When the Denver Broncos got smacked in Super Bowl 48 by the Seattle Seahawks, it prompted one of the most aggressive offseasons we ever saw from general manager John Elway. Elway knew he had a stellar roster ready to win it all, but the blowout loss exposed his roster's greatest weaknessess. You can't help but think that current Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton are going to be chomping at the bit to have a similarly aggressive offseason in 2025.
The Broncos kept it close for a half against the Buffalo Bills, but the defense collapsed in the second half and the offense simply could not sustain a drive as the team got whooped by Josh Allen and company. Tony Romo said it well during the game -- it's been a great season for the Denver Broncos, but they were not quite ready for this stage given the way we saw them play.
And the biggest reason they proved they were not ready for this type of stage as well as the reason they are about to be extremely aggressive this offseason? The playmakers around Bo Nix need to be upgraded in a big way.
Broncos "playmakers" let rookie QB Bo Nix down on playoff stage vs. Bills
There was a huge third-down drop in this game from Courtland Sutton. Troy Franklin had a huge third-down drop in the second half. A pass hit Devaughn Vele in the face on 2nd and 13 late in the game. Kicker Wil Lutz missed a field goal as Bo Nix led a brilliant two-minute drill late in the 1st half that started at the 8-yard line.
There is no question that the Denver Broncos have their franchise quarterback, but the way the supporting cast let him down in this game and throughout the season is going to require some serious attention by the powers that be in Denver.
The Broncos need to upgrade at receiver. They have no true starting-caliber running backs on the roster right now. They don't have a single tight end who is a mismatch in the passing game. It's not been all bad this season as Bo Nix put together a historic rookie year and one of the best seasons for a quarterback in Denver Broncos history, but he's been the catalyst and the one carrying the other guys, not the other way around.
Had the Broncos' playmakers stepped up in this game, who knows how different the outcome could have been? The one thing we know is that for this team to truly grow going forward, the personnel offensively has to improve in a significant way. These guys let Bo Nix down just about every possession after the first drive of the game.
But Broncos Country should undoubtedly be proud of this team. They are in year two of a roster rebuild and year one of a new quarterback era with $89 million in dead cap. Things are undoubtedly going to get better in the near future and Bo Nix has given fans a reason for hope for the future.
Now go get him some legitimate weapons.