Denver Broncos Goals Still Within Reach
By Adam Malnati
The Denver Broncos still have all their goals in front of them.
Yes, the last two weeks have been difficult to watch as a fan, but they still control their own destiny. The anger is real right now in Broncos Country, but step back and examine it from outside your orange hued viewpoint. What you will see is a team that may have been overachieving all season.
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Overachieving might be too harsh a way of putting it, but look at what has happened to the offense. Peyton Manning has played poorly all season. Whether it has been because of an injury, or just age, he could have cost this team more than a few games. Instead, the defense stepped up and carried the load.
When Manning went down, the offense picked up just, and Brock Osweiler became the man under center. Did he blow the doors of the hinges? Not even close, but he did lead the team to three straight wins. Be honest with yourself, at the beginning of the season you would have been happy to have Osweiler go 3-2 while Manning got the chance to get healthy.
Potentially, this could be one of the greatest defenses ever, but to find themselves in that rarified air, they have to be so good that it doesn’t matter what the offense does.
And it could have been better. The offense caught a case of the drops in Oakland. Imagine the difference if Vernon Davis’ hands hadn’t turned into bricks the last two weeks. Or if Demaryius Thomas could catch the football in cold weather. Osweiler has been good in Manning’s place, and received as little or less help than Manning in his stead.
Gary Kubiak and his staff have struggled to make halftime adjustments the last few weeks, and that has cost the team. The second half of games has been disgraceful, and that responsibility falls on the coach. He knows it. The running game has been relatively nonexistent all season. Even in today’s NFL a running attack is necessary to open up the playbook.
Perhaps the biggest impact on this football team has been the loss of Ryan Clady. The offensive line has struggled all year. After being asked to learn a new blocking scheme, and losing the best lineman on the team, the Broncos have struggled to piece together consistent play upfront. It is killing the team’s chances. Unfortunately, that is a failure of the front office. John Elway had ample opportunities to go out and get a guy like Mike Iupati. Instead he brought in a busted up old Evan Mathis.
Even still, the Broncos have a very good defense. Potentially, this could be one of the greatest defenses ever, but to find themselves in that rarified air, they have to be so good that it doesn’t matter what the offense does. Think about great defenses of the past. Ray Lewis and the Ravens never cared what Trent Dilfer’s offense did. Did Warren Sapp look dejected after the Buccaneers offense failed to move the ball? They knew they had to carry the load. They accepted it, and won Super Bowls because of it.
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The ending has yet to be written on the 2015 season for the Denver Broncos. In fact, the story is still early. The Road of Trials has been difficult, and the Broncos are currently in crisis. However, the treasure is within reach, but it will take a true herculean effort to overcome the pitfalls on the journey. The Denver Broncos can still win the Super Bowl. Now is the time for them to accept the challenge, finish the regular season strong, and become the team they were destined to be when the season kicked off.