Tag: turnover

Takeaways are great, but Sean Payton doesn’t want them to dictate Broncos’ record

“The better teams will have one or two wins, even when they lose [the turnover battle],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.

After starting 1-5 under coach Sean Payton last season, the Denver Broncos went on an impressive 5-0 run that was fueled by turnovers.

“I think the biggest thing that stood out was at that 1-5 benchmark — there were two things, really,” Payton said during his end-of-season press conference on Jan. 9. “We rapidly changed how we took the ball away, and then we began to protect the ball. Man, that was a deciding factor in a few games for us — the turnover ratio. When you look at the exact numbers, prior to that, they weren’t really good. I think that was a big reason behind our spark, if you will, of winning five games in a row — creating field position.” 

Turnovers, both protecting the ball and forcing takeaways, are crucial for any NFL team and they helped the Broncos go on a run in 2023. Going into the 2024 campaign, Payton wants Denver to reach a level of being able to overcome not winning the turnover battle on a week-to-week basis.

“[When] the season ended, we were a [winning] team when we won the turnover battle,” Payton said. “We were 8-1 when winning it, and I believe we were 0-8 when it was even, or we didn’t win it. That’s pretty typical of a team that’s right in the middle of the pack, if you will.

“The better teams will have one or two wins, even when they lose it [the turnover battle]. Then the teams way down at the bottom might lose even when they win it. If we won it, chances are we won the game, but if we were even, I don’t think we won a game where it was even. I think there were one or two examples where it was even, and we didn’t win.”

The Broncos ended the season tied for 12th with 26 takeaways. Denver led the league with 15 fumble recoveries, a stat that undoubtedly involves some luck. The ball won’t always bounce the Broncos’ way, and while takeaways are obviously a positive, Payton doesn’t want the team’s win-loss record to be dictated by fluky turnovers.

Denver needs to learn how to win when they lose the turnover battle. Otherwise, as Payton said, the Broncos will remain “right in the middle of the pack.” Payton’s expectations are higher than a middle of the pack finish in 2024.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

WATCH: Chiefs DL Charles Omenihu strips Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in AFC Championship Game

#Chiefs DL Charles Omenihu pulled off this incredible strip sack against #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense got a huge boost in the AFC Championship Game when defensive lineman Charles Omenihu pulled off this incredible strip-sack against Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The pivotal play came just after Kansas City scored a touchdown on an Isiah Pacheco run, and gave the Chiefs a chance to take a two-score lead before halftime.

Check out Omenihu’s clutch sack that gave Patrick Mahomes a chance to put points on the board:

Omenihu has been a consistent contributor to Kansas City’s defense this season after joining the team as a free agent in 2023.

Efforts like this have made him a fan-favorite in Chiefs Kingdom, and are sure to add to his legend as Kansas City seeks to earn its second-consecutive Super Bowl berth.

Stay tuned to the game to see if Omenihu can continue wreaking havoc in Baltimore’s backfield to help the Chiefs earn the Lamar Hunt Trophy.

Chiefs S Mike Edwards explains decision to lateral ball on fumble recovery vs. Dolphins

Chiefs S Mike Edwards explains his decision to lateral the ball on fumble recovery

The Kansas City Chiefs had plenty of big moments in their 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany. The defense stood tall for most of the game, especially during a turning point play in the first half.

The scoop fumble return for a touchdown from safety Bryan Cook extended the lead to three scores and was set up by the punch out from Trent McDuffie. The scoop part, however, was by Mike Edwards, who had the presence of mind to lateral the ball back to Cook to run 59 yards for the score. Edwards spoke about the fantastic takeaway and decision to lateral during the run-back in his postgame press conference.

“So once I got it, I felt Tyreek (Hill) on my ankle,” He explained. “So I was about to get tackled. And I was like, Nah, we gotta get this home, we got to do something else. So I looked back, and I seen my boy BC (Bryan Cook). And I was like, I trust him. You gotta have trust to do some stuff like that, but I trusted him. I just pushed it back, and he did the rest.”

The highlight play is not standard in the league, as coaches typically would prefer the defenders in a turnover scenario not to put the ball at risk. Edwards comedically addressed whether or not this was an authorized action.

“Yeah, we got a touchdown out of it,” said Edwards with a smile. “It better be good.”

The score at the end of the half stalled a promising drive and served as the difference in the game as the Chiefs held on by a touchdown.

WATCH: Diggs’ big hit on Saquon leads to Bland Pick-6

The team’s leading interceptors the last two seasons combine for the club’s first defensive score of the season.

