With the Denver Broncos finishing out the 2021 season against the Kansas City Chiefs, we can all sit back and relax. Seriously, Broncos Country needs a break.
It has been a difficult season to watch. The ups and downs of the year created a sort of angst for the fans that turned into bickering and fighting. Online spats between one-time allies became the norm.
Yes, we have seen siding with one QB over another in the past, but with Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater, it feels like all that was turned up to eleven.
And so, the NFL has done us all a favor. The game has been flexed into the Saturday afternoon slot. Kansas City still has something to play for, and Denver can be the sacrificial donkey at the altar of competition.
Still, as Ian St. Clair and I discussed on the MHR Radio Podcast, it is nice to know the season will mercifully come to an early end. And no, a win against the Chiefs wouldn’t be a momentum builder for a season that is still 9 months away. But I am not actively rooting for a loss to get that higher draft pick, either.
Why? Because I don’t think it matters. There was a little commotion on Twitter about the talent on this roster. Is it Super Bowl caliber or not? Frankly, I think it’s close.
Maybe not as close as some people believe, so I can understand the arguments on both sides. What I do wonder about is what the Broncos will do at QB.
I am of the opinion that we need to all stop dreaming about Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. The Green Bay Packers are about to make a push for the Super Bowl. Rodgers and the Packers seem to have mended fences. He is not going anywhere. The Seattle Seahawks aren’t stupid. Nothing is more valuable in the NFL than a franchise QB. They have that in Wilson. He isn’t leaving that franchise, either. We have to move on.
And whether the first round draft pick is 15, 12, or 7, Green Bay and Seattle won’t value those higher than Rodgers and Wilson. Not a trade package in the world will do that. The dream is over.
After the Chiefs leave Denver, the Broncos will have to start looking to the future. What does that future hold? A new offensive coordinator and special teams coach at a minimum. Perhaps a new head coach? Maybe a new QB?
I would not be surprised to see George Paton retain Vic Fangio, fire Pat Shurmur and Tom McMahon, sign a different veteran QB to compete with Drew Lock, and wait until the new ownership is established to make any big moves.
That’s not very palatable to this Broncos lifer, but it just feels like the most likely scenario. It also means another wasted season for talented players that should be contending for more than just a shot at a winning season.
I want to believe that the end of the 2021 season will usher in a new era in Broncos Country. That new owners will be the catalyst to repairing all the frustrations we all feel. What I actually believe is that one more season, similar to this one, is on the horizon.
It has been 6 seasons of futility since the Broncos last won the Super Bowl. It’s not just that they haven’t had a deep run in the playoffs. It’s that the Broncos have become irrelevant. They don’t matter in the NFL anymore. In the end, nothing will really matter until the ownership situation is figured out.
So, go and enjoy your break from it all. Take some time to recharge your fan batteries. Mend some fences with people you argued too much with on Twitter. Maybe pick up a new hobby.
I can’t say the end of this season will bring about happiness in 2022, but it’s a start.
Loading comments...