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Jerry Rosburg, Russell Wilson unable to lead Broncos to upset win over Chiefs: 'I'm heartbroken'

george stoia,, the gazette (colorado springs, colo.)
·5 min read
45

Jan. 1—KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was there for the taking for the Broncos.

A chance for interim coach Jerry Rosburg to put a stamp on his short tenure with the organization. A chance for quarterback Russell Wilson to shut up the critics — even if only for a day. And a chance for the Broncos to end "the streak" against the Chiefs.

Trailing the Chiefs (13-3) 27-24 with 3:53 remaining, the Broncos (4-12) had 74 yards to go to complete what would have arguably been the biggest upset of the NFL season. But, yet again, they came up short. The Broncos reached only their 45-yard-line before Wilson was thrown to the ground after the pass fell incomplete on fourth down.

And for the 15th consecutive time, the Broncos had fallen to the Chiefs.

"I'm heartbroken for those guys, because they deserved a win," Rosburg said. "And I'm heartbroken for our Denver fans because of this whole streak thing — it's got to stop. The only way it's going to stop is if we stop making errors down the stretch."

Few gave the Broncos a chance on Sunday, coming to Kansas City as nearly 14-point underdogs. But as the Broncos have done most of the season, they made their opponent earn it.

Wilson and the offense were moving the ball, and thanks to Wilson's legs twice and a catch by tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, found the end zone three times. The defense continued its strong season, confusing Chiefs quarterback and MVP frontrunner Patrick Mahomes, including safety Justin Simmons who earned his sixth interception this season. And special teams — Rosburg's specialty — came up with two of the biggest plays of the game with a forced fumble on a punt by linebacker Alex Singleton and a blocked field goal by rookie defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike.

The Broncos played so well they had the Chiefs on the ropes to start the fourth quarter, leading 17-13. And if it weren't for a questionable offensive pass interference call on wide receiver Courtland Sutton at the end of the third quarter, Denver might have been able to extend its lead. Rosburg said he disagreed with the penalty and called it "highly unfortunate." The Chiefs scored 14 unanswered after the penalty.

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Still, the Broncos had their chances, fighting back from down 27-17 with less than seven minutes to play. They were only three minutes and 53 seconds and 74 yards away from a signature win.

"That all said, it wasn't good enough," Rosburg said. "We didn't come here to try and look good. We came here to win... Those players deserve to win and we were going to be aggressive that whole last series... We were going to win. We need to win a game."

It's been a challenging and emotional week for the Broncos, which makes Sunday's performance even more impressive, but also more heartbreaking.

Denver fired coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday after a 51-14 loss to the Rams on Christmas Day. Rosburg then subsequently fired special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry. Two more Broncos were added to the injured reserve — outside linebacker Randy Gregory and tight end Greg Dulcich — bringing them to a league-high 21 players on the list. And Wilson once again faced an abundance of criticism, with his teammates having to come to his defense on social media.

"It meant the world to me," Wilson said. "All I want to do is help this team find a way to win. And I know we're going to overcome all those obstacles. And I'm not going to blink because I know who I am, I know the dedication I have to this game and how much it means to me."

On Sunday, a week after several off-the-field implosions in Los Angeles, Wilson and his teammates appeared to come together. It didn't result in a win, and that's considered a failure by all involved. And "the streak" is now tied for an NFL record, with the Patriots beating the Bills 15 times in a row from 2003-2010.

Rosburg and Wilson were clear there are no moral victories in this league, especially to their AFC West rival. But maybe there is hope for this team and whoever coaches it next, as the 2022-23 season is nearing its merciful end. At least, Wilson and others in the Broncos locker room are viewing it that way with only one game left to play.

"It was one of our best games, in my opinion, in just how connected we were as a team," Wilson said. "I hate losing. I do not enjoy it. What you get so addicted to is the process of winning, and how you do that. I've known how to do that for a long time. And this team has that and it's in that locker room. And when we get everybody back, that's exciting. There's greatness in that locker room.

"We believe we'll be back here next year fighting for it all."