By: Andy Davies

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

When the Denver Broncos fired head coach Vic Fangio, it was deemed that they were just a quarterback away from being contenders.

And then the Broncos made moves. Nathaniel Hackett was hired, after a spell as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. Not long after that appointment, the team went big in their search for a new quarterback. They traded a 2022 and 2023 first-round and second-round pick as well as a fifth round from this year and gave away Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris in exchange for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

This was supposed to be the answer. However, so far it has been far from that.

The Broncos have lost their last two games and currently sit at 2-3 after their first five games with their new head coach and quarterback duo. Neither has set the world alight.

In five starts, Wilson has thrown for 1,254 yards, just four touchdowns and three interceptions. This would have projected to finish the season with 4,264 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Whilst those projected yards would actually be a career best, it would be an all-time career low in touchdown passes, six less than his current worst in 2014. He would only have four seasons with more interceptions than nine. 

Russell Wilson is said to have requested the trade, and many felt Pete Carroll’s run-first offense was holding him back. However, all Wilson has shown us in 2022 is that perhaps Carroll was doing this for a reason.

Against the Colts, Wilson threw an awful interception and despite having 274 passing yards, he threw for zero touchdowns and two interceptions. With the exception of one great run and one great pass, Russ had no moments of excellence. He was incapable of getting it done in the red zone, seemed to force his passes to his target men, and often missed several open receivers.

Hackett came in as an offensive guy, one that worked with the current back-to-back MVP. Russ was meant to be allowed to cook, presumably one of the reasons if not the main one for Wilson agreeing to join the Broncos. With Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, he was not short of receiving options. Patrick may have suffered a season-ending injury prior to Week One, but the team still has K.J. Hamler and Albert Okwuegbunam.

His ability to just throw it without properly looking through his reads may have been disguised in recent years due to D.K. Metcalf being the closest thing to Calvin Johnson we have seen since the Hall of Famer retired. Neither Jeudy, Sutton and Hamler have the strength and hands of Metcalf. 

Hackett deserves some portion of the blame, with his questionable play calling and poor time management. He could well be one and done as a head coach for the Broncos. His time so far reminiscent of Adam Gase, a star quarterback glossing over coaching deficiencies. However, he is not the one out there missing open players, making bad throws, and seeming scared to get hit. So far, Wilson looks to have made no difference. With the number of draft picks given up and the long term multi-million-dollar extension given to him, this trade so far looks to be one the team may regret.

Let’s not forget that Wilson still has to play the Chargers and Chiefs each twice.

Granted, a new head coach who actually knows what they are doing may be the difference they need and not every quarterback can do what Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford did on new teams.

Despite this, should Wilson play like this for the rest of 2022 and beyond this trade could be one that potentially affects the team long-term.

The post You Let Russ Cook, Everyone Gets Food Poisoning appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Steven Johnson

The last article in this series looked into the first five games of the Denver Broncos season for the coming year. After looking over these games, Denver took wins against the Giants, Jaguars, Jets, and Steelers. The Broncos did lose to the Baltimore Ravens, giving them a 4-1 start to the upcoming season. This article will look into the next three games, coming against their first divisional foe, a resurgent Browns team, and a Washington team struggling with many facets, including a name.

Week 6: Home against Las Vegas Raiders

Since leaving Oakland in 2017 to migrate the team to Las Vegas, The Raiders have been in the same mediocrity the Broncos have been fighting regarding winning games. The Raiders have seen several veteran players retire this offseason. Because of this, they look to lean on young talent that they have been building the team around. Last year after finishing with an 8-8 record, the Las Vegas defense took much of the blame for the losses. The raiders sat at 10th in the NFL for points scored, but a league bottom 30th in points allowed. While the offense was holding its own, the defense told a different story.

The defensive side of Las Vegas will look different this season as the Raiders drafted three safeties, a corner, and an Edge rusher in this latest draft alone. Coming into week 6, the Raiders will have established their game plan for their new defense to be successful. By this time, the young Denver offense will be settling into their identity as well. This game represents a chance for the Denver defense to show off against a competent Las Vegas offense. Touting high draft pick WR Henry Ruggs III and free-agent acquisitions John Brown and Willie Snead, they look to make up for the lost production of their departed leading receiver Nelson Agholor.

