Broncos Coach Sean Payton Forces Fans to Rethink Everything With Player Defense

When the Denver Broncos lost to the Cincinnati Bengals late in the 2024 season, no player came under more scrutiny after the game than cornerback Riley Moss.

Moss, who was coming back from an injury in that game, had a tough go against Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, who made some incredible plays and had arguably the bset game of his NFL career despite Moss being in perfect position at times. It was a humbling game for Moss, but a turning point for Broncos' fans and their perspective of Moss moving forward.

From that point on, Moss -- who had played great prior to his injury in 2024 -- was perceived as a liability by the fans. He got picked on a lot last season by nature of playing opposite Pat Surtain II, but teams have continued testing him in 2025.

Sean Payton comes to bat for Broncos CB Riley Moss after Bengals win

Even with a strong performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, Broncos fans are finding ways to poke holes in Moss's performance yet again.

Moss gave up a big play to Tee Higgins on the first drive of the game, had a pass interference penalty, and also gave up another big play that was negated by a penalty on the Bengals. Because this was his first shot to get some measure of redemption against Higgins, specifically, it's safe to say many in the fan base were unimpressed.

But Sean Payton had some strong words regarding his performance against Cincinnati:

“I thought he played outstanding. We just finished going through the game with the team. He had one of his better games, he responded. I mean, that’s a good group that we were playing against. The one thing, and I said this a year ago, that’s a lonely position at times. But he is such a competitor. I thought he was fantastic.”

The Broncos have taken a long-term approach with Riley Moss's development, which is something the fan base may not consider on a week-to-week basis. For young players, development is not always linear. There are ups and downs to development in the NFL, and Moss has shown himself to be a player worth investing in for the team.

The Broncos do not perceive Moss in the same way the fans do, at the end of the day. He's going to continue to get tested week after week until he proves to teams that it's actually a bad idea to throw his direction. There's been a bit of feast or famine to his game, but there's also been some really bad luck involved.

According to Pro Football Reference, Moss has allowed 15 catches on 32 targets into his coverage this year, as well as one touchdown (the freakish play against the Chargers). He's allowing a completion rate of 46.9 percent and a QB rating of 78.1. He's already got 4 passes broken up this year (8 last year) and just 31 yards after the catch on the aforementioned 15 completions.

All of the numbers, dating back to last season, suggest that Moss is playing exceptionally well and is getting unlucky on occasion. When you've been targeted 135 times in 18 career starts, you're bound to give up a big play or two, or have a penalty or two. If Moss can start turning some of these chances into turnovers, the perception of him is going to flip pretty quick.

Jerry Jeudy Fires Back After Drop, Supports Dillon Gabriel as Browns’ QB1

The Cleveland Browns are making a change at quarterback, hoping it can spark the offense and top wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

The Browns announced the shift to Dillon Gabriel this week. He’ll replace 40-year-old Joe Flacco, who struggled during the team’s 1-3 start. Cleveland is averaging just 14 points per game and explosive plays have been hard to come by.

Jeudy has struggled, in particular. He has just 13 catches for 182 yards and has not found the end zone yet. Jeudy is confident in Gabriel as he enters as the Browns‘ new QB1.

“Dillon, he’s a smart dude,” Jeudy said. “He knows where to go with the ball. He knows what the coaching staff wants within the offense. He does a great job of that.”

Browns QB Dillon Gabriel Big Fan of Jerry Jeudy

Gabriel has had limited time working with the first team offense. But he’s familiar with Jeudy’s game and praised his top target.

“I’m the biggest fan of Jerry. I would be surprised to find anyone that thinks more highly of him than me, just the way he works, the way he attacks his day to day, but how much he loves the game as well. He shows his passion, and he’s a guy that we’re going to rely on, I’ll continue to rely on and a guy we’ll feed because he’s a big part of what we do,” Gabriel said. “So I think as we continue to build it, it’ll be building reps together and continuity, but I think that that’ll grow as time progresses.”

The Browns are shorthanded at wide receiver. Cedric Tillman was placed on injured reserve this week. He recorded 11 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns over the first four games of the season. The Browns signed receivers Malachi Corley and Gage Larvadain to the active roster on Tuesday.

Browns WR Jerry Jeudy Putting Critical Drop Behind Him

Jeudy has had his share of drops this season, including during the Browns’ Week 4 loss to the Lions. It ignited a fiery rant from Jeudy in the locker room after the 34-10 loss.

“That (expletive) got me hot, bro,” Jeudy said after the game. “I make that damn play, bro. It was a big-time play. I got to catch them (expletive). I catch them (expletive) every day in practice. I make that play, bro. (Expletive) frustrating. … Man, as a receiver on this team, bro, as a wide receiver, I got to make those (expletive) plays, man.”

Jeudy says he’s put that play behind him and is eager to get back on track.

“No, I dwell on it on that day,” Jeudy said. “Other than that, I just move on, move forward. You know, this [is] football. It’s part of the game. That wasn’t my first drop, and that’s not going to be my last, you know, if you’re being honest. So, you know, I don’t really pay too much time on it. I do what I need to do to fix it and then move on from there.”

Jeudy and the Browns are a 3.5-point underdog this week as they take on the Minnesota Vikings in London.

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