Broncos' 70-20 loss to Dolphins 'one of the worst coaching jobs in NFL history,' as Sean Payton might say
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — With “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL,” as Sean Payton might say, the Broncos put their fans through the worst day in franchise history.
Dolphins 70, Broncos 20. Hang it in the city dump.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Payton did say Sunday afternoon inside Hard Rock Stadium.
Karma’s a beach.
Only two months ago Payton both unloaded on former Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett and hung a target on his own back in the coaching fraternity: “It doesn’t happen often where an NFL team or organization gets embarrassed. And that happened here,” Payton said in July.
Sure did. The Broncos set a franchise record by allowing 70 points — 11 points more than the previous record. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, the former Broncos ballboy and Smoky Hill grad, opted for a kneel-down instead of a field goal and NFL-record-setting 73 points.
“The message that I thought it would send wasn’t in line with how I view things,” McDaniel said after.
Pity the Broncos. The rest of the NFL does.
“Tired of losing,” Broncos veteran Garett Bolles muttered in the saddest professional locker room I’ve ever witnessed. “I’ve been here seven years and all I’ve done is lost.”
For the third time in five seasons, the Broncos are 0-3. Hope is gone by October, but at least they are polite enough to step aside for the good teams in town. Broncos football is now a pitiful trailer for the Avalanche and Nuggets.
And you know the worst part of the latest Broncos dumpster fire?
At least four more years of Sean "I invented football" Payton. In his first three games after taking a hatchet to Hackett’s reputation, Payton has me wondering about his time winning all those games in New Orleans: Was it all Drew Brees, or only 90% Drew Brees?
Payton was arrogant enough to pipe off at his predecessor. At least Hackett went 2-1 to open his Broncos tenure. He was arrogant enough to hire Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator, when Broncos Country could have told him that was a bad idea. VJ’s defense is a JV defense.
Joseph should be relieved of his duties Monday.
The Dolphins scored the most points by a team since 1966. I think they just scored again.
“This one is going to hurt for a minute,” star cornerback and south Florida native Pat Surtain II said.
Tua Tagovailoa is a fine quarterback and the betting favorite to win NFL MVP. Joseph’s defense made him look like a mix between Dan Marino, John Elway and Jesus. With the Fins crowd thinking Super Bowl and chanting “Tu-a! Tu-a!” Tagovailoa completed his first 17 passes. He finished with 309 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a quarterback rating of 155.8.
“0-and-3 doesn’t feel good,” Russell Wilson said. “But the reality is we have 14 games left.”
To quote "The Big Lebowski": That’s our concern, dude.
While Payton endeared himself to Wilson and his new players by tossing the blame on Hackett and the previous regime, there’s one big problem with strutting into Broncos HQ like you own the place before you’ve won a game in the place. Arrogance can and will be used against you on an NFL field. Rival coaches didn’t appreciate the hubris of taking shots at one of their own.
In his defense, Payton’s first roster is like bringing a Supersoaker to a gunfight. Missing standout safety Justin Simmons against a Dolphins track team paced by Tyreek Hill, a former Chief who is now 12-0 vs. the Broncos, Payton did not have a fair arsenal against the Dolphins. But maybe next time win a game — just one! — before declaring yourself the second coming of Mike Shanahan.
If the 0-3 Broncos don’t beat the 0-3 Bears next Sunday, it’s hard to find a win on the schedule.
And that would be for the best. Since 1990, only four of 158 teams to start 0-3 eventually made the playoffs. And this roster needs high draft picks and fresh new talent like Payton needs an offseason mulligan. Good news is, the Broncos won’t need to declare they are tanking. They can just go ahead and play the games. This is the worst Broncos team I’ve seen.
Instead of the NFL standings, Broncos Country can turn its attention to the tanking standings. Yes, there’s a Web site for that: tankathon.com. As of Sunday, the Broncos have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
And this is the fourth time Payton’s opened a season with an 0-3 record.
“It’s not acceptable,” said Payton, who shook the locker room walls with a post-game tirade.
The Dolphins piled up 726 yards on offense, a record surrender by a Broncos defense and the second-most allowed in NFL history. A rookie named De’Von Archane had 203 of Miami’s 350 rushing yards. I think they just scored again.
Miami’s mascot is nicknamed “T.D.” (The Dolphin). He hits the deck and does pushups after every Dolphins score. With the Broncos in town, “T.D.” worked on his beach body.
The Dolphins could have named the final score. Instead, they ran out the clock as a mercy rule.
“I think it was the most points (for a team) since ’66,” McDaniel said. “I think that’s awesome.”
You might even say it came across as one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.