Ultimately, I believe this contest will boil down to Denver and its young offensive playmakers putting together consistent drives against an untested defense for Las Vegas. Look for deep bombs to receivers to open up the game and test the new secondary Las Vegas has put together. If the defensive side for the Broncos is as fearsome as told, then it will be up to the offense to support them and make the most of the opportunities they receive. In the end, I believe the Broncos come into their first divisional game ready and fired up against an age-old rival, putting the rest of the AFC West on notice with a dominant victory somewhere in the range of 37-20.

Week 7: @Cleveland Browns

The Browns had a resurgence in talent this past season as Baker Mayfield found his rhythm and led Cleveland to a competent offense. Behind a strong running game in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the team flourished. Pushing to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and their first WIN since 1994, the Browns seemed to have broken their mediocrity streak of the past twenty years. The Browns were able to shock the Pittsburgh Steelers in back-to-back weeks at the very end of the season. After finishing the regular season with a win and eliminating them in the Wildcard round of the playoffs, the Browns showed the NFL they were ready to compete again.

Going into last NFL season the Browns’ offense seemed to have a deadly receiving core, including Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. before Beckham went down early on with an ACL tear that ended his season. Besides the Ravens, which are also a part of the AFC North, Cleveland’s offense presents the best opportunity at this point in the season to push the defensive side of the ball for Denver. While injury concerns may hover, a healthy Nick Chubb and Beckham Jr. throughout the season instantly turn this offense into an even more impressive lineup that should see the Browns have equal or better success in games this season.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Broncos line will be staring down a Von Miller type player on the defense in Miles Garret and will reunite with former Bronco Malik Jackson as well. The Browns secondary is formidable with the likes of Greedy Williams, Grant Delpit, and Denzel Ward as well. The Broncos’ offense might have a hard time moving the ball and will need a sound game plan for both the offense and defense. Both sides of the ball must play great if they wish to have success against a Browns team back on track. Ultimately, I believe the Broncos lose this game, not for lack of talent but simply because the Browns are moving into the higher ranks of teams in the NFL after years of struggling. The Browns seem to be a team putting all the pieces together, and the Broncos cannot pull enough together to salvage a win, losing 38-17.

Week 8: Home VS Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team is coming off a playoff berth season from last year after winning out of a decimated NFC East division. Taking advantage of the floundering Dallas Cowboys without quarterback Dak Prescott and the Giants without star running back Saquon Barkley, Washington was able to slip into playoffs without a real quarterback at the end of last season. Cycling through Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith, and new fan-favorite Taylor Heinicke, Washington was eliminated in the first round by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coming into the 2021 season, Washington has recruited journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and hopes to use him to get the most out of their receiving core with speedster Terry McLaurin and former Titan Adam Humphries. This Washington offense is severely untested, and while there very well might be some Fitzpatrick magic to go around, one may have questions about their ability to perform.

The one bright spot on the Washington Football Team is its defense, especially along the line. Star Chase Young has settled into a force in the NFL, and Montez Sweat helped Young along the line to combine for sixteen-and-a-half sacks this past season. The secondary boasts former Giants’ star Landon Collins and a solid corner in Kendall Fuller. Washington had its defense ranked number two overall last year, giving high hopes for the franchise on one side of the ball. If the offense can settle into a safe complementary role, the defense could do more than enough to keep them competitive.

For this game, the Broncos will have to keep the quarterback clean and avoid negative plays if they want to take advantage of this Washington team. This means that passes will be quick to avoid giving Young and company time to get in the backfield, and runs will be designed away from the brunt of the line. One would expect the Broncos to take advantage of their speedy receivers in K.J Hamler and Jerry Jeudy. Also, look for mismatches with tight end Noah Fant to spread the field and make room in the box for running backs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. The Denver defense should take advantage of a young offense that has yet to find its quarterback, and it will be up to the offense to put up enough points to let the defense close it out. I believe this game might be closer than some would think, maybe due to doses of Fitzmagic, but ultimately the Broncos and their defensive prowess win the day, 26-20.

