The Denver Broncos’ 2023 season is off to a less-than-ideal start, to say the least. The team was just handed a record-breaking 70-20 loss to the Dolphins in Week 3, and it may be time to worry.
Broncos Defense Leaves Little Hope for Playoff Contention
In Week 1, a stagnant offense only put up 16 points and took a devastating one-point loss to the Raiders. Week 2 initially appeared to be a different story as the Broncos jumped out to a 21-3 lead, and fans were able to settle into their seats a bit.
Things quickly changed as Denver gave up its 18-point lead and found itself down by eight points. With three seconds left, a Russell Wilson Hail Mary touchdown shot a glimmer of hope through the stadium, but a failed two-point conversion handed them yet another loss.
BRONCOS TIP-DRILL HAIL MARY 🤯
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/HzEf9nn9UM— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 17, 2023
Week 3 was simply disastrous for the Broncos, as a seemingly non-existent defense allowed an astronomical amount of points.
The defense is a major point of panic for this Broncos team. The team allowed the Dolphins to score more points in a single game than they have at any point in the franchise’s 58 seasons.
They not only broke this record but shattered it as they had never scored more than 55 points. This is also the largest point total the Broncos have ever allowed.
“Obviously, that was embarrassing and tough to watch,” Sean Payton said post-game. “Aside from the kick return there weren’t a lot of positives to take from that game.”
The Dolphins could have achieved the all-time record, but head coach Mike McDaniel opted to kneel the ball with 30 seconds left with his team in field goal range.
The record has been broken. The Dolphins have scored more points today (56) than they have at any point in the franchise's 58 seasons. https://t.co/BIoGs9VGxY
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 24, 2023
If this isn’t a bad omen for the rest of the Broncos’ season, we’re not sure what is.
Wilson has been settling in as the team is helping him bounce back with the addition of Payton and Marvin Mims in the receiving corps, as well as additions to bolster the offensive line. But with a defense that can’t do its job, Wilson’s performance won’t make a huge difference at the end of the day.
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A close loss, a blown lead, and a defense that allowed a record number of points for the Dolphins makes it tough to find optimism going forward.
After today’s performance against the Dolphins, it is likely the team will find themselves buried in the AFC standings. While the Bears and Jets are winnable games for the Broncos, it’s unlikely they will be able to string together any significant number of wins under this defense.