When new coach Sean Payton joined the Denver Broncos this offseason, he emphasized that reducing penalties would be a priority in Year 1. So far, that emphasis has not paid off.
Through two weeks of play, the Broncos are tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the league lead in penalties (19). It’s not just middle-of-the-game, middle-of-the-field penalties, either. Denver has made crucial mistakes at crucial points of games that have contributed to the team’s 0-2 start.
“There are some things that stand out right now, and before you talk about how to win games, you also have to understand how not to lose games,” Payton said earlier this week. “We’re currently tied for a league-high 19 penalties. We lead the league defensively with defensive fouls called, with 12. [We have] five personal fouls.
“We have a number of plays where we’re off the field on third down, but there’s a flag on the turf, there’s holding or defensive pass interference, which makes it an automatic first down. Instead of being off the field, those are turnover penalties. We have to be better and more disciplined in that area, and that starts with us as coaches. Being able to tune out the distractions when you lose two games like this is challenging, but they have to be able to do that.”
This week, the Broncos will face their toughest test of the season yet when they go on the road to face the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Denver can’t afford to commit silly penalties against a good team in Week 3. So far, it’s been all talk and no results on the penalty front for Payton. If that doesn’t change soon, the Broncos’ season might not be salvageable.
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