Albert Breer on Denver’s Big Win, Sam Darnold and Patriots’ Blowout Loss

There's a reason why they're so good in these sorts of settings.

All right.

Welcome to the Report for Monday, September 28th.

We are now 15 games into week 3.

We still got the Bears and Eagles tonight, and we are coming off of the first real break next Sunday of the 2026 NFL season.

That gives us plenty to talk to.

And we're gonna start with the last thing we saw, which was the Denver Broncos outlasting the Los Angeles Rams, 30 to 26, a classic Sunday nighter.

And I think most people who watch this game would tell you, the Rams probably still have the higher ceiling.

Uh, the Rams went into this game without Pukaakua, without Miles Garrett.

The Rams looked like they were gonna run away with it for a while.

They built a 16 to 0 lead, but this Denver team has been plucky, they've been tough, they play smart, and they are complete.

And so they were able to put together touchdown drives to pull even at 16 to 16.

And then when it matters most, they made a lot of plays.

Again, they did get some help from the officials in my opinion.

Josh Wallace's interception should have stood.

I felt like he was playing the ball, not the body there, um, but they get the defensive pass interference call which helped aid the Broncos at the end of the game.

Um, and if you want to know where the Broncos are at and who the Broncos are, I think the, the pick 6 by Talanoa Ufga really encapsulates the whole thing.

I talked to Hafga after the game and he explained the scenario to me.

Now, they were, the, the Rams came out in an empty formation, trips to the right.

So the three receivers who were on the field were all over to the right, which put a bunch of the Rams, which, which, which meant a bunch of the Broncos defensive backs were over there, and then to the left, because they didn't have the proper check-in, Ufga was all alone with Kyron Williams and Davis Allen.

And so, at the snap, he needed to sort of figure things out on the fly.

He baited Matthew Stafford into thinking that he was going with Davis Allen, then left Allen and instinctively was able to step in front of a throw intended for Kyron Williams, run it back for a touchdown.

It was a feel thing, it was an instinct thing, and I think it really, again, encapsulates the way that the Broncos play.

Again, tough, smart, complete.

They've got guys like this all over the field.

And, you know, again, and, and, and, and you look across the roster and you see it, you see it with the depth of corner, you see it with the depth at the edge rusher spot, even with Jonathan Cooper out for the time being.

You see it with the depth at receiver.

It's just a really well-conceived team.

Um, there's a purpose the way they built the roster and there's a reason why they're so good in these sorts of settings against the highest of high-end teams in the league.

And by the way, The Rams still look like they are that.

Um, Matthew Stafford's ability to get the team back in position to win the game at the very end, I know it didn't work out, um, but to put them at the 14-yard line before Alaric Jackson had the false start to push them back to the 19 with one play to win the game, given the circumstances was incredible.

Um, Stafford, you know, despite the pick 6, still played like a top 5 quarterback in this game.

Devonte Adams looks like he's found the the the fountain of youth.

Um, defensively, they're still really good.

Um, they were still able to get after Bo Nix despite not having Miles Garrett out there.

Um, Trent McDuffie is playing like one of the best defensive backs in all of football, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about the Rams.

My one concern with them would be.

Does losing now put them in a position where maybe they gotta go play a playoff game in Seattle in January?

That'd be where the concern is when you take on a couple of losses like that, that's where the difference can wind up manifesting.

I don't think they're gonna have trouble making the playoffs.

I think we're gonna, they're gonna be there at the very end again, but those little things on the margins, these little things in these games, the margins can wind up being what, what, what, what cost you in the playoff picture.

Well, so we'll see if that plays out that way.

Speaking of the Seahawks, uh, the Seahawks came into Washington 2-0.

They came into Washington having to play a commander's team that was beaten down, that was without its starting quarterback, Jaden Daniels.

And they proceeded to lose the game to a Washington team that again was a little bit like a cornered animal in this one.

it's not like Washington came out and looked like world beaters, but I just mentioned the words tough and resourceful, and we saw all of it with the Washington group that probably felt like its season was on the line coming into this game at 0 and 2 and without its starting quarterback.

Um, Sam Darnold, again, there was bad, there was a pick 6 that was really, really costly here, but for the most part, he played really well.

31 to 45, 379 yards, 4 touchdowns.

He did have the two picks.

He was able to, after the pick 6, gather himself.

Um, they were down 33-24 and drive the, uh, the length of the field and, and, and, and, and take the Seahawks down to score the touchdown, to put them in position if they could just get one stop, if they could just get one stop.

