Evans: The two sides to the Denver Broncos coin thus far in 2018
Sep 17, 2018, 4:07 PM
» I don’t care right now how the Denver Broncos got to 2-0.
All that matters is the Broncos are 2-0.
There is a reason we were talking in May, June, and July about the importance of getting off to a fast start. Any rational Broncos fan understood there were winnable games at the beginning of the season, with the schedule getting progressively harder as the season went along.
So, 2-0 matters because it gives them a shot. Had they started 1-1 or 0-2, the likelihood of a successful season would have been tough.
» Don’t misunderstand, I don’t believe the Broncos start is sustainable if they continue to play this way.
Playing this way on the road or against better opponents will get them beat.
» Who is Case Keenum?
Is he the guy who looks like a journeyman the first three quarters or the guy who jumps into the phone booth (Do they even exist anymore?) and comes out with an “S” on his chest?
It’s almost, dare I say, Tebow-esque.
» Keenum’s play isn’t sustainable.
He has to be better through the first three quarters. Two games in and three touchdowns to four picks won’t cut it long term.
That being said, there is something to the idea that he comes through in the clutch. It’s good to know he possesses the clutch gene.
This Broncos team is in desperate need of that. Need I remind everyone of what John Elway said about his team last year?
For the Broncos to have a quarterback who will battle to the end, who shows guts, who wants the ball in the big moments, that’s huge.
» At this point, aren’t the Demaryius Thomas drops just part of the package?
You don’t like them, but you know they’re going to rear their ugly head from time to time.
We all love Courtland Sutton’s raw talent, but that’s just it: raw. For better or worse, DT is still the Broncos No. 1 or No. 1 wide receiver threat.
» I loved Vance Joseph’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line while Bruce Arians was in the TV booth calling for a field goal.
Yeah, it was a risk, but you were going to need to score a touchdown at some point. What better time when you were just a yard away?
Plus, when you’re trying to establish an identity and an attitude, that’s the place where you send a message of what you’re trying to become.
» Lost in the so-called brilliance of Jon Gruden’s game plan and Derek Carr’s record-setting day for passing efficiency.
Oakland only scored 19 points. Credit to the Broncos defense for hanging in there while Carr was dinking and dunking.
» I repeat what I started with.
This is the sixth straight year the Broncos have started 2-0. We’ve seen 2-0 starts result in a Super Bowl. We’ve seen 2-0 starts result in 5-11. There’s no guarantee this 2-0 start will lead to anything great.
But for now, that’s not the point. The point is this 2-0 at least gives them a chance.
That’s all that matters.