At this point in the season, Denver would be looking at a strong 6-2 record sitting at the halfway point of the season. a strong record bodes miles better for the team than their previous starts, no longer having to make up ground after starting at a sub .500 record. This could be crucial for the second half of the season, where games will get closer and teams more established as playoff implications become bigger and teams adapt to the typical season injuries and rotations.

The post A look into the Denver Broncos 2021 season: games 6 through 8 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Steven Johnson

NFL football is tantalizingly close to returning, and with official team practices about to start, team personnel will begin meeting to make plans. It is now officially the hype part of the offseason where every team is a contender in their fan’s eyes. With that being said, the Denver Broncos’ schedule this upcoming season will be analyzed in a series of different articles to see how things might fair if the Broncos effectively trot out a fully healthy and competitive team.
(For this article and the divisive issue of quarterback choice for the Broncos this season, the reader can decide who they envision starting for the quarterback position.)

Week 1: @NYG

Starting week one the Broncos will travel to the Big Apple to take on a sputtering young quarterback in whom the Giants franchise has put their faith. Daniel Jones, while selected in the first round, has yet to put it all together to show the Giants that they have their successor to Eli Manning. To give him the benefit of the doubt, Jones has also been missing his star running back in Saquon Barkley. This will be a make-or-break year for Jones, and obviously, the pressure is on both young offenses to start producing. Denver’s choices of bringing in Kyle Fuller and drafting Patrick Surtain this offseason has made waves, while New York has quietly been flying under the radar with their solid defensive roster as well. The likes of Adoree’ Jackson in the secondary and Leonard Williams providing pressure at the line could bring as much trouble for the Broncos’ young offense as everyone imagines the Broncos defense will create for Jones.

Week one could very well be the steppingstone that sees a young offense putting together their chemistry. Considering this, fans should also expect a healthy number of mistakes along with the electric plays we may see on both sides of the ball. Expect heavy doses of Melvin Gordon and safe, high percentage throws to the Tight Ends in Noah Fant and Albert Okuegbunam.

True to their offseason moves intended to bring in great defensive talent, the Broncos ride high on performance from their shiny new defensive toys, the re-emergence of Von Miller, and benefit from a lackluster young Giants offense to take a 20-17 week one road win to start the season off on a positive note.

Week 2: @Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been the media sensation this offseason in the NFL. Their first overall pick, Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson, has been donned the Jaguars’ savior at the quarterback position, and the inflamed media circus that has followed former Broncos Quarterback Tim Tebow everywhere since his first year as a rookie in the NFL. Despite shaking things up in the offseason, the Jaguars must still put everything on paper in order to field a competitive team after winning only one game last season.

Heading into Week two, Jacksonville SHOULD be coming off of a win over the dysfunctional Houston Texans in their week one matchup. Heading into his NFL career on a 1-0 start, Lawrence will bring confidence and a mindset that 2-0 is possible against a Broncos team that has missed the playoffs every year since winning the championship in 2015 over five years ago. The Broncos will not be so quick to roll over to Jacksonville and the hype. The Jaguars will come into the game happy with their franchise quarterback and leave recognizing that while he may be the future, he is still a rookie. The Denver defense must be salivating at the idea of getting to face a rookie quarterback early in week two of the season and sending a message to the league about the state of their defensive power. Jacksonville ranked bottom three in almost every defensive category last season, and while they may have their future stud in Lawrence, this is still a young team at the core of a much-needed rebuild for their roster.

Denver handily takes this game after both defensively flustering Lawrence into rookie mistakes and the Broncos’ offense gets rolling behind a strong rushing attack. The Broncos take this one 34-14 and roll a two-game win streak into Week 3 against”¦.

Week 3: Home VS J-E-T-S

After two back-to-back road trips to start the season and more than a year, the Broncos get their first home game in front of a stadium packed full of fans. Mile High will be rocking come week three, and the Jets will feel it.

