Broncos Post-Game Quotes That Matter—And What They Signal for Week 3

After falling flat on their face in Week 1, the Denver Broncos bounced back on Sunday with a quality win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Broncos could have taken more time after the game to revel in the sudden silencing of their many critics, but their 20-13 win over the Jaguars was more about bouncing back and notching their first win of the season.

The Broncos had a lot to say after Sunday's game, and today, we're analyzing their remarks with an eye on what it could mean for Week 3's home tilt against the Los Angeles Rams.

A Sense of Urgency

Sean Payton and Davis Webb. — Sean Payton and Davis Webb on the sideline. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

To his credit, head coach Sean Payton didn't go anywhere near the panic button after the Broncos' ugly performance in Kansas City, but after beating the Jaguars, he admitted there was a sense of urgency, especially in finding an identity on offense.

"I think that had to show itself," Payton said on Monday via conference call. "There has to be a sense of urgency. We're going to play in other games where that first half, for instance, won't get it done. So we have to have that sense of urgency so that's clear to everybody, this is who we are. I think that's something that we're working on."

Amid the Broncos' head-scratching Week 1 display, there was the inconvenient heat it put on new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Payton closed ranks around Webb throughout last week, but one post-game fist pump from the master to his young apprentice illustrated the passing of the offensive torch, more so than any insider report could.

"Yes, it was a fist bump," Payton said of Webb on Monday. "It's a sign of excitement, and we're winning the game... no different than players. We're trying to get up to speed, improve, Davis is the same way. I think there's that sense of urgency with everyone in the jobs they have."

Without question, Broncos fans are desperate to see a mighty oak grow from a small acorn when it comes to Webb, but faith and patience will still be required to see it germinate. Week 2's returns hint that Webb's growth has already begun.

Webb Sticks to His Guns

Davis Webb calls the play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quarterback Bo Nix credited Webb for sticking with his plan and not blinking under the pressure of the Broncos' rather inconsistent first-half performance.

"He stuck to the plan," Nix said of Webb post-game. "Even though at the beginning we didn't have a lot of success and we didn't move the ball like we wanted to and go down and score a whole bunch of touchdowns in the first quarter, he just stuck to the game plan, and by the second half, he was calling the plays and doing a really good job of getting us in good spots, and I thought today we did a good job of running the football on base downs and that was an emphasis of what we wanted to do."

The Broncos finished with 392 yards of total offese, but Webb will want to get to the bottom of the offense's third-down and red-zone inefficiencies.

Waddle Making the Most of It

Kick-starting the offense also had a lot to do with Webb finding the right matchups to exploit with new wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

After catching eight passes for 138 yards against Jacksonville, Waddle had a coming-out party in his first regular-season game at Mile High. Nix pointed out the energy his new weapon has brought to the huddle.

"Jaylen has a real positive outlook on football. He has a positive outlook on life," Nix said. "He hasn't necessarily had the success as of late that he wants in his career, by wins and losses perspective, but now he's got an opportunity, and he's making the most of it, and he knows he's around really good players and a really good team, and I think he enjoys that and he kind of has a fresh wind about him."

Injuries Trigger RB Room Questions

Recommitting to the running game was also critical to Denver's success on Sunday. A hamstring tweak meant J.K. Dobbins had to sit out most of the second half, which will be cause for concern this week, along with RJ Harvey's outlook, but Payton feels the running back load can be shouldered throughout the room.

Many fans are already banging the drum for Jonah Coleman to become the RB1, and the rookie showed he can be trusted to carry the torch if needed with the starters.

"So yesterday, RJ was out, and then J.K. got nicked up and wasn't able to finish," Payton said. "None of that today on a Monday is at a place where we're—I think all three of those players we're discussing can be a bell cow, handle a majority of the carries. Yes, I think there's a lot ahead of us this week relative to who our runners are going to be.”

A Tale of Two Halves

Nik Bonitto strip sacks Trevor Lawrence. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On the other side of the ball, the beleaguered Broncos' defense took plenty of heat for missing 28 tackles in the season opener. However, the unit bounced back in a big way against the Jaguars, not losing an ounce of faith in itself.

The Broncos knew that if they could do a better job of taking care of the finer details, the greater mission would be achieved. Rush linebacker Nik Bonitto saw the Jaguars game as a tale of two halves.

"It was little stuff," Bonitto said post-game. "Kind of just like last year, where we let one play kind of ruin the drive of things. Second half, we tackled really well. We weren't having any busts in the run or pass game... Just tackling the right way, everybody running the ball, everybody communicating, and making sure we are doing everyone's job."

No Doubt in Nix

Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton chop it up. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Broncos bounced back despite it being a short week, which meant one fewer day of preparation for Jacksonville. The Broncos' collective response made all the post-KC criticism of Nix look like the egregiously premature nonsense it was.

This locker room has an unwavering belief in Nix — just take it from wide receiver and team captain Courtland Sutton.

"He's [such] a competitor," Sutton said about Nix. "I say that all the time about him, but he's so much of a competitor that you [can] tell when he gets frustrated [or] when certain things aren't going the way he wants them to go—and not frustrated in a, 'I'm mad at someone.' It's him wanting to be successful. It's like there's like this glimmer.

"There's a glimmer in his eyes that's like, ' Yes, I know y'all got me, and I got y'all. Let's go out there and go do it.' I love Bo, and I love his competitive nature. [I'm] looking forward to watching him continue to do that over the course of the season."

Nix finished with 288 passing yards and a touchdown, though he did throw a red-zone interception. Once again, he saved his best play for the clutch, turning in a classic Nix performance in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

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