The Cowboys are scoring in all types of ways in the first quarter of their opening game. First, a blocked field goal resulted in a return. Next a big offensive drive ended up being stalled but resulting in a short Brandon Aubrey field goal.

On the Giants’ third drive of the game, the defense that has led the NFL in forced turnovers the last two seasons struck again. On a dump off to running back Saquon Barkley, cornerback Trevon Diggs came in from the sideline and delivered a big blow, causing the ball to float in the air. Second-year CB DaRon Bland, who led the club in picks in 2022 with five, secured the ball and raced down the same sideline as Noah Igbinoghene for the team’s second touchdown.

This score gave the Cowboys a 16-0 lead that they held on through the end of the first quarter.

LOOK: Chiefs LB Leo Chenal recovers fumble vs. Browns

Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal reccovered a fumble to set up Kansas City’s first scoring drive against the Browns.

The Kansas City Chiefs got off to a hot start against the Cleveland Browns in their preseason finale on Saturday after linebacker Leo Chenal recovered a fumble on the game’s first drive.

The play came on second down when Cleveland attempted to run the ball to set up a third and short situation. Deshaun Watson mishandled the handoff and put the ball on the ground, where Chenal was quick to jump on it before the Browns had a chance to get it back.

Kansas City will need more standout defensive efforts like this if they intend to end their preseason schedule with a second win. The team would have entered this game with a spotless record if not for a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Saints in their first exhibition matchup in August.

Watch for Chenal to continue playing with an edge as he helps lift the Chiefs’ defense to victory against the Browns.

WATCH: Tyrann Mathieu nabs his third interception of the season vs Panthers

WATCH: Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu nabs his third interception of the season vs. Panthers, via @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints ended the first half of their Week 18 matchup against the Carolina Panthers with an interception by Tyrann Mathieu. The New Orleans native now has three interceptions on the season, to lead the team in turnovers (he also recovered a fumble).

Many were critical of his play during the first half of the season, but he has certainly picked up as of late. Mathieu has been a big key of the team turning it around during the last couple weeks of the season.

The interception came at a big point of the game, as the Panthers were just outside of the red zone at the end of the half. This interception and big return kept Carolina from being able to take advantage of great field position and score.

[listicle id=120104]

Here’s what happened on Brett Rypien’s interception vs. Cardinals

“I thought I had a free play,” Broncos QB Brett Rypien explained after his interception against the Cardinals.

Filling in for Russell Wilson (concussion) on Sunday, Denver Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien had a nearly-perfect performance outside of one interception in the third quarter.

Besides that interception, Rypien went 21-of-25 passing for 197 yards with one touchdown, helping the Broncos defeat the Arizona Cardinals 24-15.

So what happened on the turnover?

Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt jumped early, but he was onside when the ball was snapped. Rypien assumed Watt was going to be penalized, so he forced a pass into coverage in the end zone believing he had a “free play” with a looming penalty against Arizona.

“He was trying to be aggressive,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said after the win. “He thought they jumped offsides.”

Rypien said he will use the turnover as a learning moment.

“I thought I had a free play,” the QB explained. “It’s an unfortunate situation there. I think it’s a great learning moment for me and practicing those types of scenarios because we do work on that a lot where we get free plays. We are trying to take a shot out on the field. We also have to make sure they call it. It was a good learning moment, but also very unfortunate.”

Hackett appreciated the way Rypien bounced back after the interception, and he liked how the QB kept fighting on despite his struggling, banged-up offensive line allowing seven sacks.

“I thought Brett did a really good job. … He had a choice on how he was going to react [to the interception], and he was great,” Hackett said. “He just put it right aside, went out there, executed and put us in a good position to win the football game. He did a good job there.

“I thought Brett was really good, especially after taking some of those sacks. He was not fazed. He was ready to go and wanted to keep throwing the ball.”

Wilson is expected to be back in the lineup this week, so it’s possible that Rypien played his final snaps of the 2022 season on Sunday. Rypien is scheduled to become a free agent in 2023, so it’s also possible that he has played his final snaps as a Bronco. If Sunday was his final appearance in orange and blue, Rypien is ending his time in Denver on a high note.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos’ offense looks sharp — minus the turnovers

“The name of this game is any time you play, it’s about the turnover battle,” Broncos QB Russell Wilson said.

