Have you ever seen so much sadness and disappointment surrounding a 7-2 team before? I mean, it’s as if Pat Bowlen just relocated the franchise to Anchorage the way everybody’s acting.
This is sports. Crap happens. We move on.
Has it been the most fun week? No. Do we wish this whole Peyton Manning thing would just fix itself? Yeah, of course. But, once again, it’s not all bad.
So, just in case you can’t pull yourself out of this malaise on your own, let me help you. Here are five reasons Denver Broncos fans should be excited for the rest of the season.
The season IS NOT over!
There’s been no funeral; the Broncos are not dead. In fact, they’re very much alive.
The team is 7-2! That’s, uh, great. And six of those victories came with the offense playing like absolute bull you-know-what. So, as long as Brock Osweiler can keep this offense playing like bull you-know-what, we’ll be right where we started.
But really, barring a meteor to Dove Valley, the Broncos are going to be in the playoffs come January, and at that point, nothing is off limits. I don’t care if the offense enters the postseason averaging 15 yards per game; in football, anything can happen.
We have seen countless numbers of teams go through brutal stretches in the regular season, only to make a deep run in the postseason. Unlike most other sports, the best team doesn’t always win — just ask the ’07 Patriots.
And honestly, I’d almost rather face this adversity now then go through the whole season thinking we’re the bee’s knees.
So if you’re one of the many people counting the Broncos out, don’t; you never know what’s going to happen.
It’s Brock time!
I’ll admit, the move has come under unfortunate circumstances, but it’s happened nonetheless. So put everything else aside, and let’s Brock and Roll!!
The city of Denver has been waiting for this moment since the Robert Pattinson-lookalike was drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft. And now, with bated breadth, we get to see what that Brocket Launcher of his can do — sorry, but there are just so many awesome nicknames!
Hands down, one of the most exciting things that can happen to any franchise is when a young quarterback gets his first start — even more so when he’s the heir apparent. Even if Brock falls on his face a few times here and there, we’re looking at the future of the Denver Broncos, the man who’ll be running this offense for the next decade — hopefully.
And even while there’s a real possibility that Osweiler is no more than a more punctual Ryan Mallet, that doesn’t matter right now. Right now, the only way to describe Osweiler is with hope; for all we know, he’s the next Aaron Rodgers.
The defense is still awesome
We’ve been so focused on Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler and the Broncos offense this last week that we’ve seemingly forgot that we’ve got a world-class defense on the other side of the ball.
I think that’s a fairly important factor.
Remember, this a defense that single-handedly won six games for the Broncos and held Aaron Rodgers, reigning MVP and all-around superquarterback, to 70 yards passing. They proceeded to have an underwhelming performance against the Colts, but rebounded in a massive way against the Chiefs last weekend.
Now, because the defense gave up 29 points to Alex Smith and and some guy named Charcandrick West, it would be easy to call this their second straight letdown, but that’s just not true. Denver’s defense was playing against an offense that started seven of their 14 drives in Broncos territory; it’s a minor miracle they were able to hold them to just 29 points.
Last week was an anomaly; I’d be shocked if the Broncos had another five-interception, one-failed-onside-attempt game this season. To be successful, all this defense needs is an offense that doesn’t blatantly gift wrap the game to the opposing team each week. If Gary Kubiak uses Brock Osweiler like I think he’s going to — a lot of runs, complemented by some efficient, easy play-action passes — I think they’ll be just fine.
It might be more fun this way
Here’s my dirty little secret: I had much more fun as a Broncos fan during Tebowmania than I’ve had during any point of the Peyton Manning era. And I’m sure there’s a good portion of you that agree with me.
Why? I don’t now … Adrenaline? Surprise, maybe?
During that Tebow season, it was as if every snap, every block, every tackle held the weight of the world; I’ve never been so captivated by football, even if it was very bad football. With Manning, I knew the outcome before the game even started; we were going to win. So when we inevitably fell in the playoffs, the only real, lasting emotion the season left me with was soul-crushing disappointment.
There’s no part of me that looks back at the ’12 and ’13 seasons with fondness. All I see is Rahim Moore‘s outstretched fingers and Kam Chancellor destroying Demaryius Thomas across the middle.
But with Tebow, I don’t know if I’ll get over how fun and unbelievable that run was.
And, yeah, I know I’m playing the spoiled fan card, but it is what it is. I’m not saying I’d rather have Tebow than Manning — I definitely would not — but for a 16-game regular season, it’s more fun not knowing whether the Broncos are going to win or lose; I’m more invested.
With Brock at the helm, I have no idea what’s about to happen next. And I’m excited.
This piece brought to you in part by …
[adrotate banner=”6″]This is Broncos Country
If you need one reason to be excited for the second half of the season, here it is: You’re a Broncos fan.
That’s it! We’re in this together. Whether you’re ready to move on to Brock, whether you believe John Elway has done a good job, whether you think Manning is really as injured as the team is saying, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the Broncos have eight more games to play; meaning, Broncos Country has at least eight more games to cheer for this team.
I’ve been amazed at how divisive Broncos fans have become this season. You can see it in Mile High Sport’s comments, on Facebook, on the streets; it’s like we’re embroiled in a civil war.
Why?
Here’s the deal: We’re all on the same side; we all want what’s best for the Broncos. Just because someone criticizes the decision making or puts blind faith in the organization does not mean they’re issuing a personal attack; it means they care.
So please, Broncos Country, let’s come together and support this team to the end. More importantly, let’s have fun doing so.
Go Broncos!