The Denver Broncos took another step backward in their attempt to defend last year’s Super Bowl title on Sunday.
Just one year removed from winning Super Bowl 50, the Broncos are now in serious peril of missing the postseason entirely. Denver lost 16-3 to the New England Patriots, dropping their record to 8-6.
It will most likely take a 10-6 record to reach the playoffs, and with the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders on the horizon, the prognosis isn’t good.
The Broncos could become just the 16th Super Bowl winner to miss the postseason the following year. And while we aren’t throwing in the towel on this season quite yet, we do have a number of questions that will need to be answered in the very near future.
Is Trevor Siemian the answer at quarterback?
There’s no question that the seventh-round draft pick out of Northwestern is the best quarterback currently on the roster, but that could change in the offseason. Siemian has 16 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, but he has also passed for just over 2,700 yards, which ranks him 25th in the league.
Granted, he isn’t getting much help.
The offensive line is atrocious, and the running game is non-existent, so Siemian has had to run for his life all year long.
Can rookie Paxton Lynch prove himself worthy of the starting job in the offseason? Or will Siemian continue to defy the odds?
What to do with that offensive line?
John Elway retooled the offensive front in the offseason, but it’s been on a steady downward spiral all season. The Broncos have allowed 40 sacks so far, and the running game ranks amongst the worst in the NFL.
It isn’t just in one position, either.
On Sunday, center Matt Paradis, right tackle Donald Stephenson and left guard Max Garcia allowed three sacks and 13 quarterback pressures. Russell Okung has been a major disappointment and will be due a sizeable contract bonus if he remains on the team next season.
The Broncos have major decisions to make with this very key unit.
What happened to the depth at wide receiver and tight end?
Demaryius Thomas has suffered his share of drops but still has 76 catches for over 900 yards. Emmanuel Sanders has caught 75 passes and has five touchdowns. But who is the No. 3 receiver on this team?
It sure isn’t any one of the tight ends, who have gone MIA for much of the season. Virgil Green has suffered from various injuries and has just 18 catches on the year. A.J. Derby, who came to Denver mid-season, has 12. Jeff Heuerman has four, including two on Sunday.
And the backup wideouts aren’t producing much, either. Jordan Norwood has 19 catches, but has also struggled with turnovers. Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer have taken noticeable steps backward this year, with just 15 catches combined.
Jordan Taylor could have a bright future but is still young and inexperienced; he has caught only 11 balls.
No, the third leading receiver on this team is rookie running back Devontae Booker, who has 21 receptions for just 153 yards and no touchdowns.
Opposing teams are able to focus all of their attention on Thomas and Sanders, knowing that the Broncos don’t currently have anyone else who can pick up the slack.
Can the run defense return to form?
One of the biggest differences from a season ago is the inability of the Orange Crush to consistently stop the run. Through 14 games, the Broncos are allowing nearly 130 yards a game on the ground.
Opposing teams are using that success on the ground to set up the pass and wear out the Denver D. Not to mention, they are keeping an already floundering Broncos offense on the sideline.
Nose tackle Sylvester Williams has struggled to clog the middle and inside linebackers Brandon Marshall and Todd Davis have spent much of the season chasing opposing runners down from behind.
It’s a bad sign when your defensive backs are making an abundance of tackles.
Currently, safety T.J. Ward is the Broncos leading tackler, with 81.
How long can the pass defense maintain such a high level?
With Von Miller in the lineup, the Broncos defense is always going to be a threat, but we have seen this season that he can’t do it alone.
The loss of Malik Jackson, and the various injuries to Derek Wolfe and DeMarcus Ware have allowed teams to send more and more blockers to find Von.
The “No Fly Zone” is playing as well as ever, but the pass rush has to be more consistent. Ware may finally be feeling his age this season, as he has just four sacks; Jared Crick has managed only two, and Shaquil Barrett has just 1.5.
Von Miller can keep this defense at an elite level, but he does need some help up front.
This Broncos season has raised a number of questions, but this team can’t afford to wait until the offseason to begin answering them.
They have start finding some answers over the next two weeks.
