Once again, the Broncos defense is falling apart when it matters most

Last season, the Broncos defense wasn't the same after Thanksgiving; another poor performance on Sunday showed that pattern returning

BY JAMES MERILATT

Dec 22, 2025, 4:00 AM

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It’s deja vu all over again. The Broncos defense is falling apart down the stretch run of a season.

Last year, Denver was stout on that side of the ball early in the schedule. But after Thanksgiving, they struggled.

They gave up 32 points to the Browns, 34 to the Chargers, 30 to the Bengals and 31 to the Bills in the playoffs. A similar pattern is developing this year.

The Commanders put 26 points on the board, with a backup quarterback. The Packers hit that exact same total. And the Jaguars hung 34 on the Broncos on Sunday.

Since their bye, Denver’s defense has only had one good game. They kept the Raiders in check, which isn’t anything to brag about.

Marcus Mariota carved them up, marching down the field in crunch time. Only a missed two-point conversion prevented Washington from winning with their backup quarterback.

Jordan Love had a hot start in Week 15. Green Bay’s quarterback guided his team to scores on their first five possessions.

Trevor Lawrence had a similar streak on Sunday. After falling behind 10-7, Jacksonville scored on five-consecutive drives to take a 34-17 lead.

Much like in the playoff game last year in Buffalo, and just like the start of last week’s win over Green Bay, Denver couldn’t get a stop. They couldn’t get the other team off the field. They couldn’t slow down their opponent.

It’s an alarming trend. It’s an all-too-familiar pattern.

A season ago, the Broncos defense let them down when it mattered most. And it’s looking like they’re going to do it again.

Right now, it’s hard to have a lot of faith in that side of the ball. They simply can’t make a play when they need it.

They can’t get stops, as Jacksonville converted on eight out of 15 third downs. And they don’t make any game-changing plays, as they didn’t force any turnovers on Sunday.

That’s not a recipe for success. It makes the season finale against the Chargers, a game that likely will decide the AFC West and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, a little dicey. The way they’re playing right now, it’s hard to imagine the Broncos slowing down Justin Herbert and company.

Then in the postseason, they’ll have to contend with the likes of Josh Allen, Drake Maye, Aaron Rodgers, C.J. Stroud, Herbert and Lawrence. And they might have to do so on the road.

That’s why the Broncos need to find an answer and find it quickly. Vance Joseph has to figure out why his defense is collapsing again in December.

They’ll get a gift on Christmas, as the Chiefs are down to their third-string quarterback. Chris Oladokun is just what the doctor ordered for a struggling defense.

But then, the gimmes are over. After the Kansas City game, there won’t be a weak team on the slate.

If the Broncos don’t figure out their defensive issues quickly, they’ll squander the AFC West, give away the one seed and be a quick exit again in the playoffs. That’ll be a wasted opportunity.

The good news is there’s still time to fix it. The bad news is they couldn’t figure it out a season ago.

Three times since Thanksgiving, Denver has been carved up. And it feels way too much like last year.