Instant reactions: It’s time for the Broncos to clean house at Dove Valley

Through nine games this season, the best thing you can say about special teams coordinator Brock Olivio is that he can give a great interview for reporters. As far as coaching goes, there isn’t anything good to say and it’s crystal clear the first year coach is way in over his head and deserves to be fired. Let’s be honest — he likely isn’t the only one who needs to be sent packing.

But I’m sure his unit had a hell of a week of practice.

Highly-praised by the front office as a rising star who had the opportunity to learn from the best while in Kansas City, expectations were high for Olivio. He, like Vance Joseph, was looking too add juice to his unit and was subsequently gifted two selections in last year’s NFL Draft in Isaiah McKenzie and De’Angelo Henderson. Apparently that opportunity didn’t seem to matter much, with his special teams unit easily being the laughing stock of the league.

Before the first half was even over, his disastrous unit had fumbled a punt return, allowed a kick off return for a touchdown and had a punt blocked. All of those turnovers resulted in scoring drives for the opposition, essentially putting the team in a seventeen point hole. If you’ve paid attention at any point this season, you knew that wasn’t something they would overcome.

The game was already over at halftime, but when the clock finally hit zero, the New England Patriots had defeated the Denver Broncos 41-16 on Sunday Night Football. Tonight’s loss extended the team’s losing streak to five games and effectively erased any chance of a second half resurgence resulting in a playoff birth. Playoffs!? You’re talking about playoffs!?

Ha! Like anyone in Broncos Country expected that sort of miracle to happen anyways.

While Olivio and his unit deserves a lion’s share of the blame (and he probably deserves to be fired for his poor coaching), there was plenty to go around on the entire team. The same old ghosts haunting them every week came back full throttle. Throughout the game, Tom Brady continuously targeted his running backs and tight ends, who shredded the middle of Denver’s defense with surgical precision. The same result, just a different week and you shouldn’t expect that to change anytime soon.

There isn’t a solution a solution to that problem on the roster, but I’ll give you a hint: upgrading the team’s inside linebackers and finding a Swiss Army knife defender capable of shutting down tight ends needs to be an off season priority for the Broncos. Whether it’s through the draft, free agency or better yet both — hopefully John Elway will be cognizant enough to do something about it.

Factor in those issues along with trading touchdowns for field goals and it’s a sure-fire recipe for disaster, especially when you are playing the Patriots. The Broncos achieved the trifecta of game dynamics they needed to avoid in order to be victorious and once again proved to be their own worst enemy — just like they have all season long.

Quite frankly, the 2017 Denver Broncos are a bad joke and nobody is laughing anymore. That’s why the stands started to empty early on in the fourth quarter. Furthermore, I’m not sure how many people will be watching the rest of the season. Why should they? Other than to embrace the tank and hope for a higher draft pick that the franchise will likely use to find their next Ted Gregory or Tommy Maddox with anyway. Because, you know, that’s just the way things seem to go for the Broncos.

It’s time to clean house at Dove Valley. From top to bottom, including coaches and players. Then maybe, just maybe — fans will have something to look forward to in the future.