The Broncos pulled off another remarkable comeback Sunday night, but Sean Payton was not ready to celebrate for long. Denver erased a 16-0 halftime deficit against the Rams before securing a dramatic 30-26 victory.

It was a resilient performance from Bo Nix and the Broncos, but it also exposed the same problem that has followed them early this season. Denver struggled to find its rhythm, leaving the offense chasing the game before finally exploding after halftime.

Nix and the offense eventually found their answer, while Denver's defense kept the Rams within reach. The Broncos then completed the comeback late, with Nix's quarterback sneak providing the winning score after a controversial pass-interference call extended the drive.

That comeback says plenty about Denver's resilience. However, Payton knows his team cannot keep relying on late-game heroics, particularly against the strongest opponents on its schedule.

“We have to find a way to play better earlier...it'll cost us in the bigger games.”

That message was hardly a criticism of the victory itself. Instead, Payton is looking beyond the result and toward what Denver needs to become if it wants to compete with the AFC's best.

The Broncos are now 2-1, but their early-game struggles remain impossible to ignore. Payton knows those slow starts eventually could turn a comeback opportunity into a defeat.

Sean Payton Has Time to Fix the Broncos' Early Game Struggles

The encouraging part for Denver is that there is still plenty of time to correct the issue. The Broncos have repeatedly shown they can raise their level after halftime, and Sunday's comeback demonstrated that once again.

Now, Payton needs that urgency to appear much earlier. Denver cannot afford to fall behind by multiple scores every week and expect Nix and the defense to rescue them.

The victory over Los Angeles keeps the Broncos moving forward. But Payton's message is clear: the comebacks are impressive, yet starting faster could be what takes Denver from surviving games to controlling them.

Written by

Joseph Nithin