Dear Santa,

It’s been a year, eh? I hope the Mrs. likes the sweater I left you last year. Anyways, I know I’m getting this to you awfully late, but you’re not Amazon right? I grew up hearing that you specialize in these kind of late requests and I really have been pretty good this year. Kept my trolling to a minimum and I won’t even ask for a Chiefs loss. Maybe it’s because I’m getting a little older, but I’d much rather you help the Broncos get a couple of these things worked out before the New Year. Heck, if you want to sort them all out I’ll hook Rudolph and the gang up with a few extra carrots.

Let the Backs out of the Box

All year long Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker have given fans something to watch on O, even if the passing game struggles. But injuries to key personnel have kind of sapped their production lately Nick, so my first wish is that you’d help them get out of the mud.

Maybe you could push Musgrave to get them more involved in the passing game? He dabbles, but with the receiving corps down to rookies and Tim Patrick it’d really help to get Booker or Lindsay out in space a bit more.

Help Chubb Gorge

Last Thursday was the quietest game from Bradley Chubb in weeks and it all but locked him out of the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. I can live with that as the budding stud has bigger years ahead, but he looks so hungry Santa. I’d hate for him to finish the year that way.

This week he faces off against Kolton Miller of the Oakland Raiders. Chubb could break Jevon Kearse’s rookie sack record this week if Jon Gruden doesn’t elect to go to the 5-yard pass call every down.

Holiday Hot Routes for Keenum

There are more than a few Broncos fans who want to stuff Case Keenum stockings full of coal this season, but I’m not one of them. That alone should tell you how good I’ve been this year. That isn’t to say he hasn’t frustrated me Santa, but last year’s career year came with relative health across the board on his Vikings offense, along with two of the best receivers in football catching passes, and an elite play caller.

The 2018 Broncos have given him none of that.

With the interior line in shambles following Matt Paradis and Ron Leary’s injuries, I was hoping you’d bend Musgraves ear one more time. He’ll listen to you, right? I know he’s tuned out my calls for a steady diet of play action. This is important though.

Far too often Keenum’s dropping back without a place to go with the ball. Some of that is Courtland Sutton and the young pass catchers struggling against tight man coverage, but the offensive coordinator has to do a better job giving his quarterback somewhere to go with the ball. Paul Guenther of the Raiders is going to be aggressive to try and confuse the protections, so your favorite journeyman’s going to need places to dump the ball.

A Sutton Stocking Stuffer or Two

One thing that became apparent to me down the stretch is how over his head Courtland Sutton looks in the number 2 and especially #1 role. He’s improved all year but it put a lot on him to trade Demaryius Thomas. One thing I thought about as I cut the tape above is how the rookie receiver could have had a touchdown if he had only finished his post. Instead he cut in and essentially covered himself.

Some of that route running nuance will come with experience, which is what the D.T. deal was all about to begin with (as well as saving money). There are aspects of it that Sutton really needs to iron out though, and I wonder if the lack of veteran presence in film is hurting him. So my wish is for Elway to realize that his young receivers like Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick need an experienced voice in their ear going forward, even if the Broncos move on from Emmanuel Sanders $12.9 M cap hit next year. They need more guidance than they’re getting now.

Until the clock strikes midnight on 2018 though Santa, I want touchdowns. But if you can’t give me that maybe...

A Merry Miller For Yuletide Carol

Von’s been having a scorching streak of sacks lately, with at least a half sack all the way back to week 6. Against Cleveland last week he even broke Simon Fletcher’s career sack record, but why stop at 98 when triple digits is oh so close? Breaking the big 100 would do wonders for adding a bit of cheer onto another lost year of his career.

Way back in week 2 Von went against Donald Penn throughout the game. It was tough getting to Derek Carr because of the quick rhythm game the Raiders were utilizing for most of the game, but Miller made sure his presence was felt.

This week he’ll tee off against Brandon Parker, who will likely finish out the slate despite Penn’s return to practice. The 2018 third rounder has made Kolton Miller look good, which is quite the lofty accomplishment.

But if the offense manages to scheme away the Denver pass rush, there’s really only one thing I absolutely must have for Christmas eve...

All I want for Christmas is Two Healthy Corners

It shouldn’t feel like it’s a lot to ask, but with the way the Fly Zone disintegrated last week, perhaps it is. The Raiders are a bad football team and even with Vance bumbling away opportunities this Broncos team should handle them. That could change if Justin Simmons is left on an island against Jordy Nelson though.

Simmons is a talented athlete who has been really disappointing this year. He’ll probably be the first player I look at in 2019 to try and determine what went wrong, but as versatile as he may be, he’s out of his depths as a press man corner. Obviously.

While we’re talking about the New Year, if X-mas is a complete bust at least you’ll hook me and Broncos Country up with a new coaching staff, right Nick?

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Right?