Orange Colored Glasses: “Don’t panic”
“Last night the Broncos were forced to play from behind and, with no support in the running game and no help from the defense, Manning alone could not save them. And now the Patriots hold all the cards.”
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“Don’t panic”
That’s going to be the mantra, isn’t it?
But this wasn’t just a loss. It’s not okay. The Denver Broncos might not be circling the drain just yet but their loss at home to the Chargers with all that was on the line was as surely just as painful as anything that has happened in the Manning era. At least the Ravens had to steal one. San Diego just came in here and dominated.
I’ll not bore you with numbers – time of possession – rushing yards – total offense – all that stuff. You can look all that up (it’s bad). Besides, you saw the same game I saw. Panic is one thing. Surrender is closer to what I am feeling this morning. I am very close to giving up hope.
The Broncos can’t win the Super Bowl playing like they played last night – or the week before that – or the week before that. Those who have read these weekly columns know that I have not been ecstatic after the last few wins.
On Monday I wrote this: “their lack of a pass rush and inability to slow down a pedestrian offense in the first half has to leave fans wondering if this team’s ceiling is high enough to win a championship.” And this: “There will be times, though, when the Broncos’ offense struggles and the defense needs to rise up, get a crucial stop, force a turnover or sack the quarterback for a loss. If a good team – like the Bengals for instance – gets hot and manages to stop Manning a time or two in the post-season – and forces him to play from behind – the margin for error could be too small”
Last night the Broncos were forced to play from behind and, with no support in the running game and no help from the defense, Manning alone could not save them. And now the Patriots hold all the cards.
You can try to convince yourself that this loss to the Chargers was somehow a good thing and that it will fuel the Broncos moving forward but I saw it as a culmination of all things bad about the Broncos. They’re over-dependant on Manning, they’re pedestrian on defense and they make tons of stupid mistakes (off-sides on a punt? Seriously?). And now they are counting on the Dolphins or the Ravens to do their work for them, sending New England back to the two seed so that they don’t have to travel to Foxborough in January for the AFC Championship game.
Of course, it’s very possible that they would never get the chance to take that trip anyway. The way the Broncos played last night they wouldn’t top any of the AFC Wild Card candidates who would visit Denver in the Divisional round.
Panic? Who’s panicking? Panicking is an instant reaction that prompts an instant response. The stench that’s on the Broncos has been festering for a while now and the way that fans are reacting to it today a concession that they may not win the Super Bowl.
Broncos Country just watched a sneering Philip Rivers and his hapless Chargers come into our house and deliver a substantial blow to Denver’s Super Bowl aspirations. And they didn’t even break a sweat. They made beating the Broncos look easy – and it is easy when the Broncos beat themselves. Manning’s Star Wars numbers have hidden many flaws … until now.
