Thanksgiving is here and it's a time to be thankful for all of the wonderful things that we have and are afforded in our lives. For Broncos Country, all fans have to be incredibly thankful that the team has somehow turned this season around, almost inexplicably.
But it hasn't all been good. There have certainly been some bumps in the road and if I were to have written this article a month ago, there would be a massive list of players who should not be a part of the Broncos Thanksgiving table.
With the Broncos now sitting at 5-5, most of the seats are full. But there are still a few guys who might just have to eat at the kids' table.
And relax Broncos Country, I'm actually going to give Jerry Jeudy a pass here.
Riley Dixon, Punter
After dealing with a poor punting job from Corliss Waitman last season, the Broncos brought Riley Dixon back for his second stint with the team. They might be looking for another option after this season.
Both Dixon's punting average (45.5 yards) and his net average (40.7 yards) rank towards the bottom of the league. But it's really been his situational awareness and inability to flip the field on a regular basis that have been the major reasons why he's on this list.
There have been times when Dixon, instead of finding a way to pin the opponent deep within the five or 10-yard line, has booted it all the way out of the end zone. In the game against the Buffalo Bills, where the team turned making extra points into a chore, Dixon mishandled the snap on one of them.
Finding an effective punter that can drop a punt out of bounds deep in opponent's territory or regularly get good hang time on kicks, the keys to flipping the field, is an often overlooked weapon.
Dixon is not one of those.
Damarri Mathis, Cornerback
The Broncos' turnaround was jumpstarted when the team made some tough choices on the defensive side of the ball, but to this point, they all look like fantastic moves.
The Broncos chose to part with pass-rushing veterans Randy Gregory and Frank Clark and replace them with younger options. That has worked. But they also decided to sit Damarri Mathis on the bench after his play was just unbelievably bad to start this season.
That is frustrating for the second-year corner out of Pitt, but he looked lost out on the field and just does not seem to fit in the defense that Vance Joseph wants to run. The team inserted Fabian Moreau in that spot and that move has proven to be a winner.
It's hard to say what becomes of Mathis in Denver, as this decision will surely stunt his growth, but he was nothing more than a liability on the field that any opposing coach could take advantage of, and they were.
Mathis needs to find a way to get his confidence back and show something on the field or he may not be in the team's future plans.
Kareem Jackson, Safety
It seems like we are piling on Kareem Jackson at this point, but he has really hurt his team this season. He has been flagged, fined or suspended for four different illegal hits this season. FOUR!!
After being suspended for four games a few weeks ago (and then having that reduced to two games on appeal), Jackson wasted no time to put his name on notice with the league office again. In his first game back this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, on their first possession, he tattooed Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs. That led to a new four-game suspension.
Fans are going to argue that since there was no flag on the play and since football is a contact sport, that the league is being too harsh. But it's not. Jackson launched himself like a missile, leading with his head, and he made pretty violent contact with Dobbs.
You can't do that in the NFL in 2023. 1983, sure, not now.
The Broncos will now be without Jackson and the safety position might be the thinnest on the roster. Outside of All-Pro Justin Simmons, the Broncos don't have many good options (if any). This list of potential replacements should absolutely be considered by the Broncos.
Jackson should not only be dismissed from the Thanksgiving table, he might be dismissed from the locker room if the Broncos can get competent play from another safety.