How Broncos' Win Over Chiefs Impacts Rebuild Rumors
The Denver Broncos entered Week 8 with a 2-5 record, and all signs pointed to a rebuild on the immediate horizon.
Then the Broncos did the unthinkable — beating the Kansas City Chiefs, snapping a 16-game losing streak at the hands of a team that has appeared in the last three Super Bowls and won two of them, including the most recent.
And now the question becomes: Is a rebuild still coming?
The answer is still yes, though it's not a case of Denver blowing everything up and starting over again.
Throughout the first half of the 2023 season, many have questioned whether Vance Joseph could get it together as defensive coordinator. Others raised the question about how long GM George Paton would last in the Broncos' front office. And there were even questions raised about Sean Payton and if he was the right man to be head coach.
I will say this, though: Sunday's win over the Chiefs has provided some answers.
It's no secret I've been skeptical about Payton's hiring and that I wondered whether his seat might be warming up. Let me now say that after Sunday's win, the head coach's seat isn't remotely hot, and I'm happy to eat crow.
The Broncos' big win also eased the pressure on Joseph, who is doing a better job of late with his schemes. He's earned himself the rest of the season, for sure.
And finally, there's Paton, the general manager. He's done some good things, but, unfortunately, his mistakes have weighed heavier than the good he has done. Still, there's reason to believe that, yes, Paton can be part of a rebuild as well.
One thing about this season is that leadership at Broncos HQ has been quicker to make changes and move on from certain players, regardless of the short-term pain involved. The above trio isn't standing pat with the status quo — they are making some tough choices.
Take the Broncos' decision to part ways with veteran rush linebacker Randy Gregory, for example. Had the San Francisco 49ers not agreed to the draft pick swap to acquire Gregory, the Broncos would have been paying him a lot of cash to sit for the rest of the season.
While Paton deserves blame for the Gregory signing, credit him for recognizing that the signing had flopped and for moving on sooner rather than later. It may be true that as head coach, Payton has a lot of input on personnel, but there's no evidence that Paton insisted on keeping Gregory, even though it was evident he wasn't working out.
The same holds true for Payton and Joseph on the coaching side. Both had to figure out what wasn't working on defense in order to correct course. This included saying goodbye to nickel cornerback Essang Bassey, even as the division rival Los Angeles Chargers claimed him off waivers.
The Broncos' decision to jettison Bassey allowed Ja'Quan McMillan to step into the lineup, and he has delivered. McMillian was a key reason why the Broncos were able to beat the Chiefs, thanks to an interception, a pass breakup, and two tackles for a loss.
The Broncos didn't wait for rush linebacker Baron Browning to return to full strength before moving on from Gregory, and once Browning was ready to play, the team also moved on from Frank Clark. The Broncos were even able to get Clark to renegotiate his contract to reduce the money he was due, a move you don't often see when a player is about to be cut.
Browning has appeared in just two games since his return, but he's been a force already, with two sacks and three pressures against the Chiefs. If all goes well the rest of the season, the Broncos might have their primary pass rusher for this defense.
Of course, there's still a lot of football left to be played. But the fact we are seeing a coaching staff and front office willing to make changes on the fly is a sign that the Broncos are more likely to be honest about what this team needs to get back into playoff contention.
One shouldn't take the win over the Chiefs as a clear indicator that the Broncos will make the playoffs this season. While the defense did have a great game against Kansas City, it's still a work in progress. The Broncos' offense, meanwhile, didn't finish enough drives and wasted some opportunities.
The win over the Chiefs was exciting, but the Broncos still need to focus on a rebuild. However, there's more reason to believe that Payton and Paton can be the ones to oversee that rebuild, given what the duo has been willing to do in the first half of this season.
We'll talk more during the bye week about what needs to happen with the Broncos' roster. But while a rebuild still needs to be a consideration, we have more room for optimism that the Broncos have the men who can be trusted to oversee that rebuild.
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