.
When news sheepishly trickled out last week that Payton would be taking back over the play-calling duties and thus removing newly appointed play-caller Davis Webb from the responsibility, the process of elimination began in earnest. Through four weeks, the Broncos offense had been abysmal, particularly early in games. Blame was ubiquitous – might be an aging playbook that worked once for the Saints but has since been decoded by NFL defensive coordinators; might be the third-year quarterback and his debatably healed ankle; might be Webb, a bright mind who had potentially been handed the reins too soon.
Payton went with Option C – Webb.
With Payton once again on the headset – and the hapless, 0-4 Chargers next up on the docket – what better way to solve the riddle? Payton’s plan, in theory, would be to jump in, run a smooth operation in L.A., get an easy win and go from there.
The win was the only part of the plan that came to fruition.
Before Sunday’s win in L.A., the Broncos had only scored 13 first-half points – in total. And to be fair, they scored 10 against the Chargers in the first half. But the “almost double” output wasn’t actually that impressive. Denver’s lone first-half touchdown came off a short-field, fumble recovery that required a 40-yard scoring drive. It took a pair of three-and-outs and then a 60-yard drive to yield their lone field goal. It was 10 points, none of which were pretty.
“You’re always looking for small steps,” Payton said after the game.
If there were any steps forward on offense, they were indeed small.
Payton added, quite accurately, “We really struggled on third down offensively.”
Facts are facts. Denver was one-of-12 on third downs against the Chargers. One. Of. Twelve!
If there was a single, silver lining – a sliver of a lining at best – it was that the Broncos had more rushing attempts than passes. Still, they weren’t necessarily good at either. On the ground, 29 carries resulted in 106 yards, while Nix went 16-of-27 for an uninspiring 123 yards. Even though they lost, the Chargers outgained the Broncos in total yards, 276 to 229. It wasn’t exactly a display of fireworks in L.A.
In Denver, the crime hasn’t exactly changed. So by and large, it’s back to the investigation: Who’s to blame for this mess?
If Davis Webb shares any of the blame, he’s an accomplice. As it were, he looks like more of a scapegoat than anything – and not necessarily a deserving one.
Webb’s offense against tougher opponents didn’t look any better or worse than it did with Payton calling the shots. With Webb on the headsets, the Broncos went 2-2 against the Chiefs, Jaguars, Rams and Niners – four of the NFL’s best teams according to most any power ranking metric to which you might subscribe. With Payton sending in plays, the Broncos are 1-0, but against the now 0-5 Chargers. Payton’s offense was the beneficiary of a season-high three turnovers, those coming courtesy of the Denver D, too.
The reality is that the Broncos aren’t winning anything without their stellar defense. If the Broncos finish their incredibly difficult, six-game opening schedule at 3-3 or even 4-2, it will be because of Vance Joseph’s defense. Period.
In this investigation, the defense is off the hook.
In essence, there are still two primary culprits left – the offense in general, and the quarterback.
Payton didn’t exactly get himself off the hook by seizing the play-calling duties. If anything, he just told everyone it wasn’t Webb’s fault.
He did, however, hint that his quarterback could do some things better. Namely, he wants Bo Nix to “let it rip.” In fairness to Nix, the coach has always praised him for his ability to avoid negative plays; for better or worse, “letting it rip” generally implies taking more risks with the football.
Still, Nix didn’t absolve himself either.
“I don’t think it was my best (game), for sure,” Nix said, following the win.
At 3-2, and potentially 4-2 following a gauntlet of a schedule, things aren’t all doom and gloom -especially considering that the “easier” part of the Broncos 17-game slate is just around the corner.
Still, the eye test – or rather, the smell test – suggests Denver’s O stinks.
If changing the play-caller was just the start of the process of elimination, then Davis Webb is, for the most part, off the hook.
The same can’t be said for the coach’s ol’ trusty offense, or the quarterback who’s supposed to be executing it.
One or both must drastically improve if the Broncos are truly contenders.
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