There’s no question the Broncos aren’t the team they were last year. After losing some key contributors in the offseason, Denver came into 2016 hopeful that they could hide some of those vacancies.
They have failed to do so.
The offensive line was exposed on Sunday, if it wasn’t before this game. The offense will struggle to be successful if there is no protection to let the play develop.
“I’ll be shocked to see two or three of these guys still around next year,” former Bronco Mark Cooper told Gil Whiteley on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7. “This thing has to get revamped. We gave them six weeks to get this thing figured out, and it just hasn’t happened.”
Cooper noticed the footwork of the o-line during Sunday’s game, and there is just no rhythm.
“These guys are hopping, and they’re stepping in the bucket,” Cooper said. “It’s just atrocious.”
Throughout the season, Trevor Siemian has faced a good deal of criticism from fans and analysts, but the offense’s failures can’t fall entirely on his shoulders; with such a poor offensive line in front of him, it would be nearly impossible for any quarterback to succeed.
“When I hear some of the criticisms of Siemian, you know what, he’s got people in his face,” Cooper said. “He’s got people all over him.”
The bottom line is that this team could easily be a 10-win team with a better offensive line. The Broncos hope to slide into the playoffs as a wild card team, but for now the line needs to protect Siemian.
To hear the entire interview with Mark Cooper, including his thoughts on how Aqib Talib handled the dirty hit on Chris Harris, click the podcast below…
https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/12-12-16-mark-cooper-joins-gil-to-somehow-dissect-what-happened-to-this-coaching-and-play-calling
Catch Gil Whiteley Monday-Friday from 11a-12p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.
