Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse — a survey of fans across the NFL, powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team. Broncos fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.
Last week, Denver Broncos fans in this survey expected this team to win by seven over the Seattle Seahawks and if not for three offensive turnovers they probably would have been under bidding on that final spread.
The team showed amazing resiliency that we just haven’t seen from them since their 2015 Super Bowl championship run, which should be an encouraging sign. If they clean up the errors on offense, this team looks pretty dangerous.
Let’s get to this weeks’ poll results.
How confident are you in the direction of the team?
Last week: 93 percent confidence
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For some reason, confidence in the team dropped by 8%. A win is a win, but I guess those people were expecting a Broncos blowout and for them to squeak by with a three-point home win over a mediocre team like Seattle was enough to knock their confidence in Denver down into the “meh” range heading into their Week 2 showdown with the hated Oakland Raiders.
As for me, I’m still feeling confident. The offense was clicking and if Case Keenum can reduce the errors and Bill Musgrave stay true to the run-first identity of this team, then they’ll score close to 30 a game.
Will the Broncos win or lose in Week 2?
Odds: Broncos are 6-point favorites
Silver And Black Pride FanPulse: Raiders by 2
Mile High Report FanPulse: Broncos by 9
The Broncos were 4.5-point favorites just a few days ago, but the line jumped to six as oddsmakers woke up to the joke of a second half the Raiders put up at home against the Los Angeles Rams.
Hilariously, Raiders fans still think their team is going to pull out a close road win. I simply just don’t see how they can pull this off with Derek Carr playing like he has been the last 18 months. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb teeing off, this game could turn into a route. That said, division games are always tough to predict. It could end up being another hard fought game for the Broncos if they continue to be mistake-prone.
Other than QB, what is most valuable to an NFL offense?
I voted running back myself. If SB Nation had asked me even five years ago I would have still said left tackle, but the position doesn’t seem as important to me anymore. Sure it’s nice to have a great left tackle, but with proper scheme and a good quarterback you can overcome deficiencies at the position now.
What a quarterback and an offense really needs is a running back that can open things up and keep the defense honest. I don’t feel strongly enough either way to argue my position, because I can see the value in a quality left tackle too. It just feels like the game is shifting away from the importance of the blind side and towards explosive offensive playmakers at every position.
How would you have voted in this survey?