Denver Broncos: 3-0 start to the season now means next to nothing

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 10: James Pierre #42 of the Pittsburgh Steelers intercepts a pass during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Heinz Field on October 10, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 10: James Pierre #42 of the Pittsburgh Steelers intercepts a pass during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Heinz Field on October 10, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Broncos 3-0 start seems so far off from where the team is now.

The team lost its second game in a row on Sunday, falling 27-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The fact that the team actually had a chance to tie it up in the late stages is somewhat of a miracle and not really indicative of how badly they were outplayed in this game.

And this was a game the Broncos needed to win against a team that isn’t very good. Sure, the Steelers looked good in this game, but in the three weeks prior, they looked like one of the worst teams in the league and the dominant talk was that it was time for Ben Roethlisberger to be benched.

Roethlisberger looked 10 years younger against Denver, completing 15 of 25 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. On the game’s opening possession, he threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson.

55. Final. 19. 45. 27

Broncos fans were ecstatic following the team’s 3-0 start, but critics quickly pointed to the fact that those wins came against three of the league’s weakest teams. It’s starting to look as though those critics had a point.

The Broncos made a game of things in the second half. After falling behind 24-6, Teddy Bridgewater turned things up a notch and threw touchdown passes to Kendall Hinton and Courtland Sutton. Unfortunately, the team’s final drive ended on a 4th-and-goal play in which Bridgewater threw his first interception of the season.

Broncos fans are going to find the positives. They are going to point to the team playing much better in the second half as well as the fact that the Broncos still have a winning record.

But good teams don’t lose these games.

The Steelers were outscored 77-44 in Weeks 2-4 and they did not score more than 17 points in any game. They exploded for 27 points against Denver and 391 yards of total offense, including 147 on the ground.

Winning this game and keeping pace in what could be the best division in football was paramount. The Broncos will now have to sit back and watch how the rest of the division does on Sunday but if the Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs all get wins, this loss gets even worse.

Despite injuring an ankle in Friday’s practice, Sutton had a big game for the Broncos, catching seven passes for 120 yards and a 39-yard touchdown. Bridgewater completed 24 of his 38 pass attempts for 288 yards.

But it was the balance of the Steelers’ offense that was really the difference. Najee Harris ran for 122 yards and a touchdown in the game while Chase Claypool caught five passes for 130 yards and a score.

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The Broncos will need to regroup and get ready for Week 6 when they host the Las Vegas Raiders. That game will come with extreme importance following this disappointing loss.