Denver Broncos: Don’t give up on the season just yet
Even after going 3-5 in the first half of the season, the Denver Broncos still have an outside shot at making the playoffs if they can get hot in the second half of the season.
In the NFL, so many wins and losses can be decided by self-inflicted errors as big as turnovers or even something as small a taunting penalty after scoring a touchdown. The Denver Broncos have learned this the hard way under Vance Joeseph.
Denver is a better team than they are given credit for. They have a roster full of Pro Bowl caliber players, consistent veterans, and promising young talent. But they just haven’t been able to put it all together thus far.
Three of their losses have come against two of the best teams in the NFL in the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams, and all three of those games were winnable. If you can compete with teams like that, then you can compete with anyone else in the NFL and that is the mentality that the Broncos should have going forward this season.
Another thing Denver has going for them is that 9-7 or maybe even 8-8 should be good enough to make it into the final Wild Card playoff spot. There are only six AFC teams with records above .500 at the midway point of the season, and Denver has five games left against those teams (two left against the Chargers).
The way this team is constructed right now, they are talented enough to get hot and finish the second half of the year with five or six wins, but they have got to stop shooting themselves in the foot. The Broncos have been their own biggest enemy so far this season, committing enough costly penalties and untimely turnovers to last for the rest of the season.
Assuming the Broncos don’t go into full-on tank mode, there are plenty of “must win” games left on the schedule starting this weekend with Houston. Going into the bye week 3-6 versus 4-5 will make a big difference not just in the standings, but also for the team’s frame of mind during their break from the action.
It is hard to imagine a situation where the Broncos lose at home to Houston on Sunday and Vance Joesph is still with the team come week 11 after the bye. And it is even harder to imagine a situation where a 3-6 team with an interim head coach and an unhappy locker room can turn a season into something worth remembering.
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If you’ve been paying any attention to Broncos fans on social media it might seem like the season is over and a waste, but we shouldn’t be giving up hope just yet. Denver is better than they are given credit for and still have a chance to change the narrative on this season, especially if they can find a way to win this weekend and build some momentum going into the bye week.