The Broncos gave up a 20-point lead to lose at Minnesota, and veteran pass-rusher Von Miller didn’t want the bad taste in their mouths to linger.
So he got the team together for dinner.
Via Kyle Newman of the Denver Post, Miller organized a team meal upon returning home last Sunday night, inviting all of the Broncos to a high-end steak place to bond.
Miller said he “just wanted to keep the energy up”, which you need when you’re 3-7 and just gave up a 20-point lead to lose.
“We got all the guys to come and just believe in each other,” defensive back Will Parks said. “I’ve never been a part of something where we’re 3-7 and we went to a dinner because of the way things happened on the field. It was one of the best things I’ve seen in my football career. . . .
“We were there as if we didn’t play that game. That game happened, we lost it, and the conversations were about different things. ‘How’s your mom doing? How’s your family doing? You’re okay, don’t worry about that play.’ We mentioned [the game] here and there but the dinner wasn’t designed to talk about the game. It was designed to keep guys in it — keep guys into this coaching staff, into the culture that’s trying to be built around here to win football games. Sunday night told us a lot about our team.”
It might take more than a steak, as the Broncos are about to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season, have no apparent answer at quarterback, and a dwindling collection of players good enough to make a difference.