On Sunday, the Denver Broncos fell to a 1-win Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that was never in doubt. Despite a furious 4th quarter rally, terrible play-calling, a lifeless offense, lethargy on both sides of the ball were just too much for the Denver Broncos to overcome. After early struggles in the year, most Broncos fans thought Sunday’s game could have been just the thing to get Denver back on track. Whoops!

There’s no time to dwell on the last two weeks with the Broncos arch nemesis coming into Mile High this week. Like the Broncos, they started red-hot with a 3-0 start to their 2021 season. Like the Broncos, they stumbled these last two weeks and have lost their second game in a row, most recently to the hapless Chicago Bears. It’s safe to say that both teams may not be as good as their first three weeks and also not as bad as the last two weeks. How good or bad are they?

The Broncos have come out as lifeless as wet potato chip to open every game of the season, failing to score a touchdown on any of their opening drives. The first three weeks of the season, they were able to find themselves and elevate their level of play. These last two weeks, they have been without the will, desire, or motivation to do much of anything but compound mistakes upon penalties upon lackluster play-calling. They have the ability to not be so discombobulated, we have all seen it earlier this year. Fixing the problems Broncos Country saw on Sunday begins and ends with coaching. Broncos coaches need to fix these issues like their jobs depended on it, because they do.

The Raiders, on the other hand, lucked into their 3-0 start taking the Ravens and the Tua-less Dolphins to overtime to squeak out two of their three wins. In their last two games, the Las Vegas offense has sputtered, scoring just 23-points total. David Carr sustained a head injury on Sunday that was so scary that Raiders players took to their knee in prayer for his safety. He later returned only to take another shot to the head later in the game. It’s nothing short of remarkable that the very same concussion protocols that claimed Teddy Bridgewater last week allowed Carr to continue to play.

Compounding the Raiders offensive struggles, there is also this matter of Jon Gruden sending racist emails while he worked as a commentator at ESPN. He’s vehemently denied that there’s “not an ounce of racism in me.” Clearly, he’s just another in a long line of non-racists who just happen to send racist emails. Unfortunately for Jon, history has shown that people who casually throw racist terms around in the workplace rarely only do so only once. It wouldn’t be a surprise if more abhorrent emails soon surface sent by self-proclaimed non-racist, Jon Gruden.

This Sunday’s game against the Raiders is a big one. Are these 2021 Broncos better than the 2020 Broncos who lifelessly walked through the season, or are they something better? If they want to show that they’ve turned the corner and are making gains toward becoming a contender in the AFC, it starts not just by beating the Raiders, but by beating them bad. What better team to demonstrate focus, intensity, ferocity, and fury against than the team that every Broncos fan loves to hate? I sincerely hope Sunday’s loss to the Steelers got the Broncos attention. I want them to be mad.

Bring on the Raiders.

HORSE TRACKS

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden apologizes for 2011 email: 'I don't have an ounce of racism in me'
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden apologized Sunday after it was revealed in a Friday report from The Wall Street Journal that he used a racial trope in a 2011 email to describe NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.

The Las Vegas Raiders vs. Denver Broncos odds, Week 6: Opening betting lines, point spreads - Silver And Black Pride
Raiders face their AFC West division rival at Mile High next Sunday

What went right, wrong vs. Broncos
The highs and lows from Steelers/Broncos game at Heinz Field

Slow starts a growing problem for Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos Blog- ESPN
The Broncos have trailed after the first quarter in three of their five games and have trailed by double digits at halftime of both losses.

Chargers fear Oday Aboushi tore his ACL on Sunday - ProFootballTalk

Jaguars join 1976-77 Buccaneers with 20 straight losses - ProFootballTalk

Report: Jordan Evans will miss the rest of the season with torn ACL - ProFootballTalk

FMIA Week 5: Bills Thump Chiefs On The Night It All Changed In The AFC - Peter King, NBC Sports
Peter King's Football Morning In America column for Week 5 leads with Bills thumping Chiefs on the night things changed in the AFC, and more NFL notes.

Chiefs vs. Bills score: Josh Allen, Buffalo roll over Kansas City, get revenge in AFC title game rematch - CBSSports.com
Not even a long halftime weather delay could slow down the Bills

Joe Burrow hospitalized for a throat contusion following Bengals' Week 5 loss to Packers - CBSSports.com
Burrow endured a nasty hit during the OT loss and reportedly had trouble speaking

Giants' Kadarius Toney ejected after throwing punch during game against Cowboys - CBSSports.com
Toney was the fourth notable Giants offensive player to leave the game

Saquon Barkley reportedly week to week with ankle injury after being carted off vs. Cowboys - CBSSports.com
Barkley, who missed all but two games with a torn ACL last season, could miss some time again

Chiefs' Clyde Edwards-Helaire leaves 'Sunday Night Football' with knee injury, quickly ruled out vs. Bills - CBSSports.com
The running back may have suffered a serious injury

Giants' Daniel Jones ruled out with concussion after sustaining helmet-to-helmet hit vs. Cowboys - CBSSports.com
The Giants lost Jones, Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay to injuries

Seven NFL teams at risk of falling apart due to injuries, major weaknesses
Can the Seahawks survive a month without Russell Wilson? Will the Dolphins overcome sloppy defensive play? Judy Battista identifies seven teams at risk of falling apart due to injuries and weaknesses.

Mason Crosby overcomes struggles, kicks game-winning FG to lift Packers past Bengals in wild affair
It's not often that a kicker gets multiple shots to put away an opponent. For Packers veteran Mason Crosby, that moment came against the Bengals on Sunday afternoon. Jim Trotter recaps a wild Week 5 clash in Cincinnati.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers moves into fifth all-time in career TD passes
A game after catching the legendary Dan Marino, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers continues his ascent among all-time greats. Rodgers is now fifth all-time for career touchdown passes with 422 after throwing two scores on Sunday against the Bengals.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson targeting Week 10 return following finger surgery
If Russell Wilson has his way, he'll only be out three games following finger surgery. The Seahawks quarterback is targeting a Week 10 return after undergoing surgery Friday on his right middle finger.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady plays through right thumb injury, throws for 411 yards, 5 TDs in win
Bucs QB Tom Brady threw for 400-plus yards and 5 touchdowns for the first time in his career Sunday against the Dolphins -- and he did so while playing through an injury to the thumb of his right throwing hand.

Chicago Bears' Matt Nagy lauds Justin Fields' 'toughness' after QB plays most of game with hyperextended knee
Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields played most of Sunday's game against the Raiders with a hyperextended left knee, he told reporters after Chicago's 20-9 win.

After uncharacteristic rash of turnovers, Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes says he has to 'reevaluate what I'm doing'
Patrick Mahomes took responsibility for what's ailing the 2-3 Chiefs following Sunday night's loss to the Bills, saying that his recent rash of turnovers is to blame and that he needs to "reevaluate where I'm at, what decisions I'm making."

Trey Lance again sees 'some good, some bad' in first start for San Francisco 49ers, but QB job still Jimmy Garoppolo's
San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance gave his first NFL start a strikingly similar review to his performance in the second half of last week's loss to Seattle: "Some good, some bad again."