Denver Broncos Fanzone: Interview with Zack Kelberman

With a quick turnaround this week, the Denver Broncos Fanzone moves on. This week, we have Zack Kelberman on with us as we discuss about the team and game.

Hey, the Denver Broncos won a game last weekend! It feels like an eternity since Broncos Country got to say that. It was the team’s first win since October 1st. The team finally found themselves after a eight week absence.

Who is next on the schedule? The 3-10 Indianapolis Colts. Both of these teams are looking to draft high in the 2018 NFL Draft. As of now, the Colts hold the higher draft pick than the Broncos. However, I am not one of those fans who are hoping the team loses out just to get a better pick. I want to see another win on Thursday Night. And I can see that happening on Thursday.

Even though the Broncos have struggled in Indianapolis, this could be a good chance to get a solid win. A victory would give them five on the year. It would be another victory to help improve them team and provide confidence going forward.

With that said, let us turn to our guest this week. Zack Kelberman is a Denver Broncos reporter from 24/7 Sports. He provides solid content over at the Broncos site for 24/7 Sports. Let us take a look at what he has to say for the Denver Broncos game and the state of the team.

The Denver Broncos got a big win. What were you most impressed by?

That they played a clean game for four quarters. We hadn’t seen that since Week 2 against the Cowboys. Trevor Simian committed no turnovers, the offense stuck with the ground game and the defense forced takeaways. Even the special teams didn’t muff a punt! I hate using the term “Bronco football” because it’s such a cliche, but this is what Denver does best — get a lead, control the clock and allow the defense to take care of the rest.

Despite the win, the Broncos have been officially eliminated from the playoffs. What will it take in the final three weeks of the season to give you some optimism going into 2018?

Unless you’re Vance Joseph, wins and losses don’t necessarily matter any longer; the final three weeks are about the future. I, personally, want the young players to get an opportunity for significant reps, such as De’Angelo Henderson, DeMarcus Walker, Connor McGovern, Elijah Wilkinson, Marcus Rios, Joseph Jones, etc. There’s going to be a lot of roster turnover in the offseason, so the Broncos should take the opportunity to assess potential successors. Failing that, I’d hope they secure as high of a draft pick as possible. The Broncos need a blue-chip prospect to build on next season.

As a Denver Broncos fan, what is your favorite memory of all time?

This will come off as blasphemous, but I didn’t grow up a Broncos fan. I began covering the team a few seasons ago, and although I remain objective, I’ve grown partial to this organization over that time. Speaking from a would-be fan’s perspective, I’d say the best memory within the last couple of years (I missed out on Super Bowl 50) would be Terrell Davis’ induction into the Hall of Fame. It was just a culmination of an amazing career and a terrific individual finally getting his due.

The Broncos take on the Colts on Thursday night. What will it take to make it two wins in a row?

It’s tough to play on three days’ rest, especially when it’s a road game. But the Colts are not a good team, arguably no better than the Jets. So the Broncos have to employ a similar strategy as last Sunday: Stop the run, establish the run, don’t fall behind and don’t turn the ball over. If they can do all that … voila, a winning streak is born.

Next: Justin Simmons Headed To IR

Is there one player on the Broncos roster that has impressed you this season?

The obvious choice is Von Miller, because he’s again one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, but I’m going with nose tackle Domata Peko. The guy’s stats don’t pop out at you, but he’s single-handedly transformed Denver’s run defense from 28th in 2016 to fourth this season. He’s an immovable object in the middle of the front-seven and an unspeakably massive upgrade on Sylvester Williams. Credit John Elway for seeking out Peko this offseason and wrangling him in on a team-friendly contract.

Thank You Zack for taking the time out to chat with me. If you are interested to see what he is up to, go check out him and the rest of the 24/7 Broncos staff here.