Here’s something I have yet to type this year: The Broncos have lost two games in a row and no longer alone atop the AFC West.
We also found out just how important Gary Kubiak is for the Denver Broncos. There was a lot of frustration Thursday night when the Broncos lost to the Chargers, but was it all an overreaction?
It wasn’t pretty; the team struggled and not just the offense. The defense, which has been the workhorse for the team going all the way back to last year, struggled for the first time since December.
Fans are supposed to be upset with the loss; it is what makes sports so great. We are emotionally involved, and that makes it tough to swallow losses, especially ones you know you should have won.
But fear not, Broncos Country, if all goes right, this four-day stretch will be a distant memory come January. As I mentioned, it was a bad night for Denver in every aspect of the game; that shouldn’t happen again.
Here’s why we shouldn’t be panicking: First and foremost, Thursday Night Football is absolutely terrible. It is a bad product because asking a football team to play two games in four days in not only unfair to the players and coaches, but it is a ripoff to ask fans to pay the same price for that garbage product the NFL rolls out every Thursday night.
Another reason not to panic is the obvious one: They were without their leader. With no real leader on offense — I know Demaryius Thomas has the “C” on his jersey, but we all know that is not really the case — Denver was at a loss. Gary Kubiak is the captain of the ship we call the Denver Broncos, and when you lose your captain, it’s hard to maintain, no matter who you are.
Now, will 11 days off and the return of your head coach make everything okay in Denver? No, but it helps. Kubiak keeps things simple for Trevor Siemian, not that Joe DeCamillis put him in bad spots, but there is a reason Kubiak is the head coach.
Look for the Broncos to bounce back offensively against the Texans on Monday night.
As far as that defense goes, they will be just fine. They can’t be the heroes every week, and I have a feeling they will be ready to go considering the next quarterback they face is none other than Brock Osweiler.
The Chargers did one thing with the win Thursday: They bought Mike McCoy time.
The Raiders and Chiefs met this week in Oakland for another division battle. The Chiefs needed a win and are always tough to beat when Andy Reid is coming off a bye (15-2 all time), while the Raiders were out to prove their rise is no fluke. (For what it’s worth, I almost typed “their rise is real,” but that belongs to the Buffs!)
Kansas City was looking for some respect inside of the division, as the talk had been all about the Raiders and Broncos through six weeks of football. The Chiefs looked good against the Raiders and should be taken a little more seriously in the division, but they need a signature win to make some noise, and that has yet to come, although a win against Oakland does turn a few heads. If they can stay healthy and improve week to week, they could be dangerous down the stretch — could be.
The Raiders have looked good in the first few weeks of the season. But if you look a little closer, the loss to Kansas City isn’t all that surprising. They have won their four games by a combined 14 points, with one-point wins against the Saints and Ravens, a three-point victory over the Chargers and a season-high seven-point win over the Titans. Oakland is on the right track, but perhaps I have been jumping the gun in calling this a two-team race.
Denver has dominated the AFC West over the last five years; they still have a great chance to win it again this season, but it will not be given over easily, as it was when Peyton Manning was rocking the blue and orange. The Broncos have a lot to prove when they suit up again on Monday Night Football, and I don’t know about you, but I would not want to be the guy standing in the pocket with an angry Von Miller headed my way.