When the dusts settles, we'll see that this team was lucky to finish 8-8. 

We won five games by a combined 14 points (none of those by more than four points) and never lost a game by fewer than seven.  In other words, this bunch was a whole heck of a lot closer to 3-13 and the #4 pick in the draft than to 9-7 and a playoff appearance. 

The defense looks like a bottom-feeder unit in a middle school flag football league, the special teams are the wrong kind of "special" and the offense is a double-edged sword that the coaching staff seemingly hasn't learned how to wield yet. 

I was quite literally sick to my stomach watching this disgraceful performance tonight.  For the first time in my fandom, I am embarassed of my team. 

There is simply no excuse for this.  Not the slew of injured RB (wait, Torain and Young got hurt; who could have seen that coming?  A converted FB carrying the load for the first time since highschool got injured... really??  A few scrap-heap, undrafted FA-types failed to hold up to the rigors of #1 RB on an NFL team???) or any other injuries because they were just as predictable. 

This franchise is now 24-24 in the last three years, without a postseason appearance.  The defense has gotten progressively worse (from bad in 2006, to terrible in 2007, to downright putrid in 2008) and the offense, while finally taking another step forward, is likely maxed out now (honestly, do you think any unit on that side of the ball could get much better?) and it's no where near consistent or powerful enough to make up for the D.  While there aren't any offensive players I'd like to get rid of, I wouldn't lose sleep if our entire defensive roster was expunged in favor of some lucky assortment of random season ticket holders.

This team isn't a game away from playoff contention, it's a few lucky breaks gone bad away from irrelevance.  We need AT LEAST one additional impact player at every single layer of the defense, an upgrade to special teams via improved depth and perhaps some new coaches to boot.

Wow, that was depressing.  I hate writing that sort of negativity, but I couldn't possibly hold it in this time.  Before the season, I thought this team would be like the 2007 Browns, give or take a game here or there.  Well, we mixed the worst parts of that Cleveland team and the effort that likely got a bunch of their management fired this year instead.  It was the most frustrating season I have ever experienced as a Broncos fan.

I know better days are coming and I intend to focus on that starting tomorrow, but for now I can't stand it.  I wish I could say I was surprised...