The Denver Broncos enter Week 3 in a spot they probably didn't expect to be in: with their season possibly on the line. The Broncos lost two winnable games in weeks one and two alike, and now head to Miami with a serious chance at falling to 0-3, what could be a final nail in the coffin for their playoff hopes.
If the Broncos can't pull off a victory in Week 3, it might be time to start tuning into marquee games on Saturday afternoons. Things can start to get really ugly for the Broncos in Week 3. Just how ugly can things get? Here are three of the worst-case scenarios for the Broncos in Miami.
3 worst-case scenarios for Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins
1) Blowout Loss
The easiest way for things to get ugly in Denver? A blowout loss in week three after a collapse in week two and losing a winnable game in week one. The Broncos have played fine overall, with the offense posing as a top-10 unit in football but the defense struggling to the tune of a bottom-10 unit.
Back in August, it would have been fair to pencil this week in as a loss for the Broncos, but the loss would be much easier to swallow if the team was 1-1 or 2-0, both records that they had a chance at in the first two weeks. Losing a winnable game, a game you had a three-possession lead in, and then having the breaks beaten off of you in week three would be enough for panic, and a season falling apart before it can even get started.
A regular or close loss would be pretty bad for the Broncos, but a blowout would be enough for media and fans to begin calling for jobs and for mass change. Vance Joseph is under scrutiny already for the poor play of the Broncos' defense, and considering his first stint in Denver, he is not one who has a ton of good faith with the fans.
Secondly, the Broncos are still struggling with penalties, where as a unit they were the second-worst team in football last year. Sean Payton has noted that penalties are not an issue that just changes overnight with a coaching change and it will be a process, but it does not need to be one where it gets worse before it gets better. A blowout loss in week two, especially if the defense struggles and the field is littered with yellow laundry, will make morale and media coverage of Denver a major issue going forward.