If I’ve written it once, I’ve written it a thousand times.
Vance Joseph must go.
But, you know what? A win is a win is a win. And if I’m going to beat up on a guy, it’s only fair to acknowledge the fact that his football team is playing some pretty decent football right about now.
After a goal line stand that sealed the deal against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the Broncos picked up win No. 5 and their second in a row. Not only did the 24-17 victory against the Steelers keep the Broncos in the playoff conversation, but it also came at the expense of yet another seven-win team.
Are these Broncos – yes, the same Broncos that gave up more than 300 rushing yards to the New York Jets, the same Broncos that have been the laughing stock of the NFL more than once this season, the same Broncos we collective wrote off in week three, or five, or eight or nine – really a playoff team?
Gut reaction? No way.
Recent, objective, assessment? Perhaps.
If any team in the NFL beat the Chargers and Steelers on back-to-back weeks, pundits near and far would be singing their praises. Well, here we are, Denver.
Are the Denver Broncos a playoff team? Oh heck, it’s a fun question to consider. Denver has seen what a Super Bowl team looks like, and this isn’t it. Still, neither was the Tim Tebow led squad that somehow made it to the postseason – and then made it a lot of fun, even if they were trounced by the Pats the following week. Playoff football is fun, plain and simple, in any city, no matter the tradition or expectation.
But here’s another question to consider: Do you want the Broncos to be a playoff team?
For Phillip Lindsay’s sake? For Emmanuel Sanders’ sake? Von Miller? Chris Harris? Case Keenum?
Absolutely.
On the flip side – assuming that we can all agree on the fact that this team isn’t going to win the Super Bowl – every win could cost the Broncos something else. Sure, there’s always the draft and sliding down the order, and that’s big for a team with needs here and there. The Broncos aren’t devoid of talent – no team that beats the Chargers and Steelers in back-to-back weeks is – but they have a few holes to plug.
Perhaps more risky than losing draft position? Keeping your head coach.
For seemingly a year or longer, the cries to let go of Vance Joseph have been consistent and loud. Even after wins, the coach has to answer questions about instant replay, timeouts and other mind boggling decisions. Those questions are ever-present after losses. To say that nobody – literally nobody – wants to see Vance Joseph stick around isn’t that much of an overstatement. Sure, there might be a few, but they are further than “far between.”
It’s been said that the Broncos have won at times this season in spite of their coaching staff. It’s been said that games against some of the league’s best, games the Broncos were “in” at a minimum, “should have” or “could have” won in best case scenarios – the coach actually yanked defeat from the jaws of victory.
But what if the Broncos win out? What if they go 4-1? What if they somehow slip into a wild card spot? What if they win a game in the playoffs?
What’s the magic number of wins that Vance Joseph must attain to keep his job?
Has Joseph proven to be a good coach? No. It’s not even close. But could he still this season?
As much as I – scratch that, we – have blasted Joseph, it’s only fair to point out the fact he very well might control his own destiny as the future coach of the Denver Broncos. That’s the beauty of sports – they guys who play or coach have the ability to shut guys like me right up. After all, the only thing in sports that truly matters is the scoreboard.
And yesterday, it read 24-17. Against a solid, playoff-caliber Steelers team.
As Von Miller so adequately pointed out after the win, it’s on to Cincinnati, where he and the team and the coach get another chance to see where this season ultimately goes.
