Offseason hype. Fans have had to learn that they can’t buy into the off-season hype of their favorite team. Every year, a team with an incredible offseason can’t perform during the season. This year there is one team, in particular, that seems to stand out. This year the Broncos are the biggest letdown in the NFL.
Now I want to go as far as to say the Broncos are the worst in the NFL, but the three wins stop me from doing so. The Broncos have barely survived the first nine weeks of the season putting up less than 20 in 7 out of 9 games. This is just embarrassing for a team that picked up what we thought was a top-10 quarterback.
When dissecting this roster, Russell Wilson has to be the first to look at it. The lack of offense for this team has been absolutely disappointing considering what they had on paper.
With weapons surrounding Wilson including Jeudy and Sutton, it is hard to imagine Denver not succeeding. Wilson’s biggest issue has been completing passes this year with a completion percentage of 57.4%. This is a solid 8% lower than last year and the lowest he has had in his entire career. Wilson is not cooking and the Broncos subsequently are not riding. His QB rating this year (81.4) is also the lowest in his career. While you wouldn’t think Russ could lose confidence, there is definitely less confidence this year. I want to think this is an off-season for Wilson, I really do, but this could be the downtrend for his career. I will blame the offensive line for part of his performance, but overall Russ is the most responsible for this rough start.
Injuries are limiting this team from what they could potentially be. They lost running back Javonte Williams early in the year, and Jerry Jeudy got hut in their latest game against the Titans. They do have a capable backup in Melvin Gordan, but he doesn’t completely fill the void that Williams left. Jeudy on the other hand would be a significant loss considering Tim Patrick is also on the IR for Denver. Injuries are stacking up at a horrible time as the Broncos are on thin ice.
Can this team make a comeback? That seems to be the question that every Broncos fan is making before they throw in the towel for this year. The answer is yes, the Broncos have everything they need to turn the season around. The biggest factor right now is the defense. They have continued to be the bright spot despite the offense being utterly useless during virtually every game they have played. They have held 8 out of the 9 opponents under 20 points. That is literally everything you can ask for in an NFL defense. I believe this is one of the best defenses in the NFL this year, and unfortunately, it is going to get wasted. The Broncos have games against the Cardinals, Rams, Ravens, Chargers, and Cheifs twice left. I really don’t see them winning any of those games, but if they can figure out the offense by week 13 (Ravens), they have a chance. In reality, I don’t see that happening, and predict their record for this year is 4-13. So Broncos Country buckle up, this is going to be a wild ride.