If loss to the Browns wasn’t rock bottom for the Broncos, what will be?

Where is rock bottom?

That seems like an easy question to answer. It feels like it should be a definitive spot, one that is easy to pinpoint.

But it’s all relative. It’s subjective. It’s in the eye of the beholder.

Is it when someone oversleeps for work? Or when they lose their job because of too many missed days?

Is it missing one payment? Or when the foreclosure notice arrives?

Is it one bad physical? Or catastrophic health news?

It’s different for everyone. It varies by situation, personalities involved and any number of other things.

That’s why it might be hard for some to say that Thursday night’s loss to the Browns was rock bottom for the Broncos. They’ll twist themselves into a pretzel explaining away a fourth-consecutive defeat.

It was a short week. The team has a lot of injuries. They played hard in the second half, made a comeback and only lost by one score.

All of that is true. There’s no denying those facts.

But here’s the thing: No one cares.

There are no more excuses. The free passes have expired. The grace period has come and gone. The mulligans have all been used.

In the past four weeks, the Broncos have been embarrassed. En route to watching their 3-0 start evaporate in an 18-day span, they’ve suffered through some humiliating moments.

There was the video of their coach caring more about halting the Ravens streak of 100-yard rushing games than the final score. And then whining about Baltimore’s tactics the next day.

There was Ben Roethlisberger finding the fountain of youth and dropping dimes on them in Pittsburgh. And at the same time, letting the worst rushing team in the NFL rack up 147 yards on the ground.

There was a team without a head coach, one that had been embroiled in a controversy all week, coming in and winning on Denver’s home field. And the Broncos were never really in the game against the archrival Raiders.

There was a team without their starting quarterback, as well as top two running backs, doing whatever they wanted on offense when it counted. And it was former Broncos quarterback Case Keenum beating his former team in front of a national TV audience.

Is that rock bottom? Can it get any worse?

Thursday night was just the latest example of the same old Broncos. If every game started with Sonny and Cher singing “I’ve Got You Babe,” it truly would be “Groundhog Day.”

Every week, it’s the same story. It’s happened over and over and over again during the 39-game Vic Fangio era.

On the surface, it’s easy to pin the loss to the Browns on the Broncos offense. After all, they only scored 14 points. They got shut out in the first half and only managed two first downs in the process. It was an ugly performance.

But Denver’s high-priced defense was worse. In so many ways.

Cleveland took their opening drive and marched 75 yards on just five plays for a touchdown. Less than three minutes into the game, the Broncos were down 7-0.

After Denver scored a touchdown to open the second half, making it a ballgame at 10-7, Fangio’s defense folded again. They immediately surrendered a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended in the end zone, while also burning more than seven minutes off the clock.

And when the Broncos scored with 5:23 to play to cut the lead to 17-14, they were just one stop away from having a chance to tie or win the game. But the defense couldn’t get the Browns off the field, giving up a 10-play, 61-yard drive that ran out the clock.

It was pathetic to watch. It was an inevitable conclusion to anyone who has been paying attention.

With the game on the line, the Broncos have given up game-winning drives to Mitchell Trubisky, Gardner Minshew and Jacoby Brisset under Fangio. Why not add Keenum to the list?

But that was the only negative trend that continued on Thursday night. Denver also failed to make any big plays on defense.

Against the Browns, the Broncos didn’t force a single turnover. That’s against a backup quarterback and a third-string running back.

But that’s nothing new. Denver has now forced just six turnovers in seven games this season. In 2019, they recored 17 in 16 games. And last season, it was 16 in 16.

All told, that’s 39 forced turnovers in 39 games under Fangio. With one of the most-expensive defenses in football.

That’s subpar. That’s ridiculous. That’s just unacceptable.

But is it rock bottom?

Technically speaking, things could get worse. The Broncos could continue to lose. They could continue to embarrass the franchise on a weekly basis. They could continue to alienate the fan base every time they take the field.

Or they could do something about it. They could send a message that enough is enough. They could draw a line in the sand and not go past it.

Where is rock bottom? It’s wherever someone decides it should be.

For the Broncos, it needs to be Thursday night. It needs to be a pathetic loss on national TV to Case Keenum and the Browns.

If it’s not, it’s hard not to wonder how low it could go.

Follow @jamesmerilatt