The Denver Broncos are coming off a tough loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football and an emotional week following the loss of legend Demaryius Thomas.
Who has been the takeaways from the loss to the Chiefs? Who needs to step up against the Lions? What is our fondest memory of Demaryius Thomas? Score predictions versus the Detroit Lions. The Mile High Sports team gives their insight on all things Broncos.
What were your biggest positive and negative takeaways from the Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs?
JT Matthews (@JTMatthews01): My positive takeaway was the offensive line play, especially in regards to their effectiveness in the running game. My negative takeaway was the continual inability of the Broncos to reach the end zone.
Lindsay Bebout (@lindsaybebout): The biggest positive takeaways are that Javonte Williams is a stud and that I no longer have to live in the fear that the AFC will never be winnable as long as Patrick Mahomes is in it. The biggest negative takeaways are that Vic Fangio has been given far too many chances to prove himself and Teddy Bridgewater is not the answer to the Broncos QB dilemma.
Zach Segars (@Zach_Segars): My biggest positive takeaway is that just about everything went wrong, yet the Broncos kept the game competitive thanks to elite defensive performance, and the rest of the schedule is easier. The biggest negative is that Bridgewater’s play is declining and that spells doom.
Joey Richards (@JRDrafts): The biggest negative the Broncos face after the loss to the Chiefs is that the road to the playoffs is now very tough. The Broncos now have to play every game like it’s their last and come out with as many wins as possible. The biggest positive is that the Broncos again proved to have an elite roster. Only a quarterback away, the Broncos are very close to being a contender.
Rich Kurtzman (@RichKurtzman): The positive is the Broncos defense played well against Kansas City overall. Even with all the injuries and trading away of Von Miller, the defense is playing very well. That bodes well going forward and into 2022. The negative was the offense was atrocious.
Nicholas Manning (@Dr_NManning): The Broncos’ game plan was phenomenal. Vic Fangio and Pat Shurmur deserve a ton of credit and set their team up for an opportunity for a season-changing victory. The biggest concern was No. 5. Teddy Bridgewater struggled and ultimately was unable to execute enough to help the Broncos beat the Chiefs.
With a winnable schedule, what percentage do you put the Broncos’ chances of reaching the postseason, and why?
Rich Kurtzman: Denver really needed to beat the Chiefs to stay alive. Technically, they are alive but I give them about a 5 percent chance of making the playoffs at this point. Everything would need to go right, not just in their games, but in the AFC. However, this experience is helping prepare the younger players for a run next year.
JT Matthews: Realistically I would say Denver has about a 20 percent chance of making the playoffs. They would need to win the vast majority of their games, and with three of those teams being AFC West rivals, it will be tough sledding.
Nicholas Manning: I believe the Broncos have a 60 percent chance of making the playoffs. The biggest games will be the Chargers and Raiders contests. Denver needs to improve their tiebreaker scenario, and wins against those teams will help. Additionally, there is a real chance the Chiefs are sitting Mahomes in Week 18, thus giving Denver their 10th win of the season.
Zach Segars: I would put them around 30 percent, which is roughly where they are analytically as well. Their remaining schedule is manageable but it’s far from easy, they are remarkably inconsistent week to week, and the tiebreakers don’t favor them.
Lindsay Bebout: 0% because I am a realist. It ain’t happening.
Joey Richards: While I believe the Broncos are playing their best football as of late, I would put the odds around 40%. Being in a position where they can no longer make any mistakes is an exceedingly difficult position to be in.
With Russell Wilson rumors swirling, how likely is it he lands in Denver in 2022?
Nicholas Manning: I believe the Broncos have a very good chance to land Russell Wilson this offseason. Denver has itself the perfect blend of roster talent, cap space, and draft capital to make things happen. I would handicap it at about 60 percent as of today.
Joey Richards: Relative to how to how rare acquiring another team’s franchise quarterback is, I think the Broncos have a pretty good shot at landing Russell Wilson. While it may take a coaching change, the Broncos also have the cap and draft picks to make a trade like this happen.
JT Matthews: Wilson most likely will not be back in Seattle next season and if the rumors are true, than Denver seems like one of the more appealing rosters for him to take command of. I’d say there is a solid 40 percent chance he could wind up in Denver.
