The Denver Broncos defeated the Chicago Bears in a 31-28 comeback win on Sunday afternoon, securing their first victory of the 2023 NFL season.
Here are ten quick takeaways following Denver’s win.
1
Broncos made 2 changes on defense
After Denver’s defense was absolutely embarrassed by the Miami Dolphins last week, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph made two changes to the starting lineup for Week 4. Nik Bonitto started in the place of Randy Gregory at outside linebacker and Ja’Quan McMillian started over Essang Bassey at slot cornerback. It’s good to see some on-field accountability for the defensive struggles with starting jobs being lost. We’ll see if there are any coaching consequences later this season.
2
Nik Bonitto should continue starting
In hindsight, starting Bonitto over Gregory was absolutely the right call. The second-year pass rusher totaled 2.5 sacks and a strip-sack which was recovered by Jonathon Cooper and returned for a game-tying touchdown. Gregory looks like a bust signing, but it’s good to see Bonitto stepping up.
3
Jaleel McLaughlin's role should continue growing
A few weeks ago, Broncos coach Sean Payton said they would work on getting more snaps for undrafted rookie running back Jaleel McLaughlin. Payton kept his word on Sunday as McLaughlin was getting the most snaps at running back even before Javonte Williams left with a hip injury. McLaughlin ended the day with 104 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 10 touches. Even if Williams is able to return soon, expect McLaughlin to remain heavily involved on offense.
4
Justin Simmons was missed again on defense
The entire defense is struggling, but Simmons’ absence the last two weeks has to be noted. Simmons is a three-time All-Pro. His replacement, Delarrin Turner-Yell, wasn’t even considered a sure thing to make the 53-man roster this summer. Kareem Jackson’s play has also dipped in his age-35 season. Denver’s safety depth chart was already hurting with Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke on injured reserve, and the Simmons injury took it to another level. Justin Fields lit up the Broncos’ depleted secondary on Sunday. Denver can only hope that Simmons is able to return soon.
5
Marvin Mims continues to make an impact
Mims’ touches continue to be limited, and he continues to make the most of them. The speedy rookie caught two passes for 47 yards, including a catch that set up the game-winning field goal. Mims also returned one punt for 25 yards. Mims did have one hiccup in Chicago when he muffed a kickoff, but he recovered his own fumble. Overall, Mims has been a bright spot for the Broncos this season.
6
Brandon Johnson making plays when it counts
Johnson has also had a limited role through the first four weeks of the season, but he’s made the most of his opportunities. The second-year receiver now has three touchdown catches this year, leading the team in that category. He’s probably not going to become a household name this year, but Johnson has emerged as a reliable WR4 for the Broncos.
7
Vance Joseph remains a liability
Denver’s pass rush made a big play when it mattered — and the Broncos’ secondary is depleted by injuries — but Sunday was another poor performance from Joseph’s defense. Fields struggled through the first three weeks of the season before looking like an All-Pro against Denver. Against better teams, the Broncos aren’t going to be able to pull off comeback wins if Joseph’s defense continues playing like this.
8
Russell Wilson is not washed
It took Russell Wilson 12 games to throw nine touchdown passes in Nathaniel Hackett’s offense last season. Wilson already has nine TDs through just four games under Payton this year. Wilson is not the problem, and he’s not washed. Payton has tailored the offense to his QB’s strengths and Wilson reminded fans on Sunday that he can lead the team to wins.
9
Broncos should still have a fire sale
It’s great that Denver pulled off a comeback win on Sunday, but it was against the lowly Bears. We shouldn’t overrated and think the Broncos are suddenly a good team. They’re not.
Denver remains extremely unlikely to make the playoffs this year and the team needs to begin a re-building phase. A good way to do that would be to acquire more draft picks by trading away players like wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy before the Oct. 31 deadline. Even after a win on Sunday, the Broncos should be looking toward the future.
10
Caleb Williams watch was fun while it lasted
For a brief few weeks, it looked like the Broncos had a chance to secure the No. 1 overall pick for the 2024 NFL draft. After beating the Bears, though, Denver has made Chicago the clear favorite to pick No. 1 overall in April. So the dream of drafting Caleb Williams is fading away. The good news is that Wilson is leading a competent offense under Payton. There’s also a lot of football left to be played, so this topic might be revisited later in the year.
