ENGLEWOOD • Vance Joseph had some tough times when he was the Broncos’ head coach in 2017 and 2018. In his first season, they gave up 51 points to Philadelphia and 41 to New England.

But that was nothing compared to what unfolded last Sunday in Miami. With Joseph in his first year as defensive coordinator, the Broncos were humiliated 70-20.

“Obviously, it wasn’t good,’’ Joseph said Thursday at the Centura Health Training Center. “When your unit plays that way, my first thought is that it’s me. (It’s about) doing better as a coach and getting guys ready for the challenge. It was a tough day from play one to play whatever we played. As an experienced coach, when those days happen, it’s always in my opinion me first. I’ll fix it quickly. I have to.”

The Broncos next play Sunday at Chicago in a basement battle of 0-3 teams. Joseph said they are trying to put the loss to Miami behind them, but it has been firmly entrenched in the NFL record book.

The Broncos became the third team in NFL history to give up 70 points in a regular-season game, and the first since Washington defeated the New York Giants 72-41 in 1966. They gave up 726 yards, the second most in an NFL game.

“It was a combination of a lot of things,’’ Joseph said. “Obviously, I didn’t get them ready for the speeds, the angles, and these things to have them in the right positions. Again, I take it first. We go back, look at it, and make sure when we game plan for a team like that, we do better. But it always falls on me first. And the players are always giving max effort and trying to do it right to win games. But it became a buzz saw quickly and it spiraled quickly.”

Since the game, Joseph said he has received many messages of support. He said that former Broncos head coach and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who was Houston’s defensive coordinator from 2011-13 when Joseph was defensive backs coach, texted him Thursday.

“(Phillips) said, ‘Keep grinding and keep pushing. Those things happen,’’’ Joseph said. “But, again, it’s a terrible feeling, obviously. But it’s early and we have a good room. So I’m not worried about that. Our focus now is on Chicago. To be honest with you, it’s over. It could have been 7-0. It was a loss and we didn’t play well.”

Denver’s defense, though, had its share of struggles even before the Miami game. In a 35-33 home loss to Washington on Sept. 17, the Broncos blew a 21-3 lead and the Commanders scored 32 points in the game’s final 32 minutes.

So Denver has allowed a staggering 102 points in the last 92 minutes.

“In my opinion, we have a great staff, and we have good players,’’ Joseph said of a belief the Broncos can turn things around on defense. “It’s (about) getting back to the fundamentals and getting more connected in all three levels.”

In the meantime, cornerback Pat Surtain II said Joseph has remained this week on an even keel since the lopsided loss.

“Obviously, he was very disappointed,’’ Surtain said. “I mean, everybody was. But the thing with him is he’s always the same person no matter what. And he believes in us and believes in this whole defensive unit and when you got a guy that believes in you, all you got to do is just play for one another and just work for one another on the defensive side of the ball.”

The Broncos were hampered at Miami due to star safety Justin Simmons being out with a hip injury and pass rusher Frank Clark missing his second straight game with a partially torn adductor muscle. They also were without linebacker Josey Jewell for most of the game due to a groin injury.

Joseph is hopeful Simmons, who was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, will return to Chicago. However, Clark said he won’t play against the Bears and it appears likely that Jewell also will be out. Both Clark and Jewell haven’t practiced all week.

Clark was asked Thursday if he feels for Joseph getting so much heat while dealing with some key injuries. However, Clark said that’s not the nature of the NFL.

“This is football,’’ said Clark, optimistic about returning for the Oct. 8 game against the New York Jets. “If my coach thought I felt sorry for him, I’m sure he wouldn’t be coaching this sport. He’s a man in this sport just like we are all men in this sport. I don’t think coaches feel sorry for me when I’m going through things. ... I never look at them to feel sorry for me. … Do I feel for (Joseph)? No, I don’t feel for no man when it comes to this sport. I feel like this is a sport where at the end of the day, you got to be a stand-up guy.”

Joseph certainly was a standup guy Thursday in pointing the finger at himself. And Clark said Joseph is taking the correct approach in emphasizing how the Broncos must move on.

“It’s over with, it happened,’’

Clark said.

“What can we do, keep on moaning, keep on complaining about it or are we going to do something to get better? And I feel like that’s where we’re at. I feel like we’re on the path to get better and that’s the only goal right now.”