Instant reactions: Broncos fall deeper into the abyss with loss against Raiders

There aren’t many sure-fire bets in this world, but picking the Denver Broncos to lose on Sunday’s is probably as close as you can get.

The chaotic franchise continued their downward spiral into the abyss after losing to the Oakland Raiders 21-14 on the road in the Black Hole. It’s the team’s seventh-straight loss — and their longest losing streak in over fifty years. I thought the worst of it would be over by now, but apparently not. Each and every week, the Broncos seem to one-up themselves on ways to look fashionably terrible, leading us all to wonder just how far down the rabbit hole of ineptitude they will go the remainder of the season. If today’s lackluster performance and the past two months are any indication of future trends — probably the whole way.

All and all, that’s likely the best-case scenario for the Broncos who are in desperate need of upgrades all over the board. It will be tough to stomach embarrassing losses for the next five weeks, but the prospect of a top-tier draft selection should make fans feel a bit better. We’ve said it before and we will say it again at Mile High Report — embrace the tank. Count me in as one of many across Broncos Country who are hoping the team decision makers can most of that opportunity and find some difference makers to help make Denver relevant again next season. They certainly need it.

Outside of the excitement brought forth by Chain Snatch Part Deux, the Broncos’ performance this afternoon was about as lifeless as it can get on the gridiron, unless you are giving style points for Trevor Siemian’s garbage time touchdown strikes in the fourth quarter to special teams superstar Cody Latimer and back-up wide receiver Bennie Fowler. Before getting hurt in the third quarter, Paxton Lynch was absolutely abysmal and it’s quite obvious (and no, it’s not too early) to state that he has been and never will be the quarterback of the future for the Denver Broncos. In fact, Siemian’s late game heroics probably proved he was and still is the best option the team has at the position for the rest of the season if they are looking to win some ball games.

But it isn’t just a quarterback the Broncos will be in the market for. This coming offseason will necessitate finding long-term solutions and upgrades at mulitple offensive line positions (left guard and right tackle), tight end and inside linebacker. That’s just a short list of priorities, but the reality is that list is much longer. Above all else, finding a competent coaching staff will likely be the most important aspect of fostering change in the years to come.

It’s going to take a lot of work to fix the abysmal state of the Denver Broncos. Truthfully, it may take more time than anything. Don’t expect an immediate turnaround anywhere in the near future, but you should absolutely expect John Elway to clean up a mess he is predominantly responsible for.