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Broncos reliving 2016 nightmare all over again

The latest installment is the most recent most embarrassing performance in regular-season history.

Denver Broncos v Los Angeles Chargers Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

As the late, great Yogi Berra said, “It’s deja vu all over again.”

We’ve read this book before. We know how it ends. If you thought this season would go in a different direction than 2016, you had the orange and blue goggles on too tight.

Anything I say right now, I said a year ago. In fact, you don’t have to go back that far, just look at last Sunday night. Unlike the Denver Broncos, I don’t like to throw the same crap against the wall and expect it to stick. Now, for the second week in a row, for the second season in a row, the Broncos are left with their pants down and no clue what the hell is going on.

The latest installment is the most recent most embarrassing performance in regular-season history. This time a 21-0 shutout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. At least we can give Denver credit: It’s consistent in putting forth embarrassing performances. And I don’t want to hear a peep about the defense. If not for its effort on Sunday, this loss would have been way worse.

There’s one reason and one reason alone for this defeat, and it falls on the guy who plays quarterback for the Broncos. Enough with the excuses. In fact, enough with him at quarterback. Enough. Is. Enough. All we’ve heard the last two years is “Denver can’t waste the defense.” The bigger issue here is the Broncos have now wasted two years of development on Paxton Lynch for a guy who isn’t even a backup quarterback at this point. But I said all of this a year ago. I said this all before the third preseason game last season. And here Denver is with no clue what it has in a first-round pick.

After the last two weeks, if you still think the guy at quarterback is the answer, I can’t help you. He’s not the lone problem, but he is the problem. The last time the Broncos were shut out came in Los Angeles when Tommy Maddox was the quarterback. I would take Maddox at this point. I would take anything at this point. But until the people inside the organization realize this, it doesn’t make a damn difference.

Now the Broncos head east to face a Kansas City Chiefs team on Monday Night Football that just lost a heartbreaker to the Oakland Raiders. Remember what happened the last time Denver went into KC with this quarterback?

The coaches changed.

The playbook changed.

The philosophy changed.

One aspect did not. Weird how we’re seeing the same results on the field. Actually, it’s not weird at all. It feels like deja vu all over again.