Broncos must embrace idea of 'fire sale' as only way to get back to prominence
- Any player with trade value should be for sale
- Broncos need to let VJ go
- George Paton is the man who should be most to blame for this mess
Give Vance Joseph his walking papers
This is a given and it's not even completely Vance Joseph's fault. After all, he should have never been brought back to Denver and it's largely the fault of Sean Payton that he was.
Joseph is just a poor football coach and how he has hung around the league as long as he has, doing a below-average job with pretty much every position he has ever had, is a big mystery. But the team needs to bring this current stint to an end.
There is always the argument that firing a coach during the season won't be to a team's benefit, but in this case it would accomplish sending a message that this kind of mediocrity can't be tolerated and there's just no way that anyone would be worse.
Joseph's run defense is getting absolutely gashed. This is how the last three games have looked for the Broncos:
10/8 vs. Jets: 234 yards rushing allowed (177 by Breece Hall)
10/1 vs. Bears: 171 yards rushing allowed
9/24 vs. Dolphins: 350 yards rushing allowed
That is just absolutely ridiculous and it's a trend that will almost certainly continue if you have been watching the games. Teams are not getting creative. They are just lining up and running the ball right down the Broncos' collective throat. Running backs are eight or nine yards down the field before they even get touched.
Tackling is another issue, as the effort is just not there. Broncos defenders are just trying to arm tackle a guy or get in his way enough to slow him down. Players look like they aren't even trying on many of the plays and that is a direct sign of a lack of effort, inspiration and quite frankly, a lack of care.
That falls on the coaching staff and VJ is going to have to get the axe in Denver for a second time.
If the team is to make an in-season move, look for that to potentially come after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs this Thursday night. The Broncos will get a 10-day rest period before their next game and that could be enough time to appoint a replacement and get them ready for the next game.