In this week three match up, the Broncos will have the privilege of playing two first-round rookie quarterbacks in a row. With Zach Wilson as the Jets’ first-round selection and Sam Darnold shipped off to the Panthers, the Jets are entering what feels like their final reset before climbing back to competitive football. After losing the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes by winning a game late in the season against the Browns, they decided to take the next best thing in Zach Wilson at number two overall. They coupled this pick with young talent in Alijah Vera-Tucker on the O-line and another wide receiving threat in Elijah Moore in order to help Wilson build an offense, but as last year Frank Gore still lead the team in rushing yards at thirty-seven years old, there are still plenty of holes to fill.

The Broncos’ defense will again take advantage of the young offense put in front of them and give this Jets team a run for their money. By week three, the Broncos’ offense should have a good sense of who they need to be identity-wise regardless of quarterback, and there would be no better time to give rookie running back Javonte Williams the spotlight as the Broncos’ featured back. Again, much like with Jacksonville, a 2-14 record doesn’t disappear overnight, and the Jets, while on the right path, still have a mountain to climb to get back to competitive football.

Denver takes this one as well after the defense gets to flex its muscles in consecutive weeks. Von Miller breaks out the strip-sack dance to set up a short field Noah Fant touchdown, and they roll out of Mile High somewhere in the range of 32-20.

Week 4: Home vs Ravens

Back at Mile High, Week four presents the first game that will likely challenge this Broncos defense. The Ravens’ offensive ability orchestrated by Lamar Jackson will give the Broncos a true test of their defensive ability as a unit. The combination of solid running back play, a mobile quarterback, and speedy receivers will give an explosive look at just how much the Broncos can handle. On the offensive side of the ball, the Broncos line will get a reunion with former player Derek Wolfe for the first time as he comes back to Mile High since leaving for the Ravens one season ago. With the trenches being holed up by Wolfe and Calais Campbell, this game could very well turn into a passing shootout between the two teams, especially with a healthy Von Miller and Mike Purcell on the other side for the Broncos.

The return of a healthy Courtland Sutton looms large for the first time as the Broncos will need the big-body receiver to make plays alongside the likes of Jeudy’s shifty routes and K.J Hamler’s speed. Despite the Broncos’ solid young core on the offensive side of the ball, the difference in experience between the two teams will be the deciding factor.

Ultimately, this is likely the first game the Broncos lose as Jackson’s scrambling proves too much and some unlucky bounces fall the Broncos way. The Ravens take this one 31-24, but the Broncos put out a solid showing and still sit at a nice 3-1 record heading into Week 5.

Week 5: @Steelers

A week after facing Lamar and his elusive play-making ability, the Broncos travel to the Black and Gold in Pittsburgh to face Ben Roethlisberger and their new running back in Najee Harris. This game provides a night and day difference in what the Broncos have faced in week 4, since Big Ben is not necessarily known for his scrambling ability. The other big factor in play here is that the Steelers’ offensive line will be returning only one starter from last season after suffering several losses to the group this offseason. Long-time Steeler Alejandro Villanueva departed for the Ravens in the offseason, along with Matt Feiler leaving for Los Angeles to join the Chargers.

Broncos fans know what a rotating line can do to team chemistry, and the Broncos D-line can use this opportunity to feast on Big Ben. Bradley Chubb has the opportunity for his first breakout game of the season due to Von Miller getting as much attention as the Steelers can throw at him. Big Ben is sacked no less than four times and the Broncos spark an electric offensive showing behind their emerging running back duo in Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams. The Steelers secondary is quietly formidable with the likes of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Joe Haden, and Terrell Edmunds, so the Broncos should not expect to see a lot of aggressive passing opportunities, lest they give the game up.

Don’t expect fireworks but do expect the Broncos defense to not only give the offense enough opportunities, but also score themselves to put this one away 27-17.

Final Thoughts

Heading into the second part of the season, the Broncos should take advantage of a favorable early schedule and move into Week 6 against their first divisional game at 4-1. This should be the first year the Broncos get a solid record accumulated heading into the meat of the season, as in previous years a 0-4 and 1-3 start loomed large. Starting on a positive note this season will pay huge dividends heading into the last two-thirds of the season and situate the team to have more meaningful games to play later in the year.

The post A look into the Denver Broncos 2021 Season: Games 1 through 5 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.