For the second straight season, the Broncos have started 0-2. But they insist it is not time for desperation.
The latest defeat was an ugly 13-6 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday in the home opener at Empower Field at Mile High. And staring at them now are road games next Sunday at Tampa Bay and on Sept. 29 at the New York Jets.
"We just got to execute better plain and simple,'' guard Ben Powers told The Denver Gazette. "We're not even close to panic mode or anything like that. There's a lot of ball left."
Unless the Broncos turn things around in a hurry, they could end up having a start similar to the 1-5 one last season. Denver did in Sean Payton's first season as head coach at least win five straight games after that to get back into the playoff race.
"We can't let this train continue to roll the way that it's going,'' said wide receiver Courtland Sutton. "We have to find a way to put it back on the track as quick as we possibly can. .. We have to find a way. No one is going to come save us. It's only us. The boats have burned. It's literally us."
Sutton believes the Broncos can get back on track even though he didn't deny that the NFL can be a difficult place for a rookie quarterback. In his second start, Broncos rookie Bo Nix on Sunday completed 20 of 35 passes for 246 yards with two interceptions.
"Bo's doing a really good job of handling the situations that he's been put into,' Sutton said. "There's a learning curve that goes into the position. ... There's obviously expectations that go into being a first-round, rookie quarterback. I think that he's handling it well."
Power also likes how Nix has looked, and said the Broncos on offense must do a better job around him.
"I'm not worried about Bo at all,'' Powers said. "He's doing just fine. He's a ball player who makes plays. Rookie quarterbacks who start in Week 1, it's a learning curve. But I'm not worried about it at all."
History, though, is not in Denver's favor. Since the NFL expanded the playoffs to 14 teams in 2020, 32 teams have started the season 0-2. The only two to make the playoffs were Cincinnati in 2022 and Houston in 2023.
Running game woes
In the opener at Seattle, Broncos running backs had 20 carries for 64 yards. On Sunday, they were even worse.
Denver backs had 15 attempts for 39 yards. Javonte Williams carried 11 times for 17 yards and Jaleel McLaughlin three times for six yards. The only bright spot was Tyler Badie, who had a 16-yard run in the second quarter but surprisingly never got another carry.
"We've just got to stay more consistent and just keep our head down and keep getting at it,'' Williams said.
Unfortunately for Williams, he has been consistently poor. His meager average of 1.5 yards per carry Sunday marked the 12th straight regular-season game he has averaged less than four yards per attempt. He has averaged less than three in five of his last six games.
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"It does not turn around overnight,'' Payton said about the running game. "It has to be something that we are all committed to."
Nix actually was Denver's leading rusher Sunday for the second straight game with four carries for 25 yards. He had five carries for 35 yards at Seattle. But the Broncos obviously don't want Nix to be their primary runner.
Three penalties for Surtain
After signing a four-year, $96 million contract extension on Sept. 4 to briefly become the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II has struggled to start the season.
On Sunday, Surtain had three penalties. He was called for defensive holding in the second quarter, for holding on a punt return in the third quarter and for pass interference in the third quarter. His third infraction cost Denver 37 yards and Chris Boswell soon followed with a 53-yard field goal for a 13-0 Steelers lead.
"I thought some of them were B.S.,'' Surtain said of the calls. "Some of them I guess were calls they had to make. ... You can't really control the calls at the end of the day. ... It's something I have to work on. I'm just a physical player in general. So, some of the calls I thought I was just playing my game, but the refs thought otherwise."
Franklin-Myers, Browning hurt
The Broncos in the first half lost two key players on defense for the remainder of the game. Defensive end John Franklin-Myers was sidelined with a concussion and outside linebacker Baron Browning with a foot injury.
"It was tough because the numbers were off, and it was mismatching the rotation'' said Broncos defensive lineman Malcolm Roach.
Overall, the Broncos' defense wasn't bad. Zach Allen and rookie Jonah Elliss had sacks, the latter getting the first of his career. The Steelers were held to just 251 yards of total offense although Roach said the 141 they gave up on the ground was too much.
No regrets from Payton
With 2:32 left in the first half and the Broncos down 7-0, they faced fourth-and-7 at the Steelers 39. They first brought Riley Dixon out to punt but then elected to go for it after a Pittsburgh timeout.
"Will (Lutz) felt like he wanted to (try a 57-yard field goal but), I did not like where the field position was,'' Payton said. "I liked, if we were going to take a risk, going for it."
Nix then threw an incompletion, and Boswell soon made a 22-yard field goal on the last play of the half.
"I do not have any second thoughts about it,'' Payton said.