news-engine

Maybe the Broncos losing to the Packers is exactly what they needed The Broncos were far from perfect against Green Bay, but the preseason loss exposed issues Denver can address before the games count. Obviously, what the Denver Broncos put forth on Friday night was not good enough. Maybe that’s a good thing, especially for a team that has expectations of playing in and winning the Super Bowl this season. Yes, it’s the preseason, and you don’t want to get carried away with the positive or negative. But you also want to create good habits and trends heading into the regular season. At the same point, having areas to improve or sharpen is never a bad thing. The Broncos have one more week of practice and the third preseason game to do just that. Then the real fun begins. From penalties and special teams play to the line of scrimmage and just playing and looking sloppy against the Green Bay Packers, there’s no doubt Sean Payton will expect better and more. “Well, I think they won a lot of the battles,” Payton said to the media after Friday’s game. “You can take the line of scrimmage, you can take the kick coverage, they’ve got a big return. Penalties that impacted field position a lot, rushing battle, pick a topic. I would say yes. … But I can’t think of one area that we played or outplayed them, honestly. I’m just being honest.” Setting a standard and ensuring everyone is aligned to consistently live up to that is one of the reasons the Broncos are where they are. And it starts with Payton creating that culture. When that doesn’t happen, even in the preseason, it’s a moment to grow. “I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘bothered,’” Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian said to the media. “We’ve just got to bring that same mentality each week. It can’t be one-offs or different weeks, or ‘we don’t feel like playing,’ or ‘we’re not doing what we’re supposed to do.’ So, I think that’s the thing. You’ve just got to bring it every week and come with that mindset.” Having those times to learn, refocus, and be reminded of the expectations is never a bad thing. And you’d much rather have them come in the preseason. “Obviously, we’re not where we (want to be),” McMillian said to the media. “It’s preseason, so we can’t get too far down, but that’s not our ball. That’s not our type of ball. That’s not what we want to be like, so we’re just going to watch the film, review, and have a better week next week.”