Despite his impressive performance last week at New Orleans that earned him his first AFC Defensive Player of the Week title, Denver Broncos linebacker Cody Barton couldn’t forget about one mistake he made.
“Yeah, the dropped interception,” Barton said Wednesday after being recognized for his great play that helped lead Denver to a 33-10 victory over the Saints in coach Sean Payton’s return to the city where he won its only Super Bowl.
“I’m proud of him,” Payton said. “When you look at the game, he was one of the guys on defense that got a game ball. It was a really good game for him.”
Barton made six solo tackles out of his eight total tackles, had a sack, broke up a pass, and recovered a fumble, which he returned for a 52-yard touchdown, celebrating by backpedaling into the end zone from about the 5-yard line.
This came after he dropped what he thought would have been an easy pick-six.
He mentioned that during the long weekend, which included a trip to Vail for his wife’s birthday along with some hunting and fishing, he kept thinking about the interception he missed.
“I mean, my wife gave me grief for it. My Dad called me. Everyone’s called me talking about it. Even guys today gave me a hard time at practice Wednesday,” Barton said with a laugh. “I made sure to catch some extra balls after practice. Zach (Wilson) threw me some balls. But yeah, that was definitely something that stuck with me all weekend. It was in my head.
“That’s OK, I’ll catch the next one.”
Not even receiving his first career conference honor in his first season in Denver and sixth in the NFL could ease his feelings of regret.
“No, it was just right there,” Barton said, raising his hands in front of his chest as if catching the pass. “You guys all saw it. It’s one you don’t drop. But the next one I’ll catch, then I’ll feel a little bit better.”
Barton’s performance has helped the Broncos (4-3) recover from losing leading tackler Alex Singleton to a torn ACL in Week 3. Since then, Barton has been calling the defensive plays for Denver.
“The good thing about this defense and something I love about this defense is everyone eats,” Barton said. “You don’t know whose day it is going to be. In this defense, everyone makes plays … It’s a lot of fun.”
Barton mentioned that his role in Denver’s top-5 defense is exactly what he hoped for when he signed a one-year, $3.5 million free agent deal last summer after a season with 121 tackles for Washington, following a four-year stint in Seattle.
He said he really likes defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s aggressive style, which fits him perfectly.
“During free agency I envisioned this for myself,” Barton said. “I’ve just always believed in it. I believe in what V.J. calls and his philosophies. A lot of things defensively as a whole are coming to fruition.”
The Broncos signed Barton to fill the spot left by Josey Jewell, who signed a three-year, $22.75 million contract with the Carolina Panthers after six seasons in Denver.
The Broncos will face the Panthers (1-6) at home this Sunday.
