Marvin Mims Jr., Sean Payton Sound Off on Rookie's Crushing Fumble
Relying on miraculous comebacks can be a fickle approach, as sometimes a team simply runs out of runway and falls painfully short. On Christmas Eve, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson led a furious 16-point fourth-quarter rally that dumbfoundingly positioned his team to keep its playoff dreams alive.
Alas, the vagaries of luck are cruel, especially in a must-win to keep playoff hopes alive, and so it proved on a cold night in the Mile High City. Wilson lay dismally dormant within a stale and labored game plan for most of the night — until playing backyard ball lit a short-lived fire.
Broncos rookie Marvin Mims Jr.'s ill-fated third-quarter decision to return a kickoff on the heels of a New England Patriots touchdown drive ended up costing his team dearly, as he fumbled the ball and watched it get scooped up and returned to the house. Post-game, the rookie receiver was remorseful in his reflection.
“I felt like, personally, I blew it," Mims said. "That’s a 14-point swing. It cost us at the end. I got to be better, I know that. At the end of the day, I mean, things happen, but I just know I got to be better.”
For his part, head coach Sean Payton revealed that he doesn't see the need for a sit-down with Mims after that costly fumble, although he did emphasize the Broncos' failure to win the turnover battle.
“I don’t know that there needs to be a conversation," Payton said post-game. Ultimately, we lost the turnover battle. That is how we ended up losing the game. I mentioned [at] the beginning our margin for error. When we played well, we have been turnover-free and [have] taken it away. Defensively, the first play of the game. But we lost [the turnover battle] tonight, and I am sure that we will look back on it and certainly, that played a part of it. Not any one, but just in general.”
For what it's worth, Mims has been as productive and electric all season long as a returner. Entering Week 16, the Broncos led the NFL in punt and kick return average, thanks to Mims, with a 16.9-yard and a 28.5-yard mark, respectively. The rookie returned one punt 52 yards on Saturday night, giving his offense excellent field position.
Given the anemic offensive performance, perhaps Mims could be excused for trying to make things happen, and as his NFL career blossoms, his decision-making will likely improve. But as for the protagonists on offense, Payton bluntly let his unit know the level of performance was nowhere good enough.
"Overall, it was not good enough offensively," Payton said. "That needs to be better."
In the immediate aftermath of the Broncos' season-defining defeat, it was no surprise to hear Wilson lamenting the bad breaks that all but laid Denver's postseason ambitions to rest.
"We thought that we were going to be able to win that game," Wilson said after the narrow 26-23 loss to the Patriots. "I thought everyone battled. This meant a lot to us all. It didn't go our way."
Quite the understatement, really, and now most fingers are bound to point in Wilson's direction. In reality, the blame resides across the board — including the severely lackluster playcalling.
Ultimately, the manner in which Wilson suddenly came alive will become a footnote in the Broncos' forthcoming organizational decisions. By failing to make the playoffs, Wilson's future in Denver will be the hot topic for the rest of this season and over the months ahead. Gone are the playoffs and the vital element of hope, and some wonder whether Wilson will soon follow.
Only two games remain on the Broncos' 2023 docket but don't expect a big crowd for their last home game against the Los Angeles Chargers next weekend. In truth, Payton and company have nobody to blame but themselves for falling into a hole of their own making, especially against a 3-11 opponent with an inexperienced backup quarterback like Bailey Zappe at the controls.
With nowhere else to go, the major inquest at Broncos HQ will begin in earnest forthwith.
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