The Denver Broncos’ new-look offense looked sharp under quarterback Russell Wilson and coach Nathaniel Hackett in the team’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

Denver’s offense totaled 433 yards, with an average of 5.2 yards per carry and 7.5 yards per pass. Those are solid numbers that show the Broncos had no problem moving the ball.

The problem was punching it in.

Denver fumbled the ball at the goal line twice and lost it both times. Those two fumbles were 14-point swings in a game decided by one point.

Going forward, the Broncos’ offense will be just fine, provided they protect the ball.

“I think the name of this game is any time you play, it’s about the turnover battle,” Wilson said after a 17-16 loss. “You’ve got to win that.”

Wilson is confident that the mistakes from Week 1 will be cleaned up.

“Just didn’t go our way [today],” the quarterback said. “Guess what? There are 16 more games to go and there is a lot more football to play. I’m looking forward to what we can do.”

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[pickup_prop id=”27605″]

[vertical-gallery id=685752]

Broncos RB Melvin Gordon explains what happened on his fumble vs. Seahawks

“That’s when the coaches give us the OK to reach the ball, when it’s 4th-and-1,” Broncos RB Melvin Gordon said of his fumble in Seattle.

The Denver Broncos lost two fumbles at the goal line against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday. Those two turnovers cost the Broncos 14 points in a game that was ultimately decided by one point.

The first fumble was put on the ground by running back Melvin Gordon when the team was facing fourth-and-goal at Seattle’s one-yard line.

After the game, Gordon explained what happened.

“It was fourth down, so I was trying to reach the ball,” Gordon said. “I got stopped dead to rights. This is fourth down. That’s the only time it really is acceptable to reach, so that’s what I tried to do. I could have just locked it up, but I would have been short. I’m trying to reach and get it past the goal line. They knocked it out. It is what it is.

“Like I said, if I didn’t try to reach for it, I don’t think it would have come out, but I was trying to make a play. Like I said, that’s when the coaches give us the OK to reach the ball, when it’s fourth-and-one. We don’t care what happens at that point. It’s fourth down. Either way, I got stopped. … Mistakes happen.”

Gordon finished the day with 12 carries for 58 yards and two receptions for 14 yards. Those would have been fine numbers for a running back playing in a shared backfield if that for that costly fumble.

As Gordon said, though, mistakes happen. Now the Broncos will try to not repeat those mistakes.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=685752]

Broncos QB Drew Lock says he shouldn’t have kept ball on read option

“I’m a professional thrower, not necessarily a professional runner,” Drew Lock said. “I should have handed that thing off to Javonte looking back at it.”

Facing second-and-goal from the nine-yard line in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Denver Broncos called a read option play that gave quarterback Drew Lock the choice to hand the ball to running back Javonte Williams for an inside run or take it himself to the outside.

Lock opted to keep the ball and he quickly found himself face to face with Bengals defensive lineman Khalid Kareem, who forced a fumble that Cincinnati recovered.

That play started with 10:44 remaining in the game when Denver was trailing 15-10. Had Denver scored a touchdown on that drive, the team would have taken a 16-15 lead at worst or an 18-15 lead at best with a successful two-point attempt.

Instead, the Broncos went on to lose 15-10, and fans and pundits are now left to argue over if Lock is to blame for the fumble or if offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is to blame for the play call. Perhaps both are at fault.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio didn’t have a problem with the play call.

“That’s a play that Drew has been good at since he’s been here,” Fangio said after the game. “That’s one of the reasons we ran it.”

Hanging onto the football has been a problem for Lock throughout his career. The third-year quarterback has 13 fumbles in 21 career games (18 starts).

“He decided to keep it and didn’t get it tucked away, and the guy took it from him which is a good play on that guy’s part,” Fangio said. “We have to get it tucked away.”

Lock admitted after the game that he should have given the ball to Williams instead of attempting to run himself.

“You know, [QBs coach Mike] Shula says it a couple times in the meeting rooms, when in doubt, give it to the professionals. I’m a professional thrower, not necessarily a professional runner,” Lock said. “I should have handed that thing off to Javonte looking back at it.”

In addition to his 13 fumbles, Lock has thrown 20 interceptions in his career. The turnover-prone QB could potentially be set to start in the place of an injured Teddy Bridgewater this week, and he knows taking care of the football needs to become a priority.

“My No. 1 thing is just taking care of the football,” Lock said. “I think I put the ball on the ground twice, and it’s way too many for me personally. I just got to play a little better. I got to hold onto the ball.”

[vertical-gallery id=660259]

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]