As crazy as it may sound, Denver’s loss to Oakland might have some positives attached to it. At least that what James Merilatt told Gil Whiteley on Mile High Sports AM 1340 on Monday following the Broncos’ 15-12 loss.
“The Broncos had to win out to get the one seed,” Merilatt observed. A tough proposition considering they had both Pittsburgh (on the road) and Cincinnati (on a Monday night) still on the schedule.
That proposition was made somewhat easier earlier in the day when Pittsburgh knocked Andy Dalton out of the game and potentially for the rest of the year. But a perfect finish was going to be a tall task for a Broncos team that is currently mired in an offensive rut and trying to decide between an injured, aging Peyton Manning (if and when he’s healthy) and an inexperienced game manager in Brock Osweiler.
Meanwhile, New England, who won on Sunday Night Football and reclaimed the No. 1 seed following Denver’s and Cincinnati’s loss, has a much easier road to a perfect finish. The Patriots host Tennessee and the Jets before finishing on the road at Miami.
New England’s remaining three opponents have a combined 19 wins. Denver’s next two have 18.
Now, according to Merilatt, the game at Pittsburgh is effectively an exhibition game, so long as Denver can take care of Cincinnati and then San Diego in the season finale.
Win or lose against the Steelers, the Broncos can still secure the No. 2 seed and a bye. That means there’s much less pressure now on a team that is clearly starting to feel the immensity of their situation.
Denver’s clammy hands are manifesting on the offensive side of the ball, especially. In the past two games, Denver has not scored a single point after halftime. They’ve gone 22 drives without a touchdown and scored just 22 offensive points in the past eight quarters.
That’s not the kind of productivity that would likely lead to a perfect 4-0 record in the final quarter of the season, says Merilatt. So now, with one loss already out of the way, Denver can take a closer look at what’s ailing the offense and implement the changes needed to win beyond Week 17.
Merilatt was impressed with the way Vernon Davis was utilized on Sunday, and Whiteley thinks Manning could be ready for his return as early as the Monday night game against the Bengals.
Denver will have another chance on Sunday to continue to work out the kinks, and now without the pressure of a No. 1 seed hanging over their head.
Listen to the full discussion, plus more on the Manning vs. Osweiler debate and some movie and Love Boat trivia in the podcast below…
Catch Gil Whiteley every weekday from 11a-1p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
