The Denver Broncos survived another late-game comeback to stun the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and take full control of their own destiny in the AFC West going forward.
In 2024, Denver was in a similar place at the end of the game against Kansas City, that time at Arrowhead. The Broncos had a 35-yard Wil Lutz field goal attempt blocked on the final play, losing the game.
“That was a tough, gut-wrenching loss (in 2024),” coach Sean Payton said. “But I think there was a feeling, and if you look at our record from that loss, there was a feeling that we belong here. Listen, there are either wins or losses, but the response after that game last year with the blocked field goal was super. There was some irony, obviously, when we were taking a knee to kick the field goal. But I think that the confidence thing that we always talk about exists in that locker room with this group of guys. It’s special.”
Lutz also spoke about the magnitude of the moment when he stepped on the field for the game-winner on Sunday. It was another 35-yard attempt for a potential game-winner against KC, and his mind flashed back to the blocked kick in 2024.
“Saw it the whole way,” Lutz said of the flashbacks. “The whole way onto the field, obviously, it’s something you think about. When you’re part of a, I don’t want to say traumatic loss — at the end of the day, it’s just a game — but like when you’re part of a loss like that, you don’t just forget about it, right? When I looked down and saw we were on the line again making it a 35-yard field goal, I was kind of like, ‘Shoot, here we are.’ I’ve been waiting for a game like that.”
Lutz agreed with Payton’s suggestion that the loss last season was a turning point to where the Broncos are today. “I agree it was a turning point for sure,” Lutz said. “I mean, you saw what we did after that game, right? But I think we knew before that game last year that we had the right guys. It was never a question if we had the right guys in the locker room. That was just kind of, ‘All right, how are we going to respond?’ You look at the last year-and-a-half since that game, this team has come together, we’ve found ways to win close games, which is kind of what Coach [Sean Payton] has been harping on all year. It’s a lot of fun to do with the guys you love and when you have a locker room like this.”
Quarterback Bo Nix was a part of both games, leading dramatic final offensive drives to get in place for the final kicks. “It’s ironic it happened the same exact way,” said Nix. “It feels like we just got a resilient team that just believes we’re going to win, and at the end of the game when it’s close, belief goes a long way.”
The Broncos certainly believe in each other, and Broncos Country believes in the team, too.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Players, coaches go inside game-winning field goal
