One of the many things I point out to people when I’m talking football is that winning games in the NFL is very hard. I think NFL football is the epitome of modern sports because of it. You need good players who work together in sync to execute plays that good coaches have created who were hired by a GM who’s hiring the best people he can so that the team can win games.
There are a lot of moving parts involved, and when you are missing the “good” pieces of any of the multitude of cogs that make the machine of winning in the NFL work, it makes that task extraordinarily difficult.
I get it. I really do.
I have talked for literally decades about how blessed we are as fans of the Denver Broncos to have the winning history that we do. It is not normal how much this franchise is used to winning going back to the 80s.
And that makes 0-4 a very bitter pill to swallow.
So forgive me, Broncos Country. You aren’t going to get the normal No Bull Review this week. I’ll get back to it next week and dig into the players, coaching, and bits and pieces I normally groove on.
I need something a little different this week. Hopefully this is cathartic for more than just me.
Revelations
My favorite thing about being a writer here at Mile High Report is that I still get to be a fan. I don’t have to play a story up or down. I can call it like I see it including any bias I have (because we all do, which is a fact and anyone saying otherwise is lying like a rug).
I always come into each season in an optimistic manner. This team had me excited before the season started. I felt like 10 wins was something they were capable of because of the breadth and depth of the talent mixed with actually having a chance at a competent coaching staff.
Looking back after four games, I think I was way off this year.
Where’s the beef!?
The roster as I see it has some pretty big gaping holes in talent all over the defense that I didn’t catch heading into the season.
Along with most of the media, I thought, “Hey, the Broncos defense has been the strength of the team for years, so having a great coach come in to get them right will show the NFL just how awesome we are.”
What I overlooked was actually digging into the defense and understanding that the play responsibilities all over the defense shift when you bring in Fangio’s scheme vs the remnants of the Phillips 3-4 we’re used to seeing.
We just don’t have the right guys for this scheme. Yes, some of them can grow into it. Some just need time and practice. But let me tell you something: the front seven are missing more than a couple of guys who are the right fit for this defense.
MHR has been lamenting about the lack of talent at the ILB position for years and outside of Todd Davis, I just don’t see guys who can get it done in this defense.
Our secondary is a shell of its former self and we should have seen it coming honestly. The Broncos brought in another injury prone answer at a position we couldn’t afford having a key starter miss (Bryce Callahan being healthy I honestly think changes the outcome of a couple of these games).
On the offensive side of the ball, as much as I liked the progress I saw in 2018, this year has shown me that we’re still missing starters on the line. And don’t get me started on the quarterback situation because now we’re kinda in a no man’s land of having a “Win Now” highly priced QB as a team that desperately needs to rebuild for the future.
“From now on” is a loser’s mantra and needs to stop
I love that sound byte from John Elway when he was getting used to the position of General Manager for the Denver Broncos. It sounded good.
Heck, it was even motivating for me as a fan.
But at this point after two of the worst seasons I’ve ever witnessed as a fan of the Broncos followed by an 0-4 start, I’ve learned to hate it.
Those are cheap words, John. They aren’t worth the $20 I spent this preseason on a meal that was about as decent as good fast food at Empower Field at Mile High.
Broncos Country is ready whenever you are to get real and hear how you’ve come up with something other than cute PR nonsense.
Your poor management of the team after the Super Bowl including some really derptastic drafting followed by an insane penchant for chasing NFL projects and injury risks instead of NFL starters has gotten us where we are now.
Let’s also not forget that your need for control led you to hiring what was the worst head coach I’ve ever seen on the Broncos sideline in Vance Joseph (yes, Josh McDaniels was a scumbag, but he can coach circles around Joseph). All because you wanted a “Yes” man.
John Elway is why the coaches have to trot out busts like Shane Ray, Ty Sambrailo, and Garett Bolles as starters when everyone knows they are not.
Yes, I concede that your drafting is headed in the right direction finally (two debatable years of decent drafting does not overcome five years of crap-fests though, now does it?).
I do think the cap is in a place where the team can make moves that will help address the concerns of the team in 2020.
But this is 2019 in case your calendar app doesn’t show the year, John.
Stop selling this fan base on how we are winning. We’re all smart enough to look up the NFL standings real quick and see reality. This team is losing, and it sucks.
Final Thoughts
Watching that defense (and yes, defense that was you) crap away an easy win against a team whose only real danger was its running game was absolutely puke-worthy.
When the team gave up that long TD drive after over eight minutes in the third quarter, I told my wife, “Honey, this offense HAS to get aggressive RIGHT now and drive down there and score or we lose this game.”
I hate how right I am. My wife also hates it...she’s been asking more and more the past couple of years, “Why are we even watching this?...UGH!”
We feel you, Broncos Country.
Heck, even my youngest daughter feels you. This is what she wrote Sunday night (she did give her permission to share this with you all):
Not proud of it tonight. The team isn’t doing at all well this season, hopefully next year will be better. I’ve grown up knowing and loving the Broncos. Super Bowl 50 (I think it was 50?) was one of the best memories ever. With the special dessert, the song me and my sister made about the game the next day, the fact of us winning the Super Bowl overall, and driving down the streets yelling and seeing all the ppl with signs the night of the big win. It was amazing. I don’t expect a Broncos memory anywhere near as great as that again, but I wish I could still make good memories with the Broncos involved.
Peyton Manning retiring was the big thing that made our team (start to) be terrible. Like I said, hopefully better Football days for the Broncos are to come in the future.
P.S. I also don’t like the team being made fun of so much lately. ARGITY!
Life is still being okay besides the Broncos, btw. Good night everyone.
Keep your chin up, Broncos Country. The Broncos may be down, but they’ll keep fighting.
It may take more than one season to right the ship, but better days are ahead for us.