The Denver Broncos were felled by the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, and they can point to the stellar performance from quarterback Joe Burrow for it in large part.
Despite the Broncos setting the franchise single-season sack record with 7 on the Bengals QB, Burrow completed a season-high 79.6% of his passes for 412 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 30-24 victory.
His 384 net passing yards are the second-most the Broncos have allowed this season.
After the game, Broncos head coach Sean Payton spoke about getting to Burrow for what was also a season-high in sacks taken.
“I think understanding how to rush him [is the key to being successful rushing Burrow],” Payton told reporters on December 28. “He does a good job – we even saw it in third-and-13. He gets a first down. You can’t get behind him you got to kind of keep him in the pocket as best you can, which is – it’s difficult to do.”
Burrow’s effort was also historically significant.
“There have only been TWO games in NFL history where a QB got sacked at least 7 times, but still managed to throw for 400+ yards with at least 3 TD passes and zero interceptions,” CBS Sports’ John Breech posted on X on December 28.
The other was Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 of the 2020 season.
The Broncos also allowed a historic performance to the Cleveland Browns in Week 13.
Sean Payton Called Out After Playing for Tie
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Payton received criticism in the game’s aftermath. His decision not to attempt a two-point conversion at the end of regulation drew the ire of many, including former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who is now a contributor for ESPN.
“We spent some time thinking about – I’m going to I’m going to answer this now, alright? – going for two,” Payton said in his opening postgame statement. “We knew a tie, though, was, for us, just as beneficial as a win. And we felt like we had the momentum at that point.
“It went back and forth. And in the end, we didn’t make enough plays. They did.”
Payton said they had “plenty of time” to discuss the decision, adding that they made the “right one.”
“Of course he should have [gone for 2 points],” Ryan said on “Sunday NFL Countdown” on December 29. “I love Sean Payton. But he talked about, ‘We had momentum.’ You know, all that. Yeah, you have it. By the way, don’t sell to the public that you knew that if we tied … we’d go to the playoffs anyway.
“You ain’t gonna stop Joe Burrow, are you kidding me? … They did once until a homeboy (Cade York) decides to miss a 20-yard field goal. Give me a break. You can’t stop him. You gave up 550 yards to this team. So I ain’t buying it, Sean. You could tell – no, I aint buying it.”
Ryan says Payton should have leaned on Bo Nix and the Broncos’ offense, which had tied the game with 14 seconds remaining in regulation.
“You gotta go for it,” Ryan said. “Put it in his hands. Your defense, by the way, the last couple of weeks, has been torched. Forget it. No. Lean on your own side of the ball that you – you got this great quarterback. Lean on him. And by the way, at the end of the game, nobody could stop [him].”
Payton stood on his decision later in the postgame presser.
Sean Payton Doubles Down on PAT
GettyHead coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos reacts against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Going into this game, I knew all of that stuff. Tie, everything down to the – and so, a lot of it is your gut relative to how the toss goes,” Payton said. “We were moving a little bit on offense and then weighing the percentages of the two-point conversion.
“If the tie element didn’t sit in there, it’d probably been a little bit easier decision. Obviously, I’m going to get asked the question either way.”
Payton also reiterated the Broncos had ample time to decide and were comfortable with the call.
Payton showed respect for the Bengals’ offense coming into the contest. He also received criticism for going away from the ground attack in Week 16, contributing to the Broncos’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on “Thursday Night Football.”
The Broncos can still clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2015 with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17.
Otherwise, they will need some help to get in.
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