Denver Broncos: Should expectations change after 0-2 start?
This was not the start fans were expecting.
The Denver Broncos were supposed to be one of the league’s up and coming teams in 2020. They were supposed to be a darkhorse contender for a Wild Card spot and they were supposed to let the Kansas City Chiefs know that they would soon be reclaiming the AFC West crown.
A lot of things were supposed to happen, but each of those things seems a bit far fetched right now. Sure, it’s only been two games, so there is more than enough time for a turnaround. But after watching the first two games, do you really believe there will be one?
The Broncos made a furious attempt to come back and steal one from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, doing so with Jeff Driskel at quarterback. But they fell short and are sitting at 0-2 for the second straight year.
Many Broncos fans are still going to look at the glass as half full, and that is fine, but there are a few problems.
Major injuries
Drew Lock is going to miss a minimum of two games and possibly be out as many as six weeks after spraining his AC joint early in the game. That leaves the Broncos with Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien as the only quarterbacks on the roster. That’s not great.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the team has also lost Von Miller, Phillip Lindsay, A.J. Bouye and Courtland Sutton (again) to injuries. Those are four key players on the roster, which is starting to look like a M.A.S.H. unit.
Inept coaching
It’s easy to bag on Vic Fangio right now, but he’s not doing much to dissuade people from doing so. After totally bungling the clock management at the end of the game in Week 1, he had a similar situation present itself at the end of the first half in Pittsburgh, again refusing to use time outs.
Fans were calling for the job of Vance Joseph shortly into his tenure for his ineptitude and though it would be nice to find a long-term guy to be the coach, it won’t be long before the job of Fangio is being questioned as well.
More from Predominantly Orange
- Denver Broncos need to prioritize having CEO head coach
- Broncos chances of landing Sean Payton dwindling, but not gone
- Denver Broncos dream coaching staff for DeMeco Ryans
- Denver Broncos: “Sleeper” David Shaw checks every box
- The Broncos’ coaching search likely has not gone to plan
Upcoming schedule
Here are the Broncos’ next five games, which will take them up to their bye week.
Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay
Week 4: at New York Jets
Week 5: at New England
Week 6: vs. Miami
Week 7: vs. Kansas City
How many wins do you see there, given the current circumstances? I certainly don’t see many.
The Broncos actually got off to an 0-4 start last before clawing back toward the end of the season. But with all of the injuries facing the team (you can easily argue that no team has had more adversity in that department), it is going to be tough.
So, about those playoff hopes? Do you still feel the Broncos can eventually position themselvs to make a run, or is this already becoming a lost season?