Mile High Monday: The Broncos fell flat on their face against the Eagles

The Denver Broncos lost in humiliating fashion on Sunday, falling 30-13 to the Philadelphia Eagles. After their big win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, the Broncos now go into their bye week after a Week 10 loss that has many demanding changes.

I like when the Broncos get a bye. It’s a time to reflect and a time to look forward – not only to their remaining seven games but also to the 2022 season – which should include all of the major changes that are needed to get this team back on track.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Bad Look for Bridgewater

Broncos fans don’t really like Teddy Bridgewater that much. Sure, they don’t hate him, but this fan base certainly doesn’t love him. I still haven’t seen a single fan wearing a Bridgewater jersey “in the wild” away from the stadium. Add in the fact that anytime Bridgewater is brought up in conversation with Broncos fans they tend to cringe, and you can see how he’s not a fan favorite to say the least.

Bridgewater’s play on Sunday against the Eagles isn’t going to earn him anymore fans. Not only was he painfully average (at best) as a passer, but Bridgewater did not go make a play on the turnover that was the turning point in the game.

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown that helped put the game out of reach. The play would have never happened if Bridgewater would have merely made a tackle – or attempt to tackle Slay. Instead of going for his legs, Bridgewater just stood by and watched Slay run right past him. Not only was Slay within the reach of Bridgewater, but he also probably helped block his own pursuit by basically standing in the way instead of making a play.

Teddy Bridgewater just made the most egregious business decision I think I’ve ever seen on a football field.

Y’all giving him a pass since he’s a Quarterback? pic.twitter.com/ceWSwfWLZU

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 14, 2021

It is about time, maybe past time, to make a change at quarterback. I doubt the Broncos do that, but they aren’t going to the playoffs with Bridgewater under center.

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You Had One Job

The Eagles passing attack is not the most dangerous in the league. They don’t have the weapons that the Broncos do at the wide receiver position, and the Broncos defense should have known they had one receiver – rookie DeVonta Smith – to concern themselves with. Their quarterback Jalen Hurts is not a great passer, but he looked like Ron Jaworski against the Broncos in Week 10. He looked great going to Smith early and often – and the Broncos did not have a chance against the Eagles aerial attack.

Smith has a ton of speed, and he’s one of the fastest players in the league. The Broncos had trouble with the rookie by covering him with fellow rookie Patrick Surtain. Even though Surtain had good coverage on his former college teammate at Alabama, Smith was able to make plays using body position and strength. It’s odd for Smith to use strength to rip a ball away, but that’s what he did to Surtain on one of his touchdowns.

The Broncos did not try and bracket Smith or change up the coverage that much and got burned. It would have been nice if they would have had a better plan for Smith. Anyone observing the Eagles knows that Smith is the guy you can’t let beat you – and he beat the Broncos on Sunday.

there is ONE WIDE RECEIVER to mainly concern yourself with when you play PHI…rookie DeVonta Smith…he's got 2 TDs in the first half vs DEN. Sigh. #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 14, 2021

Coming up on the schedule, the Broncos will be facing more receivers who have elite speed like Smith. They have two games against the Chargers, which means elite-level receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are on deck. They have a game against the Bengals and elite-level rookie Ja’Marr Chase. They also have two games against the Chiefs and Tyreek Hill, perhaps the best and fastest receiver in the league. The problems they had with Smith on Sunday are likely to carry over after the Broncos bye.

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The New Gary Vee and Tony Robbins

There has been an identity crisis in Denver this season. The team lacks an owner, they lack a competent head coach, and they lack a franchise quarterback. They do have physical players on the offensive line who can help set the tone.

Against the Eagles, both offensive guards Dalton Risner and Quinn Meinerz had some plays where they put their physicality on display. Both guards are tough, both guards are hard-nosed and both guards can help lead the way for this team missing an identity.

The rushing attack is strong for the Broncos – when they use it. Both running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams are not getting used enough, which means we don’t get to see Risner and Meinerz push people around enough. It’s a bad move for the Broncos when they don’t run the ball. Doing that frequently would help out Bridgewater and the passing game by setting things up and influencing the defense to play them differently.

Risner and Meinerz sounds like a motivational speaking tour, but I love the ATTITUDE both bring to the field. Interior OL helping to shape the IDENTITY of this team. #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 14, 2021

Hopefully the Broncos continue to harvest this type of physicality from their offense. Who knows what kind of changes are ahead for the Broncos, and nothing may change in the near future. In the meantime, the Broncos need to lean on the physical play on both sides of the ball. This is the best identity the team can have.

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Bad Batman

Anyone who knows me knows that I have always loved the comic book character Moon Knight. So, I was overjoyed when I heard that Disney-plus was producing a TV show based on the character with actor Oscar Isaac playing the lead role.
I know a lot of people have no idea or just don’t know much about Moon Knight. The summary used by many (and not liked by some) is that he’s “bad Batman.” People use this description of Moon Knight because of his look and the street-level crime that he takes on just like the Caped Crusader in a different universe.

Moon Knight is so much more than that. Isaac will play one character with multiple personalities. Marc Spector, one of Moon Knight’s personalities, is a former Marine and CIA agent who gets the power of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Spector has four distinct personalities in the comics: billionaire business mogul Steven Grant, cab driver Jake Lockley, young girl Inner Child and mysterious suit Mr. Knight.

It will be fantastic to see Marvel explore the superhero tropes we’re all used to with the twist of someone dealing with mental illness. This comic and character have been fascinating to me for years, and I can’t wait to see how this unfolds in “Moon Knight” coming to Disney-plus in the near future. We got a taste of the show with a teaser trailer, that looked awesome, last week.

First teaser for Marvel's #MoonKnight starring Oscar Isaac. #DisneyPlusDay pic.twitter.com/cQbn9FmvEt

— Lights, Camera, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) November 12, 2021

What did you think of the “Moon Knight” trailer? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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