As of right now, the Broncos might be the worst team in the entire NFL
Sep 28, 2020, 6:31 AM
Here’s a question that most people in Broncos Country never thought they would hear: Is Denver the worst team in the NFL?
After Sunday’s performance in a 28-10 loss to the Buccaneers, that’s not hyperbolic. It’s downright legitimate.
The Broncos are one of eight winless teams in the league, so they’re in the conversation. But the vast majority of the other teams sitting at 0-3 or 0-2-1 are at least in games. Heck, the Falcons are a few minutes away from being atop their division.
Meanwhile, Denver is at a point where they are now non-competitive. In the loss to Tampa Bay, there was never a moment where it felt like they had a chance to win.
After stalling on their opening drive, the Broncos had a punt blocked. Less than a minute later, the Bucs were in the end zone, taking a 7-0 lead with 10:04 to play in the first quarter that felt insurmountable.
What other team is in that same boat right now? It certainly isn’t the Texans or Bengals, two winless teams in the AFC that have legitimate quarterbacks. It’s not the Eagles, Vikings or Falcons, as both could’ve easily won on Sunday.
That leaves just the two teams from New York. The hapless Giants and Jets are in the same position as the Broncos.
On Thursday night, Denver will get a chance to prove that they don’t belong in that company when they travel to the Meadowlands to take on Adam Gase’s team. There’s no reason to have any confidence that they can beat the Jets, however.
Why? Well, where do the Broncos currently excel?
Their offense is a mess. With Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien at the helm on Sunday, they managed just 226 yards of total offense and 10 points against the Buccaneers.
On defense, they aren’t much better. While the numbers might not be horrible, they don’t make any plays, failing to force any turnovers again against Tampa Bay, and they gave up 23 first-half points before Tom Brady and Company went into conservative mode.
And on special teams, they’re a train wreck. Last week, Sam Martin dropped a punt that resulted in a safety for the Steelers. This time around, he had a kick blocked to set up the Buccaneers first score. Every week, something bad seems to happen in this phase of the game.
All of which begs one important question: Why is this happening?
The apologists will blame injuries. After all, Denver is playing without Von Miller, Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay, A.J. Bouye and Drew Lock. That’s a lot of talent that isn’t in uniform to help the cause.
But a lot of teams are riddled with injuries at the moment. The 49ers were without their starting quarterback and running back on Sunday, not to mention key defensive players, but they blew out the Giants yesterday. Granted, New York is awful, but San Francisco put up 36 points and never punted in the game; in other words, they dominated with backups playing key roles.
Perhaps that’s because John Lynch has stacked his roster with a ton of talent, allowing the Niners to overcome players being sidelined. But it’s also due to the fact that Kyle Shanahan is able to “coach up” his reserves in order to generate results.
Yes, Denver’s offense was without Lock, Sutton and Lindsay yesterday. But they also have three premium picks from the past two drafts, as well as a high-priced free agent to rely on. It’s hard to believe a team with Noah Fant, Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler and Melvin Gordon can’t get anything going on offense.
The Broncos also boast an offensive line that has been intact all season long. Ja’Wuan James opted out of the season due to COVID-19, but he was replaced at the start of training camp by Elijah Wilkinson, a tackle that a lot of people wanted to start in place of Garett Bolles on the left side of the line. So what’s the excuse for the constant pressure that Lock, Driskel and Rypien faced against the Steelers and Bucs the past two weeks?
Pat Shurmur was brought in to fix the offense, as Rich Scangarello was the scapegoat for last season’s disappointing 7-9 finish. But do the Broncos look any better on that side of the ball? They certainly don’t resemble the offense that was humming along pretty well once Lock was named the starter for the final five games of the 2019.
What on Shurmur’s résumé suggested that he’d be a great hire? He flamed out as a head coach in both Cleveland and New York. And his best seasons as an offensive coordinator came in Philadelphia, where head coach Chip Kelly was running the offense. So why was this hire rubber stamped as an upgrade?
Denver’s defense is also lacking in creativity. With Miller lost for the season, their ability to get a consistent pass rush without blitzing went up in smoke. But rather than come with some new looks, Fangio has stayed true to his system, which has resulted in little to no production. Bradley Chubb, the heir apparent to Miller, has been virtually non-existent.
Anybody can coach a defense that has elite pass rushers on both sides. That’s not difficult. It takes a true guru to devise ways to get pressure and make plays no matter who is lining up on that side of the ball.
The Broncos have spent a ton of money on the defensive side of the ball, but their head coach gets a free pass because their offense doesn’t score 25 points per game and injuries have taken away some of his best players. If he needs a great offense and perfect health to be successful, perhaps Fangio isn’t a “genius” after all.
It all adds up to a team that doesn’t have a shot. Denver’s offense is anemic, their defense is soft and their special teams are horrendous.
As a result, Thursday night’s game against the Jets might be the last winnable game on the Broncos schedule.
That’s an amazing statement, one that seems almost unimaginable in the Mile High City. But because of an inept coaching staff that is unable to overcome a rash of injuries, it’s currently the reality.
