Broncos Loss to Seattle a Tough Pill to Swallow

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) drops back to pass against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

I hate writing after a loss. Most of my writing after a loss comes through venting. The Broncos just lost the Super Bowl. Everyone and their dogs watched it happen.

What’s worse? The Broncos got hammered.

To be honest, the game was over from the first snap. Miscommunication between Peyton Manning and Manny Ramirez, something that has scarce happened this season, caused the ball to be snapped into the end zone, where it was recovered by Knowshon Moreno for a safety.

We might as well have packed our parties up and called it quits from that point, but you have to play all 60 minutes.

After that first snap, the Broncos were completely flustered offensively. The two-yard drag routes were (SHOCKER) not working. The obligatory running plays out of the pistol formation that were lazily done were (SHOCKER) not effective.

I’m wondering if the Broncos watched any tape on Seattle over these last two weeks. Denver had four players that have been to the Super Bowl before. Seattle had none. Could you tell?

Denver has the greatest offense of All-Time. They just proved on the biggest stage in the NFL that on this given Sunday, that didn’t matter. At all.

The Seahawks don’t need much to dominate a game, but let me just re-hash a few things here without looking at the awful box score:

• The Broncos gifted them a safety to start the game.
• Manning interception number one.
• Knowshon Moreno fumble recovered for loss.
• Trindon Holliday near fumble.
• Demaryius Thomas fumble.
• Manning pick-six.
• Failed fourth-down attempt at the end of the first half.

Add in the wuss-breath, cake-eater play calling, and you have a recipe that equals 43-8. Blowout. I was playing Flappy Birds on my phone in the first Broncos Super Bowl in 15 years.

Gotta tip your hat, that’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment in and of itself.

I’m not upset that the Broncos blowout. In fact, I prefer blowout losses to close ones. They are just easier to absorb. But this was a shocking display of horrid. I don’t mean to make matters worse, because if you read here long enough, you might find a silver lining or at least something funny about what I’m saying.

The Broncos got killed, but this season was a treat. The Super Bowl sucked, and we can’t pretend like it didn’t happen. Picking 31st in the draft is going to suck as well. But maybe the most unsettling part about this Super Bowl loss is what the future holds for Denver.

Free agent situations are well documented. Despite a mass amount of injuries to critical players offensively and defensively, the Broncos probably had the best roster this year that they have had in 15 years, and Peyton Manning’s window of playing in the NFL is slowly but surely closing. What is the Broncos’ window at this point?

Will Eric Decker be back? Will Champ Bailey take a pay cut? Will Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie come back? Will the Broncos clean house defensively? What will happen to Knowshon Moreno? Will Von Miller and Chris Harris be ready to go?

What does this team need to do to get over the hump? I don’t think you can really blame the defense for this debacle, to be honest. It was strength on strength, offense vs. defense, and the defense was too tough.

Seattle’s toughness won out. The Broncos didn’t have it. The Broncos’ answer to Seattle’s defense was the worst output offensively they’ve had all year. Lazy, predictable, soft…It was all there. You pit that up against a hungry defense with youth, speed, toughness, and determination? You’re going to get crushed.

What the Broncos lacked in the Super Bowl as they have in some other big games is a killer instinct. An ability to grab your opponent, slam them to the ground, and step on the neck. The Seahawks did that. They took the best offense the NFL has ever seen, grabbed the neck, and stepped on it. Stepped on it real good.

Regardless, the Broncos will still have Peyton Manning next season, and will be in good shape to have another great regular season. We’ll be back in the playoffs next year, possibly with a bye, and probably once again a solid Super Bowl contender. The question is, can the Broncos actually be BETTER next year than they were this year? The financial situation will play out here in a few weeks, as the new league year is actually right around the corner.

This is an awful feeling, but in the morning life will be normal again and this will just be another reason to avoid ESPN and NFL Network.