The easiest thing to do after a win is get carried away with expectations. Broncos Country should be well versed in tempering expectations by now, but after Denver finally got a win, it might be difficult to not get too excited. As great as it was to watch the Broncos hold on for a win against the Chargers, questions abound about the direction this team is moving.
As Ian St. Clair told me on the MHR Radio Podcast (Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify), it’s OK to be excited, but there’s no reason to be focused on expectations. Remember, at 1-4, there is still a long way to go before we can start to raise expectations. What we can do is start to look for trends.
The arrow for this team has been seemingly locked in the down position for at least two and a half seasons. After four games in 2019, the arrow had practically buried itself under Mile High Stadium. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been flashes, and the arrow could be turning up.
The offense has had some fast starts in the last few weeks. However, after taking big early lead, it has been a battle to put points on the board as the game goes on. Joe Flacco has shown that the offense can score late in games, with a couple go ahead drives that were erased by last second field goals.
Garett Bolles has even shown improvement. The multi-penalty games haven’t occurred since his implosion against the Bears. He’s far from perfect, but improvement each week is all anyone can ask.
Now that a win is in the books, the #Broncos are looking to grab a home win vs the #Titans. @AdamMalnati16 & I discuss #BroncosCountry's search for positive trends on the latest @MileHighReport Radio Podcast. #NFL100 #TENvsDEN@ApplePodcasts:https://t.co/YIcHEk5j94
— Ian St. Clair (@IanStClair) October 10, 2019
Courtland Sutton has also been a guy who shows improvement each week. He has become one of Flacco’s favorite targets. In his second year in the NFL he is making a push for the moniker of WR1.
Royce Freeman has been a solid duo partner with Phillip Lindsay this season. The Broncos have had good rushing stats this season. Lindsay is definitely the go-to guy, with the grit to finish games like he did against the Chargers, but Freeman is putting in good reps this season.
The whole offense is getting better. Even at 1-4 the team seems to be trending upward at this point. What will important to watch for is if they can continue the trend, and string some victories together.
The defense is allowing just over 21 points per game, which ranks 7th in the NFL. And after taking forever to get the first sack and turnover, Denver has been able to do both in small bunches. While the defense is still a work in progress, you can see the improvement each week, and know that things should continue to get better.
The 2019 season has been anything but perfect. At times it has been downright ugly, but after a big win on the road against the Chargers, Denver looks like it could be in a position to get 2 in a row. It will take a big game at home against the Titans, but with the team trending in the right direction, it’s not out of the realm for Broncos Country to potentially start talking about a winning streak.