Sean Payton hints at a possible adjustment to boost the Denver Broncos offense after the loss to the Chargers

DENVER – The Denver Broncos offense failed to score a single point in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Again.

For the third time in six games, Sean Payton and Bo Nix entered halftime with a goose egg on the scoreboard.

In addition to not having a single point, the Broncos only had 60 in total Yards of offense, three first downs, 38 rushing yards, 22 passing yards and only one play in Chargers territory.

“Obviously it was a disappointing loss,” Payton said of the team’s 23-16 loss, which ended its three-game winning streak. “We did all the things you can't do in a game like this. We knew what kind of game it would be. We shot twice in the first half. That led to points. When you do that, then start paying attention to the timing of possession. They ran the ball better than us. Towards the end of the game we were able to muster some attacks. It all starts with me. We have to be better offensively. We have to protect the ball better. I saw that. We'll move on from there. We have a short week. As soon as we’re done tonight, we’ll be done talking about this game.”

On a perfect football day, the weather was not responsible for the poor offensive performance, especially in the first half.

The offense picked up steam after halftime, surrendering 16 points and 256 yards in the second half. But it was too little, too late.

“Let's face it, it sped up when we started picking up the pace and you're behind. “They get a different coverage look,” the head coach said, explaining what changed with the Broncos’ offense from the first half to the second half. “We played with a bit of pace. At the beginning of the first half we had a false start. We played with speed at the start of the second quarter and fumbled the football. Those were all quick plays, but I think we were able to make some plays down the field in the fourth quarter. The game was in a different situation at this point. We fought to get back there.”

Once again, the Broncos struggled to mount a rushing attack early on, nearly abandoning it while trailing by over 20 points.

Excluding the quarterback's team-high 61 rushing yards, Denver had 49 total rushing yards.

For the fourth time this season, Javonte Williams averaged less than four yards per carry. For the fifth time this season, Jaleel McLaughlin averaged less than four yards per carry.

That's why, after the game, the head coach hinted at a possible change in the Broncos' running back room.

“We are a young team. I want to see this runner too. I want to see (Audric) Estime,” Payton said when asked about the young talent on offense. “We’re going to see (Devaughn) Vele and we’re going to see (Troy) Franklin. We're not waiting to redshirt these guys. We will continue to see each week how they participate in the plan and how they fit. This is how you gain confidence and gain experience.”

A day before Sunday's loss to the Chargers, Estime was placed on injured reserve after missing the last four games due to an ankle injury suffered in the season opener.

But in the very small turnout he had in the two games he played, he was a real eye-catcher. In Week 1, the rookie running back had two carries for 14 yards. On Sunday, he had two carries for 13 yards.

Estime's 6.8 yards per carry is almost double Williams' 3.6 yards per carry and more than double McLaughlin's 3.3 yards per carry.

The freshman sample size is drastically small, but Payton pointed to seeing if Estime can add more pizzazz to Denver's ground game.

On Sunday Night Football, the Broncos' 107 rushing yards per game were 10th-worst in the NFL. If Nix puts up 30 rushing yards per game, the Broncos would be last in the NFL with 77 rushing yards.

A larger dose of Estime could be the trick to improving the ground game, which in turn would also help the rookie quarterback.

After Denver's third loss of the season, Payton stated that he would like to see the rookie running back. The good news for the head coach is that he is the one making these decisions.

In a short week, after Payton's comments, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Estime play a larger role in New Orleans when the Broncos take on the Saints on Thursday Night Football.