To, uh, to, to, to, to have a chance to win the game with a game-winning field goal at the very end .

And the Seahawks' defense couldn't get that stop.

And that to me is an interesting thing for Seattle to dig into now is the commanders were able to churn out two first downs at the end of the game, both on, they weren't necessarily option plays, but one was setting up the other where you had Rashad White coming around the corner to pick up 1 1st down, then Marcus Mariota on a keeper picking up the other 1st down.

Um, that wound up closing out the game in the four-minute offense for Washington.

So Washington is now in a position again to, to, to maybe save their season here.

They play the Colts on Sunday in London.

Dan Quinn told me that the plan is for Jaden Daniels, um, you know, more than likely at least to make the trip with the team tomorrow night, which gives him a chance to play on Sunday.

We'll see whether or not he's able to play.

I think we saw, again, the pluck.

The resourcefulness from the from the from the the commanders in this spot.

I mean even down to like they lose Leo Chanel starting linebacker in the game.

Kane Medrano, a, a 2nd-year player, former 6th-round pick, winds up having to pick 6 that turns it.

So they were able to get contributions from a ton of different places to make up for the loss of Jaden Daniels, win the game, and now, maybe they have a chance to build some momentum.

As for the Seahawks, they're now in a really interesting spot.

If over the next 5 weeks, they play a desperate Chargers team.

They play the 49ers, then they have a Thursday night against the Broncos, and they have a Sunday nighter against the Chiefs, then they have a Monday nighter against the Bears.

That's their next 5 games.

So a crucial stretch coming up for the Seahawks, they would have liked to have gone into that 3-0.

Of course, instead, they're now going into it 2-1 .

Finally, our third topic, the Jaguars absolutely annihilate.

The Patriots down in Jacksonville.

This one was, I, I mean, this one was, was, was convincing in every single way if you're Jacksonville, and I think it was an important win for Jacksonville, just in that they came in looking to prove something.

They blew the Browns out in their opener.

They come back and they play in Denver, they blow a 10-point lead in Denver, lose a close one to the Broncos in week two.

And now they're able to come back and, and really make a statement.

And I think one of the things that Jacksonville has, has used as a rallying cry is that no one's really paying attention to them among the upstarts of 2025.

So, three teams made huge leaps in 2025 under first-year coaches, the Patriots, the Bears, and the Jaguars.

A lot of chatter over the course of the offseason about the Patriots and their ceiling, the Bears and their ceiling, and their young quarterbacks.

You didn't hear as much about Jacksonville.

So , this was a chance for the Jaguars to show where they are relative to one of those other teams, and boy did they put it on the Patriots.

They ran the ball exceptionally well, 137 yards.

Trevor Lawrence was efficient, and the defense absolutely put it on Drake May, and that's the second piece of this.

Drake May now has 19 turnovers in his last 7 games, going back to the 4 playoff games, and then the 1st 3 games of the regular season this year.

Um, and I think a piece of this that everybody needs to pay attention to is a little bit of a book is being drawn on, on Drake May.

Um, the Jaguars were able to throw a bunch of zone pressures at, at, at, at Drake May.

Um, they were able to prevent the big play in mixing coverages, and we've heard about teams using combination coverages and putting two safeties over the top and forcing Drake May to take To, to, to, to take the, the throws underneath, forcing Drake May to read it out and go deeper in his progression, forcing Drake May to operate from the pocket.

This is a, this is sort of a, a, a, a process that a lot of young quarterbacks go through and learning how to play the position.

It's something that I think Drake May will get through, but it does not look good right now.

And again, a piece of this is you go back to the regular season last year, I voted for him for MVP.

He's a very worthy MVP candidate.

You do go back and question now, how much of the time in 2025 was the play operating against the schedule the Patriots are playing, just the way that Josh McDaniels drew it up with the type of quarterback that he's never had before.

How many unscouted looks were there out there for the Patriots to take advantage of?

Were they're able to throw something new at an opponent?

Um, that sort of stuff has a, has a shelf life.

And so now you see Drake May going through the grinder a little bit.

Again, I think he'll make it out of it, but it has not been pretty.

And that, that, that, that number, 19 turnovers in the last 7 games, obviously needs to be cleaned up.

Appreciate you guys coming out.

We got a couple more reports coming for you this week.

The next one will be a mailbag edition.

As always, you can leave your questions down below.

Um, on the YouTube page or you can get to me on my social media at Albert Breer on Twitter, at Albert Arbreer on Facebook, at Albert_Breer on Instagram.

Appreciate you coming out.

We will see you a little later in the week.