Sean Payton admitted Denver Broncos rallied against him Branches of Los Angeles it can’t become a regular occurrence, despite the relief of securing another one-score win.
Denver overcame a 16-point deficit to beat the Rams 30-26 at Empower Field on Sunday night, scoring 30 of its points in the second half.
The Broncos produced just 67 net yards of offense in the first two quarters compared to the Rams’ 273, while Bo Nix completed just six of 12 passes for 53 yards before halftime.
Denver ultimately finished 225 yards behind Los Angeles in total offense, with the Rams gaining 482 yards to the Broncos’ 257. Los Angeles also ran 22 more plays than Denver, 82 to 60.
Payton was encouraged by the response, but remains concerned about his team’s slow start to games.
“I’m happy with how we responded,” Payton said. “But we can’t, like – that’s going to cost us in bigger games. It’s going to be something that will frustrate us later on if we can’t clean it up.
“I’m comfortable with the spirit of a team that can play well in the fourth quarter,” Payton continued. “I’m uncomfortable with how we play at the beginning of the games.
“You’re going to be in tight games, but as a head coach, you can’t be comfortable with the way the first half went.”
Nix leads another comeback in the fourth quarter
Nix again played a big role in Denver’s comeback, posting his 10th fourth-quarter comeback win since the start of 2024. NFL season
After struggling before halftime, the quarterback helped fuel the Broncos’ second-half surge with three touchdowns, throwing for two and running for another.
“A good team finish, it seems like our DNA,” Nix said.
Payton wants the Broncos’ resilience to support better overall performances instead of repeatedly rescuing bad starts.
“We’ve got to find a way to play better early,” Payton said. “This area must improve.
“There’s a lot of things I think we can be better at. We’re not there. I’m excited about the win, but man, tough first half. This has to be better.”
