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Good morning, Broncos Country.
The Denver Broncos embarrassed themselves on national television with their sound defeat against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. With their meltdown at Mile High, the Broncos are now two games behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the race for the AFC West crown. It’s not an insurmountable obstacle to overcome, but it is a significant challenge nonetheless. Now, the franchise embarks on a dreadful three game road journey that will determine whether or not they are playoff contenders or pretenders.
It may not serve as the ultimate redemption for Sunday’s boondoggle, but a win against the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend would be a great remedy for getting the awful taste out of the mouths of everyone across Broncos Country. A victory on the road would bring the team’s overall record to 4-2, but perhaps most importantly, an undefeated 3-0 recorded within the division and 3-1 conference record — which at this point in time is still anyone’s for the taking. It’s not cliche to say Denver’s upcoming bout against the Chargers is a ‘must-win’ game, because it is.
#ChampionshipHabits https://t.co/msMbn2AEyN
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 18, 2017
On the other hand, a loss against the Chargers could send the team in a terrible downward spiral. Back-to-back losses would be catastrophic for the team, who has looked mediocre to below average in every facet of the game but defense for most of the season. Losses suck, but bad losses linger and consecutive defeats could bring about a tulmoltuous fire inside Dove Valley that the team may never be able to extinguish the remainder of the season.
After the pathetic loss to the Giants, no team remaining on the schedule can be overlooked. That sentiment rings especially true in respect to a high-flying Philadelphia Eagles squad and always tough rival in the Kansas City Chiefs who both sit atop their respective conferences at 5-1. Neither of these three road games will be easy, but how the Broncos perform in them will reveal their true character and whether or not they are destined to compete for a fourth Lombardi Trophy.
"We've just got to get ready to get a division win on the road this week."#BroncosIn60https://t.co/YzDHwoyPLG
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 17, 2017
For our sake, let’s hope that the Broncos can bounce back in a big way. That starts this week against the Chargers. If they don’t escape L.A. with a victory, you might as well draw the curtain on their 2017 season because it isn’t going to get any easier from here on out.
As always, thank you for reading and here is today’s offering of Horse Tracks.
Horse Tracks
Chargers have personnel to do what Giants did against Denver Broncos
The Giants controlled the tempo against Denver, giving the Chargers a blueprint to work with for their rematch with the Broncos in Los Angeles.
Denver Broncos release Ahtyba Rubin, seeking wide receiver help
The Broncos didn't get much of a chance to see what Ahtyba Rubin could do, releasing the defensive lineman to open roster spots for the offense.
Broncos' Vance Joseph says Trevor Siemian's decision-making has been "half-and-half." Here's why.
NFL start No. 19 was arguably the most erratic of Trevor Siemian's career, with bullet passes perfectly on target but more head-scratching mistakes that proved costly and game-changing and left many seeing visions of the 2016 Broncos.
Rookie receiver race: Mike Williams' return adds potential star power
He played 11 snaps and caught one pass in his first NFL game, but Mike Williams' recovery from a back injury could have a huge impact for the Chargers.
Kansas City Chiefs racing the clock for Thursday night game in Oakland
Getting ready to face a division foe on the road is tough enough, but throw in the shortened week for Thursday games and every minute of prep counts.
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott eligible to play this weekend
Ezekiel Elliott is back off suspension. A U.S. District judge in the Southern District of New York has granted Elliott his temporary restraining order against his six game suspension.
Players, owners meet to discuss social issues in N.Y.
A group of players, union leaders, team owners and NFL executives met Tuesday to discuss social issues and plans to utilize their platform "to promote equality and effectuate positive change."
NFL 2017 Week 7 Power Rankings - Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots top our board - remaining schedules
The Steelers handed the Chiefs their first loss. The Eagles are emerging as the NFC's top team. And things are looking bleak in Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers. Here's what's on the horizon for all 32 teams.