Broncos DL John Franklin-Myers on Chargers Loss: 'It's a Wake-Up Call

The truth can hurt sometimes, but this Denver Bronco is coming clean.

Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) runs the ball ahead of Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

While outside scenarios can still get the Denver Broncos into the playoffs, the team still controls its destiny. With one more win, the Broncos would clinch their first playoff berth since 2015.

For long stretches on Thursday night, it looked like the Broncos were going to punch their playoff ticket rather definitively. Alas, the Broncos squandered two different 11-point leads, inexplicably losing their discipline and perhaps even some vital self-belief in the process.

Veteran defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers admitted recently that a degree of complacency crept into their 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers — because the Broncos were riding in on the back of a four-game winning streak.

"We were on a four-game win streak, so, naturally I think there's some complacency that sets in," Franklin-Myers said via Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. "It's a wake-up call... It's next up."

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While the Broncos' winning streak has gone up in smoke, that doesn't mean that Franklin-Myers and his teammates are checking out on the season, especially with so much left to play for. Playoff qualification now rides through Cincinnati next Saturday, and of course, Joe Burrow's Bengals are striving to climb back into an unlikely Wildcard spot themselves.

It's a formidable challenge for Myers and company. He's already registered 5.5 sacks this season and insists that absolutely nobody in the Broncos locker room is checking out on the team's playoff ambitions.

"It's letting people understand what the goal is, and I think as a team we understand what it is," Franklin-Myers told Tomasson. "But just reiterate that. And the guys here know that there isn't any quit here. Nobody here wants to quit. We've got two more opportunities to get to the playoffs and from there, it's time to make some money."

Ultimately, no matter how massively disappointed all the Broncos players and coaches were to squander such a huge opportunity to dispatch the Chargers and thereby clinch a playoff berth, two more bites at the postseason apple must now be seized upon and even savored.

"They just made some plays," Franklin-Myers said via Tomasson. "They played a better second half than we did. That's the name of the game is winning in the second half. It's not about how you started; it's about how you finish. We started fast but we didn't finish fast."

Myers might be in only his first year in Denver, but he's added a nasty attitude to the defensive mix by providing an alpha presence in the lineup and behind the scenes. Furthermore, having previously experienced five consecutive seasons without playoff football in New York, Myers sounds like a man who doesn't want his impressive individual performances to be all for nothing when the regular season gun sounds.

"Turn the tape on," Franklin-Myers said about his Pro Bowl credentials. "I win my one-on-ones in the run game, dominate, knock people back, and do a good job of just playing off my teammates, and they put [me] in a good position. But turn the tape on, and I don't think you'll find anybody that wins more one-on-ones at a better rate."

When faced with the omnipresent threat that Burrow will present Franklin-Myers and the listing Denver defense next week in the Queen City, all that swag and confidence the Broncos' veteran lineman has in abundance will be required if a playoff spot is going to finally be secured.  

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