Denver Broncos get no late Christmas gift in loss to Raiders
The Denver Broncos spread no Christmas cheer in their loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, essentially ending their playoff hopes.
The Las Vegas Raiders may not have dashed through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh, but they definitely dashed through the playoff hopes of the Denver Broncos in a 17-13 defeat on Sunday afternoon.
This disappointing defeat just further added to the frustrations of Broncos Country, as the Broncos found themselves swept by their divisional rival once again, and all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, as their current playoff bid is now at a less than 1% chance of qualifying.
In a game that was arguably make or break for the career of Drew Lock, he may not have played well enough to answer the burning question about his future as a Bronco, but he did not have a bad performance by any means. If Lock is given the nod for the remainder of the season, the last two games of the season will be big for his future.
Today was an especially frustrating game on the aspect of both the rushing attack and the defense against the run. Between Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon, the Broncos accounted for just 8 rush yards on the day, with Gordon finishing with negative yardage.
While the Denver Broncos certainly did not receive a Christmas gift today, they seemed to instead be in the giving spirit, giving Raiders running back Josh Jacobs a bounce back he had surely longed for. Though the Broncos were able to force a turnover (almost two) on Jacobs, he finished the day with a season-high 129 rush yards. In a season that has been a struggle for Jacobs, his previous season-high had been just 87 yards.
However, in a game that may have dampened the post-Christmas spirit for many, by far the most disappointing aspect of the divisional matchup was once against the offensive scheme. It has now been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Shurmur is holding this offensive unit back and is ill-prepared to make any kind of adjustments. His play-calling consistently sets up the offense for failure, especially on third and long, where his scheme usually results in much fewer yardage than what is needed for a first down.
Because the Denver Broncos were not able to secure a late Christmas gift in the form of a win and keep their playoff hopes alive, Broncos Country now may be asking for another late holiday present.
For many, the next best thing in the form of a Broncos gift may be George Paton cleaning house and firing the coaching staff once the regular season concludes. Perhaps Vic Fangio may get another chance, but to move forward and make any progress, this team must work to secure a competent play-caller.
The best way to spread (late) Christmas cheer may not be singing loud for all to hear, after all. Now, it may be to make tough but necessary choices to put the Denver Broncos back on track to becoming a winning football team.