Sean Payton Speaks on Losing Broncos C Luke Wattenberg to IR

Just as they got back left guard Ben Powers from injury, the Denver Broncos lost another starting offensive lineman as center Luke Wattenberg was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder issue.

The news on Wattenberg, who won't be eligible to return until the playoffs, came shortly before Denver's Christmas night victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, thrusting backup Alex Forsyth into the proverbial fire at Arrowhead Field -- and he emerged relatively unscathed.

"We're just kind of managing the roster," head coach Sean Payton said after the game. "(Wattenberg) is right at that mark, and so – I'll tell you what was pretty impressive. Alex came in and played really well, got a game ball. It was a tough trip home last year. It's a little life lesson, for someone like him, to come back in a starting role. That was pretty cool."

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A 2023 seventh-round pick, Forsyth has been seldom used since his disastrous moment in last year's loss at Kansas City when the former Oregon standout was bulldozed on a would-be game-winning field goal attempt, an error so severe it contributed to sweeping changes within the Broncos' special teams department.

Forsyth more than redeemed himself in this year's road rivalry matchup, allowing zero pressures across 72 snaps as Denver managed a 20-13 win to move to 13-3 on the season.

“I am super happy for him," quarterback Bo Nix said. "I would say no one prepares more in this league than he does. I think he is one of the most in-depth preparers I have ever seen. It is awesome to play behind him. I knew coming into this game and he was not going to leave any stone unturned. He prepares like no other, and he does his best to put the team in the best chance of succeeding. We all know what happened here last year and how much it hurt him and what it meant to him. It was a god wink that he got to come back here, start, and play the full game and get our first win here in a long time. He has earned that, and he is well deserving of that game ball.”

With his confidence hopefully restored, Forsyth should continue ably manning the pivot until Wattenberg is back in the swing, which won't be until the Divisional Round of the playoffs, at a minimum.

Quick-Thinking Quinn

Forsyth might've gotten a game ball for his performance, but Broncos left guard Quinn Meinerz is getting something flashier -- a brand new pair of Nikes -- for an underrated play against the Chiefs that helped secure victory.

With about two minutes remaining, on 4th-and-2 from the Chiefs' 9-yard line, Meinerz successfully baited Kansas City star defender Chris Jones with a "dummy cadence," causing Jones to jump offside. The penalty gifted Denver a first down and eventually allowed them to take a seven-point lead the club wouldn't relinquish.

“It’s a no-brainer freeze, but it is out of a different formation. One we had never shown," Payton explained. "We were going to take the delay of game. We didn’t have a play. I don’t know why we called it Harrisburg. It looks like a play we have called Pittsburgh. No one moves in Harrisburg. I think that’s why we came up with that. It is a unique one because you are on the road, so it involves a heel and then Meinerz is barking the cadence out so, hats off to him. He gets Air Jordans for the offensive line. The last time we were able to do that, it was (Broncos TE) Nate (Adkins), and he got five pair. That changed the complexity of the clock. That was a big play.”