Rich Kurtzman: About 5 percent. I’d like to know what Seattle would take in trade for Wilson; a king’s ransom may be too rich for George Paton. And Wilson would have to waive his no-trade clause, not just say he would as reported.
Lindsay Bebout: 100% because I am an idealist. It’s definitely happening.
Zach Segars: I’d put the odds at about 50/50, which is pretty outstanding for the Broncos if you consider it. It’s very early in the process, and to have even odds with the field is insane. Anything more feels like wishful thinking.
Who will be the story of this Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions?
Lindsay Bebout: Demaryius Thomas. Nobody cares about stats this week.
Rich Kurtzman: This week? I’m going to go with Patrick Surtain. Look for the rookie to pick off a pass and play great defense overall.
Zach Segars: The defense will be the talk of the town after it holds Detroit’s low-wattage, best-up offense to a shutout.
Joey Richards: Further confusing fans, I believe Teddy Bridgewater will have a bounce-back game, again looking like a serviceable quarterback.
JT Matthews: Bradley Chubb will be primed to have an impactful game against the Lions and Jared Goff. Pressure will be key to getting them off of their game and Chubb is due for a monster performance sooner than later.
Nicholas Manning: I agree with Lindsay, Demaryius Thomas will be and should be the story. I believe the team will play inspired. The team’s inspired play will help Broncos Country work towards healing after losing one of the real good guys.
What are your predictions for the game and why?
Rich Kurtzman: Broncos will win 31-10. The defense will shut down Detroit. And Denver will get it going on offense too.
Lindsay Bebout: The Broncos will win and it won’t be close. They have a far superior defense and a stronger offense. My score prediction is 24 – 10. This will be a very emotional game for the Broncos both because of DT and the devastation of last Sunday.
Nicholas Manning: The Broncos win 24-13, and it will not be as close as the score indicates. Denver will ease up in the second half as they prepare for their final stretch. The defense will suffocate a battered Lions offense while Bridgewater and the run game do enough for a Broncos win.
Joey Richards: I think the Broncos win 28-14. The team is in win-now mode and losing to an injury-riddled Lions team would unacceptable. With the Broncos back against the wall, they will come out swinging.
Zach Segars: Broncos win 20-0. It should be a slow-paced game where scoring is somewhat limited due to the styles of the two teams, but ultimately Denver should win, as it’s very difficult to see Detroit scoring many (if any) points.
JT Matthews: My prediction is a 20-10 win for the Broncos. After a pretty awful performance by Teddy Bridgewater last week, I expect to see him more careful with the ball and therefore less willing to push the football down the field. Denver’s defense will continue to be a force of nature and with the absence of Detroit running back DeAndre Swift, the Lions should struggle to move the ball.
The fondest memory of Demaryius Thomas, and any other comments you want to share.
Zach Segars: It has to be the legendary reception against Pittsburgh, but to add some variety, let’s go with his long touchdown run on the screen from Osweiler in Week 17 of the 2015 season. The offense had a rough outing in that one, and they needed to win that game to hold a home-field advantage for the playoffs. DT put the team and the Super Bowl Championship on his back with that play.
Lindsay Bebout: Everybody is going to say the Mile High Miracle, so I am going to choose a different route. Before Super Bowl 50, I watched a special about his mom’s prison sentence and the injustice of it and the negative impact it had on him as a child. It taught me a lot about how devastating and detrimental mass incarceration is. Even though it was cut too short, I’m glad he got to spend the last 6 years with his mom.
Rich Kurtzman: My most fond memory was being at the playoff game when Tebow tossed it to DT for the win. He’s one of the greatest Broncos ever.
Joey Richards: My favorite Demaryius Thomas memory was going to high school at the time and having him speak to our football team. As a player, he was someone I had always looked up to greatly, and hearing his words motivated me and the others around us through that entire season.
JT Matthews: The playoff touchdown for the win against the Steelers in overtime will forever be my favorite DT moment on the field. He was a legend in a Broncos uniform and, more importantly to his teammates and his community, and deserves to be memorialized as such.
Nicholas Manning: His smile. The joy DT had for life and the game provides such an inspiration, and you can feel it through the man’s smile. I am honored to have gotten to watch his story develop and hear/read/watch the impact he had on so many people. Keep smiling Broncos Country, I have no doubt DT would have wanted it that way.
