The Denver Broncos suffered a frustrating 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, and apparently, it boiled over into the locker room.
According to NFL Media columnist Michael Silver, head coach Gary Kubiak asked if any player would like to address the team after the loss. When Russell Okung stepped forward, defensive back Aqib Talib took exception, as the Broncos offense has been underwhelming all season.
After a shouting match ignited, Kubiak was forced to intervene and separate the players involved.
“Pretty much your classic offense vs. defense divide,” as one Denver player described to Silver.
Despite being one of the central players involved, Okung understood where the defensive players were coming from.
“I definitely understand their frustration,” Okung told NFL.com. “They played well enough to win, and they held that team to 16 points, which a lot of teams don’t do. We’re an emotional team; that’s what makes us so good. To me, that’s part of who we are.”
Defensive back T.J. Ward echoed Okung’s sentiments, citing emotion and frustration with losing as the main reason for the incident.
“We are an emotional group,” T.J. Ward told Silver. “That’s why we play as well as we do. What happened wasn’t even anything major — just a little frustration. We’re all trying to win.”
Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas explained that the Broncos’ lack of offensive production has been frustrating all season.
“As an offensive player, you’ve gotta be frustrated, too — but then, at a certain point, it’s hard to be frustrated,” he told Silver. “You see the same thing for 14 weeks — we move the ball, move the ball, then get in the red area and we just fold. At some point, you just throw up your hands.”
The Broncos’ aggravations are certainly warranted, as Sunday’s loss dropped their season record to 8-6 and puts them in jeopardy of missing the playoffs just one season after winning Super Bowl 50.
Thumbnail photo via Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports Images