Denver Broncos: Super Bowl LVI odds heading into the offseason
The Denver Broncos have not made the playoffs since their Super Bowl-winning season five years ago. They’ve struggled to a big degree.
Following Super Bowl LV between the Chiefs and Buccaneers, oddsmakers released the odds for each team in the league for next year’s big game.
According to Action Network, the Denver Broncos are tied with Washington at +6000 to win it all in 2021. In comparison, there are six teams below Denver and Washington in these odds.
The Broncos have not been close to winning the game since 2016 when they actually did win it. However, many people believed that they would reach the playoffs in 2020 had it not been for all of the injuries the team had suffered throughout the year.
It was also an unfortunately bad year for quarterback Drew Lock and the team is looking at competition for Lock in 2021, if not his replacement.
Let’s face it: the Broncos still do have a long way to go before sniffing the Super Bowl, but we do have to remember all of those injuries I mentioned.
Von Miller, Courtland Sutton, and Jurrell Casey are the big names that missed all or some of the 2020 season. There are rumors about Miler and Casey potentially being off the team in 2021, whether that be in a trade or a cap casualty.
The NFL added two playoff spots in the new CBA, which would give the Broncos a better chance at making the playoffs, and potentially the Super Bowl. Let’s face it, the Chiefs are probably going to be winning this division for a while.
There are issues on both sides of the ball that need to be addressed before the Broncos are serious contenders.
For one, the quarterback situation. Either Lock needs to drastically improve or he will be replaced. Deshaun Watson, anybody?
It will also be important for the team to fix the right tackle position. Ja’Wuan James isn’t reliable at this point so we could, and probably should see an upgrade there via the draft.
Coaching needs to be better for Denver Broncos to be Super Bowl contenders
Obviously, the players are the ones on the field doing their best to make a play, but the players do what they are told.
Coaching decisions play a big part in the outcome of games. The Broncos struggled to some degree at this, making some poor time management decisions that potentially cost them some wins.
Vic Fangio had stated at one point that he was too focused on the defense’s next series while the offense was on the field. That hurt them because they missed an opportunity to call a timeout that they needed to use.
Heading into his third season as the head coach of the Broncos, Fangio is going to have to figure things out, just like Lock if he is not replaced.