When the Denver Broncos fell to the Los Angeles Rams, there was a different feel to the game. Most fans went into the game with low expectations. Score predictions were generally unkind, and the enthusiasm for football felt low. And then the Broncos made a game out of a predicted blowout.
On the MHR Radio Podcast, Ian St. Clair and I were unsurprised at the outcome. It wasn’t pretty. The Broncos gave up 444 yards of offense, 270 on the ground. But the Rams only scored 23 points. Is there a orange and blue tinted ray of sunshine in that? Perhaps. Bradley Chubb had a breakout game with three sacks. Von Miller was a factor, which he had not been since the Ravens game. The secondary was not the Frequent Flier Zone.
When #BroncosCountry gives up on the season, as more than 9,000 did on Sunday vs the #LARams, that is the biggest indictment for the #Broncos. On the latest @MileHighReport Radio Podcast, @AdamMalnati16 & I try to make sense of another dreadful Sunday. https://t.co/PZjOo3gWcD
— Ian St. Clair (@IanStClair) October 15, 2018
What really stood out at Mile High Stadium was not the play on the field. As lifelong fans of the Denver Broncos can attest, Broncos tickets are a hot commodity. Fans refuse to miss games. However, over 9,000 ticket holders chose to stay away when the Rams came to Denver. The big takeaway from Week six is all about fans choosing not to show.
Why is the number of people who didn’t show up to the game important? It makes an important point. Broncos Country has already given up. Die hard fans will be there no matter what, but when fans start to stay away, it says a lot about the direction of a franchise. What more does John Elway need to see that it is time to move on from Vance Joseph.
With three sacks today, Broncos LB @astronaut has tied the franchise's rookie single-game record (Dumervil, 3, at CLE, 10/22/06; Hayward, 3, vs SEA, 12/9/01; Jones, 3, vs. OAK, 12/14/80).
— Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) October 14, 2018
When fans start to give up on the product being put on the field, it is time to make a change. Six games in, and Broncos Country is already choosing to stay away. Never mind the cold. Forget about the snow. Fans are fed up with the play on the field. They are done with the bad coaching.
Make no mistake, firing Joseph probably would not turn this season around. It would only increase the turmoil within the franchise. However, the message to the fans would be crystal clear. Failure is not an option, and mistakes will not be tolerated.