This has been a weird year for Broncos fans, especially after the extreme predictability of the last three seasons. Before, we used to know exactly how every game was going to play out: Peyton Manning would throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, the team would score 30-plus points and the Broncos would win.
That was the formula. Every week. But now, not so much, and it’s been a harsh transition.
In the span of six months, the Broncos went from one of the most explosive and unstoppable offenses in NFL history to a unit that could hardly muster 20 points; despite having an elite defense to comfort them, Broncos fans did not take this well.
I think we could all feel the anger and frustration begin to reach a boiling point after the Colts loss, but when Denver fell to the Chiefs a week later, it all came apart. It was total anarchy in Broncos Country; nobody within a 100-mile radius of Dove Valley was safe from the wrath of angry fans. The levels of controversy, rumor and conspiracy surrounding the franchise were (and, at times, continue to be) absurd, and yet, in the moment, it was easy to fall victim.
This season has been a whirlwind, and the fact that through it all the Denver Broncos are still 9-2 is probably the most amazing part.
Looking back, it’s hard for me to put together the scenario in which the Broncos reached the point they’re currently at, and looking forward isn’t much easier.
But it’s more fun that way, isn’t it?
Let’s put on our prognosticating hats and take a look at three of the biggest question marks the Broncos still face as they head down the homestretch of a memorable season:
Is Brock Osweiler really this good?
You could easily make the argument that for the majority of his first two starts, Brock Osweiler has simply been good, not great; you would also be missing the point entirely.
A 2 year old may be an okay long-distance sprinter, but what’s most impressive is that they’re a long-distance sprinter at all!
Okay, I’ll admit that was a corny metaphor, but you get the point. Who cares if Brock isn’t putting up 30 points a game and is going three-and-out on every third drive? He’s leading a 14-point comeback against the defending champions and No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL; that is impressive. And there’s a reason why he’ll be on this week’s cover of Sports Illustrated.
But will it last? I’m not going to lie, I’m worried. I’m confident, but I’m a little worried.
It’s not as if we haven’t seen a backup quarterback light the world on fire for a few weeks before fading into eternal obscurity — Matt Flynn, anyone?
But I do think this is different. Brock isn’t, and has not been groomed to be, the backup; he’s the heir apparent. And John Elway, Gary Kubiak and the whole Broncos organization have proven that they believe he’s the man. Now does that really mean much? I don’t know. I don’t think anyone does. But from what I’ve seen so far, and with the talent I know is around him, I think he has every opportunity to continue learning on the job, giving this Broncos team a real shot in the playoffs.
Let’s hope, at least.
Can we get/stay healthy?
This is the biggest question for me every season, because there’s no rhyme or reason to it. I mean, why does Eli Manning never get injured when Tony Romo breaks his collar bone every other game? Does Eli drink more milk? Is it luck? Does god hate the Cowboys?
I don’t know, and it can make watching football terrifying.
All year, I’ve been watching T.J. Ward recklessly throw his body around, just waiting for him to not get back up, and it finally happened last weekend. Now, he’s set to miss at least this next game, and there’s a chance it could be much longer.
And don’t forget a guy like Ryan Clady. He’s fallen way off everyone’s radar, but this offensive line would look a whole lot different with him in the lineup, even if he isn’t the same All-Pro talent he once was. Now, there’s no chance of him returning — or Ty Sambrailo, for that matter — but what about Ward and DeMarcus Ware and Sylvester Williams? What about Peyton Manning?
If Denver is going to make any noise in the postseason, they’re going to need all hands on deck. Just think of how different the Broncos would have looked against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl if guys like Clady, Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. had been playing; we don’t want to live with those question marks again.
Obviously, this isn’t necessarily a question any of us can answer. But if you could all join me in a moment of silence, we can pray for the health of the Broncos ……………. super.
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[adrotate banner=”10″]Will this team go out “kicking and screaming”?
In each of the last two years, the Broncos haven’t just ended their season with a loss; they’ve folded. With a combined score of 21-67, Denver’s last two playoff games have been deflating. For me, at least, I’ve really come to wonder if they have “what it takes” to win when it counts. More importantly, so did John Elway.
When Elway saw a team that didn’t go out “kicking and screaming,” he cleaned house; he brought in a new regime and attempted to instill a new mentality. But did it work?
I’ve been battling with that question all season, and after last Sunday’s game against the Patriots, I think I’m ready to say yes. I do believe this team is truly different, at their core, than the previous two; this team is fit to win when it matters.
I was sitting in the first row behind the Broncos bench last weekend, and from the moment the Patriots kicked off to the moment the Patriots took a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter to the moment C.J. Anderson raised his hands and entered the end zone in overtime, nobody on that team believed they were going to lose for a single second.
This is a team, a true team, and you can see it in their words and in their actions. When Demaryius Thomas dropped a pass, Brock Osweiler didn’t berate him on the sidelines like some (*cough, cough*) quarterbacks might have; he gave him a slap on the back and told him to keep his head in the game. And when it mattered most, DT made the catch.
I don’t know if the Broncos will win the Super Bowl, and I don’t know if the Broncos will even win a playoff game, but I do know that they’re not going to fold. If the Broncos do go out, they’ll go out kicking and screaming.