Make no mistake about it, until Vance Joseph is fired, the defensive unit will prevent this team from winning games.
The Denver Broncos will be able to breathe easy for one more week following their season-saving 31-28 victory over the Chicago Bears.
In a game that was yet again highlighted by the inadequate play of the Broncos’ defensive unit, Denver somehow overcame a 21-point deficit in the second half to score 24 consecutive points in their victory over the Bears.
The strong play of Russell Wilson, a couple of big plays by the defensive unit — including a sack and fumble recovery for a touchdown in the fourth quarter — and a major coaching gaffe by Bears head coach Matt Eberflus that saw him Chicago fail on a fourth-and-1 conversion inside the red zone instead of kicking the go-ahead field goal culminated in one of the biggest comeback wins of the 2023 season.
It’s a win that not only saves the franchise and new head coach Sean Payton from any further criticism for a week, it’s a victory that saves defensive coordinator Vance Joseph his job — for now.
Prior to the start of the fourth quarter, there was no argument that the Broncos needed to fire Joseph.
If you thought the Broncos reached an all-time low in their historic 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins, their performance versus the Chicago Bears through three quarters — an abysmal performance that saw them allow Justin Fields to complete a franchise-record 16 consecutive passes — almost felt just as bad.
Despite facing a quarterback with the fourth-lowest rating in the NFL, Denver’s pass defense somehow looked just as bad — if not worse — than it did a week prior.
