*According to reports, members of the Denver Broncos went after each other Sunday night following their 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
NFL.com reports that Broncos coach Gary Kubiak had to break up a shouting match between defensive backs and offensive linemen that reached a boiling point when he asked if anyone would like to address the team.
Broncos left tackle and relative newcomer Russell Okung had volunteered to speak but was shot down by the objections of cornerback Aqib Talib. Yelling between the two groups then erupted, according to NFL.com, which cited sources in the room.
“Pretty much your classic offense vs. defense divide,” one Broncos player told NFL.com.
“I definitely understand their frustration,” Okung told NFL.com of the Broncos’ defensive backs. “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.
“When our defense is out there, they’re an emotional group, and they hold themselves to a high standard,” added Okung, a 2012 Pro Bowler who signed with the Broncos in March after six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. “As an offense, we need to do the same. So I think [their frustration] is warranted. We’ve got to be better.”
Broncos safety T.J. Ward called the incident a byproduct of “a little frustration.”
“We are an emotional group,” Ward told NFL.com. “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.”
The dustup came after the playoff hopes for the Broncos (8-6) dimmed with the loss to the Patriots (12-2). With two games left to play — against division rivals Kansas City (10-4) and Oakland (11-3) — Denver has to win out and would still need other teams to lose to make a wild-card spot.
Via ESPN.com:
In a game the Broncos held Patriots quarterback Tom Brady without a touchdown pass and to a season-low 188 yards passing, open frustration from Broncos players with Denver’s offensive output and its two turnovers was more than evident.
“We’ve been in desperation mode,” Harris said of the Broncos, who have lost three of four games. “… Y’all see what needs to get changed. I’m not going to speak on it too much.”
Kubiak has consistently said he believes the team has good leadership and has worked through previous heat-of-the-moment blowups. Talib pushed Jordan Norwood earlier this season after the wide receiver had muffed a punt in a game. Norwood muffed another punt Sunday that led to a Patriots field goal.
Talib and Norwood met one-on-one the morning after their incident to smooth things over. After Sunday’s game, Talib took a softer public stance when he was asked if frustrations had boiled over.
“That’s really not going to take us nowhere, though, just being frustrated,” Talib said. “And beefing with the offense not going to get us nowhere. We’re going to ride. We’re going to stick together.”
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