Pritchard: After loss, Broncos Country should set sights on future
Dec 4, 2017, 12:00 AM | Updated: 2:25 am
The Denver Broncos lost for an eighth consecutive time Sunday, this time to the Miami Dolphins by a score of 35-9. And with that, “Pritchard & Cecil” co-host Mike Pritchard’s big three observations turn toward the club’s future.
1. Broncos offense needs a complete overhaul
• Quarterback problems? Check.
• Running back rotation not working? Check.
• Offensive line issues? Double check.
• Wide receivers can’t get open? Triple check.
How does an offense execute with these many issues? Answer: It doesn’t.
Denver went 1-for-13 in third-down conversions, 0-for-2 inside the red zone, and committed three turnovers.
“It was a back and forth game for about a quarter. In the second quarter, we gave up 14 points in four seconds. They had a long drive on our defense and a pick-six. That all happened in four seconds,” head coach Vance Joseph said after the game. “Now we’re down by two scores again and it looks like every other week.
“So, again giving the ball away, you can’t do that and you can’t give up big plays.”
Against Miami, it was a different game but the same sad story for the Broncos offense.
2. Could be a quick fix for Elway
I’ve seen enough good play from young players on defense to believe that fixing this team could be quicker than expected Broncos general manager John Elway.
Safety Justin Simmons and cornerback Bradley Roby have a chance to continue the dominance from the secondary. Linebacker Shaq Barrett and defensive linemen Adam Gotsis and Shelby Harris show promise.
So, all the attention should be on fixing the entire offense.
“We have guys that push every day. They work hard every day, and they want to win, so I can’t speak to our talent. That’s an off-season question,” Joseph said. “OK, so we can’t fix that now. You know, we’ll see after the season and look back on our games and see where we are as far as the talent, but right now guys are working hard and pushing to win.”
3. Looking ahead to the draft
With another loss, Denver inches closer to securing a top-five pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Only three times since 1980 have the Broncos been in such a position.
With Denver in rebuilding mode, Broncos Country should start to get excited about its next franchise player.
