In the classic theatrical masterpiece “Super Troopers” it is stated that “Desperation is a stinky cologne.” In life this statement holds true.
Desperate job applicants are usually passed over for someone who looks like they don’t need the position. Desperate men looking for a date are usually viewed as lesser suitors compared to their confident counterparts. Desperate corporations are oftentimes seen as a higher risk than their stable, blue-chip capital competition. Yes, desperation certainly can have a negative and nasty lingering effect. While this might be the case in most general day-to-day circumstances, desperation in sports can have a sweeter smell; this NFL season is proof.
The Denver Broncos go into Kansas City a desperate team at risk of missing the playoffs for two straight years. While it is only Week 8, the season hangs in the balance this Monday. Denver already needs a win, facing a possible slide into mediocrity once more.
Denver has seen desperation at work already this season, but not on their side of the ball. The Broncos in the past two weeks have been bitten by two teams desperate for a win.
Week 7 the Denver Broncos faced a desperate, distressed team in the Los Angeles Chargers. At the time the Chargers were dead last in the AFC West with a record of 2-4. The Chargers’ season looked bleak, having been outscored 131 to 116 in their previous six matchups. Rumors about them not staying in their new home of L.A. were even swirling. The Chargers were on the ropes.
But, staying true to the rules of NFL parity, the Chargers, full of fraught and despondence, dusted themselves off, strapped on their work boots and whooped the previously proud Broncos, 21-0, shutting out the Broncos for the first time since 1992. The Chargers started the season with four straight losses, and have since won three straight. Desperate times certainly called for a few desperate wins.
In the previous week, the Broncos faced another desperate team in the New York Giants, and they too beat the overly confident Broncos. The Giants in Week 6 looked to be no more than a speed bump for the Broncos, who were picked by Vegas to win the game by more than 11 points. Well, the opposite happened as the Giants beat Denver 23-10. The Giants at the time might have been the most desperate team in the NFL, having lost their first five games by an average score of 24-16. The Giants came into Mile High beat up, asking just about anyone to play wide receiver and looking for any way possible to get a “W.” Well, desperation met with perspiration and the Broncos found the Giants to be a pungent power. The Broncos lost a stinker at home.
Now the tables are turned as the Denver Broncos roll into Kansas City Monday night. The media, much like the previous Giants game, is saying this game will be no contest, with most every expert choosing the Chiefs.
Mile High Sports Radio host Danny Williams said earlier this week, “A Broncos win in K.C. is unfathomable, at least that is what we are hearing from the national media. What people need to know is, Denver could win this game, and at the very least, it will be closer than what the media is telling you. Denver is a desperate team, and that is on their side for once.”
While many may not agree with Danny on his predictions, or much of anything else, Danny does have a point. Denver needs this win more than K.C., and sometimes that is enough to eke out a win.
Last week, in a Thursday-night thriller in Oakland, the Raiders faced those same Chiefs, and found themselves a much-needed win. Scoring a touchdown to tie the game and the ensuing extra point to win, the Raiders beat the Chiefs 31-30 with literally zero time left on the clock. A loss to the Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders would have been 2-5 with five straight losses. With that win, Oakland can still make the playoffs and they currently sit at 3-4, mathematically still able to win the AFC West.
Still need proof desperate teams tend to win? The hapless Chicago Bears, perhaps one of the most desperate teams in the league, in Week 7 beat the Carolina Panthers 17-3. In what was a crazy win, the Bears, with rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky, threw the ball only seven times for a total of 107 yards.
The Bears, whom most everyone has written off, found a way to win and now have a 3-4 record. Within the Bears’ division, Aaron Rodgers of the Packers and Sam Bradford of the Vikings are both out with injury. The Bears, with a little luck and that desperation win, now have a shot at playing for the NFC North and possibly a Wild Card spot.
For the Broncos, this Monday night matchup might make or break the entire season. A loss to the Chiefs and the Broncos could be looking up at the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars, just to name a few, in the Wild Card race. With that loss, the Broncos would be in a three-way tie within the division and the Chiefs would hold a commanding lead. Now, with a win, the Broncos could be one of only seven teams in the AFC with a record of .500 or better. With a win, the Broncos would be in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card spot and still able to catch K.C. for the AFC West. A loss this week makes for a long haul in Denver.
As the Broncos season continues on, they will need more than desperation if they want to win it all; however, in a season like this one, sometimes all you need is to hold on and be there in the end.
Desperation certainly is a stinky cologne, but like Stink (Mark Schlereth) says: “Luck has the smell of perspiration.”
Hopefully the Broncos come out of Kansas City smelling like roses.
