Sean Payton doesn’t want to blame Alex Forsyth for the blocked field goal that cost the Broncos a win against Kansas City. Payton took responsibility, saying the issue was with the whole team, including the coaches, and that they need to improve their protection and understand how the rush is coming.
“It’s not on the player,” Payton said on Monday. “This is on all of us. We have to look at whether we’re big enough there and understand the rush better.”
The Broncos (5-5) were just seconds away from beating the unbeaten Chiefs, but Leo Chenal and other Kansas City defenders broke through Denver’s left side of the field goal protection unit to block Wil Lutz’s game-winning attempt. The Chiefs (9-0) won 16-14, and the Broncos were left feeling the loss hard.
“I read all the comments afterward,” Payton said. “It’s tough to lose a game that way.” The Chiefs mentioned they had spotted a weakness in the Broncos’ field goal protection before the block. “The guy I was rushing was a little light on his toes,” Chenal explained.
The Chiefs also nearly blocked Lutz’s extra point after Denver’s second touchdown and almost got to him again on a 60-yard field goal attempt before halftime.
Payton admitted the Broncos were still working on corrections each week, both for the field goal unit and other areas. “When something like that happens, it’s pretty common for the team that had success with it to say, ‘Hey, we saw this.’ Credit them for exploiting it.”
Now, Payton wants to make sure this tough loss doesn’t derail the Broncos’ season. Despite the heartbreak, Denver is still in a good position, holding the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC at 5-5.
In his postgame news conference, Payton acknowledged the pain of the loss but stayed optimistic. “The sky is not falling,” Payton said. “There’s a lot ahead. We have seven games left. I think this team has been resilient. We’re sitting here at 5-5. Of course, we would have liked to be 6-4, but now we focus on the next game.”
Payton trusts the leadership on his team, saying it’s a much different group from last year. “It’s tough mentally and physically, but overcoming losses like this is part of the game. When you talk to the players, you remind them that it happens. You have to bounce back.”
