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Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates a touchdown with offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (69) during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Broncos Vet Calls Out What Needs to Change Offensively

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Jan 10, 2026 10:42 PM ET

The Denver Broncos spent most of the season as a top 10 red-zone offense. Those numbers inside the 20-yard line have steadily diminished since Week 16.

The Broncos' third-down efficiency on offense has also plummeted. Since Week 16, the Broncos are 21-of-47 (44.6%) on third down and 3-of-10 (30%) in the red zone.

Regressing in two areas of key situational football certainly has Broncos head coach Sean Payton's attention. And his veteran right tackle echoed those concerns on Friday, challenging himself and his offensive teammates to turn the ship around in the playoffs.

“First and foremost, the obvious thing is executing in the red zone. You have to turn field goals into touchdowns, and that’s how you win games, especially this late in the year and especially as you go through the playoffs," Mike McGlinchey said. "[We] have to be better on third down, and have to be better on third down by being better on first and second down."

The symbiotic nature of football is a big part of what makes it such a beautiful and compelling game. Everything is related. It's all connected.

How efficient a team is on third down will be directly informed by how productive it is on first and second down. The Broncos' lackluster run game has played a part in setting up too many third-and-longs, and that's going to be hard to change with J.K. Dobbins still on injured reserve.

With bloviations across the national media sphere that the Broncos are a 'fraudulent' No. 1 seed, the truth is that much of that negative perception is due to the offense's inconsistency. Now, being underrated and overlooked has served the Broncos well throughout this season, but McGlinchey called on his squad to "clean up the details" coming out of that rather ugly performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.

"It’s kind of a whole, as you go through these things, there are the ups and downs of the season, especially when you play a team twice in your division, who’s a very good team as well," McGlinchey said. "So it’s just one of those things. You just got to clean up the details, and we’ll be fine.”

One Consistent Thread: The Clutch Gene

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Despite the offense's relative inconsistency throughout this season, the one thing the Broncos have been able to rely on is Bo Nix and company's ability to thrive in the clutch. When the Broncos have needed that one drive or big play, Nix and company have answered, and in the AFC playoffs, that triumphant experience in closely-contested games could serve them well.

When the Broncos reconvened for practice on Friday, Payton structured it as an OTA-type session in the team's indoor facility. The focus, though, was on situational football: third down, red zone, and two-minute drill.

The Broncos want to stay sharp in the two-minute drill and improve on both sides of the ball on third down and in the red zone. And for those Broncos fans theorizing that Payton was holding back plays for the playoffs, he debunked it.

"We’re going to have to play better. I’d love to say that we pulled a bunch back, but the tape from last week wasn’t really good offensively," Payton said on Friday. "It wasn’t great at Kansas City either. It was good enough to win that game. We have to be sharper as we get to these next few games here.

"We’re going to see good teams that can score, and we’re going to see defenses... But I’m going to be honest with you. Our third-down numbers bother me. Each side of the ball, we can improve in that area. These games are going to come down to a two-minute, and I want those to be competitive. I really want to work our red-zone offense and defense. I was a little salty last week.”

If nothing else, Nix, McGlinchey, and the Broncos' offense have proven that when it matters most, they can and will deliver. So, even if this offense still struggles to run the ball and convert on third down and in the red zone somewhat, the Broncos' defense will keep things close and give Nix an opportunity to win it in the clutch.

That's the hope, anyway. That, or suddenly, Nix and the offense bust out of their shell at the most penultimate time and romp through the playoffs.

If the best predictor of the future is the past, then we probably shouldn't expect a sudden 180. But hey, a little progress shouldn't be too much for Broncos Country to ask.

McGlinchey and his wife are two-and-a-half weeks out from having their second child, so some congratulations will soon be in order for the veteran right tackle.

This article first appeared on Denver Broncos on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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