The rookie wideout in the past two games has been targeted seven times and has five catches for 186 yards and a touchdown. That\u2019s 26.6 yards per target. And he\u2019s done it despite playing just 31 snaps over that stretch. Not too shabby. The Broncos coaching staff so far hasn\u2019t been willing to put the former Oklahoma standout on the field in more than part-time work. How much longer can that last? He\u2019s Denver\u2019s leading receiver through three games. He looks like the only player \u2014\u00a0outside of perhaps Jerry Jeudy as he gets healthy \u2014\u00a0that defensive coordinators are scared of on the Broncos offense.<\/p>\n
Ok, there are only so many positives after a 70-20, so we\u2019re stretching Mims further. His 99-yard kick return goes down as maybe the least impactful imaginable on a game. It cut the Dolphins\u2019 lead to, uh, 63-20 in the fourth quarter. But hey, he took it 99 yards. And he\u2019s got a 45-yard punt return on his ledger this year, too. So in that regard it is at least in some ways an indication of Mims\u2019 dangerous return ability. The kid\u2019s got juice. Now, how much help will he get?<\/p>\n
The Broncos for the entirety of the post-Peyton Manning era have staved off a complete teardown and rebuild. But at some point it\u2019s going to become the only real path forward if this trend continues. At 0-3, a turnaround isn\u2019t impossible. But a Week 4 win against hapless Chicago isn\u2019t going to engender a ton of confidence, either. Win the next two? Great, you\u2019ve got the Chiefs on a short week. Lose Sunday on the shores of Lake Michigan and the speculation on selling the farm at the trade deadline commences in earnest. At that point everything\u2019s in play, from jettisoning veterans to scouting the very top of the 2024 quarterback draft class.<\/p>\n
You know how sometimes the best MVP resume-builder is what a team does when that player isn\u2019t available? Well, Locke\u2019s not an MVP, but his absence certainly looms large with injuries to Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns. The Broncos thought they had four starting-caliber safeties on their roster at the end of training camp. Kareem Jackson\u2019s the only one currently available and Miami took full advantage. Denver really needs Locke back, especially if Simmons (hip) misses more time. Locke should be close to ready to roll Week 5 when he\u2019s eligible to return from injured reserve. The sooner the better.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no hiding from this one, and Payton didn\u2019t try to after the game. In 15 years as the head coach in New Orleans, he never lost by more than 31 points. Now he\u2019s got a 50-point loss on his ledger. This one\u2019s going to leave a mark for a long time, even if the Broncos put it behind them and play better going forward. The question is how Payton\u2019s message and his staff\u2019s work is impacted with the players now at 0-3. A lot of people in the building have choices to make that are arriving earlier than anybody could have anticipated.<\/p>\n
Yeah\u2026 It\u2019s not great for Joseph. He returned to Denver looking for a career-propelling tenure as Payton\u2019s defensive coordinator. Instead his unit has given up 122 points in three games and has the worst defensive performance in franchise history on its resume before October begins. This isn\u2019t all his fault. Denver had speed issues before the season ever started. It\u2019s been hit by injuries at safety. Joseph can\u2019t win one-on-one matchups for the defensive linemen and outside linebackers. But accountability starts at the top and on defense, that\u2019s him.<\/p>\n
The veteran outside linebacker started and played 34 snaps against the Dolphins and finished the afternoon with zero tackles. Not a one. Through three games this year, he has one sack and two tackles for loss. He had his first healthy offseason in a while and said he felt good through the preseason. But the explosiveness that\u2019s been his on-field calling card over the course of his career has not returned so far in 2023. Gregory wants to be a leader in the OLB room and he\u2019s open about wanting to live up to the big contract George Paton gave him in the spring of 2022. But this has been a rough start.<\/p>\n
Nobody\u2019s spared on a day like Sunday. Alex Singleton acknowledged he\u2019s a veteran guy now and needs to find a way to stop the bleeding. He didn\u2019t. Pat Surtain II almost never gives in but got toasted for the final touchdown of the game. Russell Wilson is the least of the Broncos\u2019 problems performance-wise, but he missed his share of throws. Courtland Sutton dropped a touchdown and fumbled twice. Brandon Johnson\u2019s penalties wiped two touchdowns off the board. The most impressive non-Mims thing that happened Sunday might have been Surtain running down Tyreek Hill after a big gain that got called back to a mere 15 yards. That\u2019s how bad it was.<\/p>\n