Rewarded with multi-year contracts days apart during the Broncos’ bye week, receivers Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick spent several minutes last Monday expressing gratitude for the organization’s faith in them and recounting the personal adversity they’ve overcome.
The talk then pivoted to the state of the Broncos entering Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Broncos are 5-5 and five of their seven remaining games are against AFC West competition. The message from Sutton and Patrick: Why not us?
“If we take care of (the last seven games), we’ll get that (playoff) taste,” Sutton said. “It’s hard to even put into words how bad we want that and how bad we want that for us, the team and the city. It’s been way overdue for the city to be able to have a playoff game here and the Broncos in the playoffs.”
Said Patrick: “Everything is right in front of us. We have five division games left. We win those and we’re in the playoffs. It’s very possible.”
Sutton is right — a real playoff pursuit has been lacking around these parts since winning the Super Bowl in 2015.
And Patrick is right — if the Broncos take advantage of their division-heavy schedule, they will snap their five-year postseason drought.
The Broncos, however, will need a major course correction to be in the division and/or wild card conversation when mid-December rolls around. A couple of facts to consider:
- Dating back to last year, they have lost five consecutive division games (outscored 144-99), tied for the team’s third-longest slump since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger and the longest since a six-game streak in 2010-11.
- Since the start of the 2016 season, the Broncos are a woeful 10-21 in AFC West games, worst in the division by 2 1/2 games. Kansas City is 27-5 (two eight-game winning streaks) followed by Las Vegas (14-19) and the Chargers (13-19).
Overall, Denver must play better at home. The Broncos are 21-24 at Mile High since the start of 2016, including 2-3 this year in which they were favored in each game.
“All three of them are really good teams,” coach Vic Fangio said of the Chiefs (7-4), Chargers (6-4) and Raiders (6-5). “Good offenses and good defenses. Kansas City’s playing really good defense now. The Chargers and Raiders have stepped it up defensively. I see complete teams that are led by really good quarterbacks.”
Is the season on the line Sunday? Absolutely.
A loss to the Chargers would drop the Broncos to 5-6 (0-2 in the division) heading to surging Kansas City next week. Beat the Chargers and the Broncos have hope.
“I still believe in this team,” general manager George Paton said earlier this week. “Obviously, the last two (games, a win at Dallas and loss to Philadelphia), it was up and down, but you saw what we can do when we put it all together against Dallas.”
Said safety Justin Simmons: “We’re right in the thick of it and it’s all going to start against the Chargers. We’re going to get some guys back healthy for this last stretch and we’re going to need all hands on deck.”
Which team will emerge as the division winner? Here is a team-by-team outlook:
Denver
Record: 5-5.
Remaining games: vs. Chargers, at Kansas City, vs. Detroit, vs. Cincinnati, at Las Vegas, at Chargers and vs. Kansas City.
Current form: Even steven. Won three, lost four, won two and lost one.
Numbers of note: Offense — 27th on third down (34.7%) and red zone touchdown rate (50%). Defense — tied for eighth in red zone touchdown rate (52.4%) and third in fewest points allowed (18.3 per game). Special teams — second-to-last in kick returns (17.1) and kick coverage (35.7).
Key injuries: Out for the season are WR KJ Hamler, RG Graham Glasgow and ILBs Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson. Currently out are CB Bryce Callahan, OLB Bradley Chubb (although he could return Sunday) and LT Garett Bolles.
Reasons for optimism: WR Jerry Jeudy has 21 catches in his three games back from a high ankle sprain that cost him six weeks and Simmons is tied for sixth in the league with four interceptions.
Reasons for concern: Pat Surtain II has the only interception among the team’s cornerbacks, opponents have 30 sacks (sixth-most in the league) and the offense is averaging only 20 points per game.
Predicted final record: 9-8 (third place).
KANSAS CITY
Record: 7-4.
Remaining games: Bye, vs. Broncos, vs. Las Vegas, at Chargers, vs. Pittsburgh, at Cincinnati and at Broncos.
Current form: Rolling. The Chiefs’ uneven start (1-2 and 2-3 records) have been erased by a four-game winning streak in which they have outscored opponents 93-47.
Numbers of note: Offense — first on third down (51.5%) and second in most turnovers (22). Defense — 30th in yards per snap (6.1) and tied for 21st in fewest points allowed (25.5). Special teams — third in punt returns (12.8) and seventh in kick returns (24.1).
Key injuries: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire returned last week after missing six games and the Chiefs have started three right tackles, but the other four linemen have started all 11 games.
Reasons for optimism: The Chiefs have started to figure things out defensively. Since their Week 7 blowout loss at Tennessee, they have improved from 30th to 14th on third down and tied for 27th to tied for 13th in points allowed. And, oh yeah, they have QB Patrick Mahomes, who is second in yards (3,200) and tied for second in touchdown passes (25).
Reasons for concern: The Chiefs still turn it over too much, posting multiple giveaways in seven of their 11 games (including two four-turnover games) and the defense has only 19 sacks, sixth-fewest in the league.
Predicted final record: 11-6 (second place).
LAS VEGAS
Record: 6-5.
Remaining games: vs. Washington, at Kansas City, at Cleveland, vs. Broncos, at Indianapolis and vs. Chargers.
Current form: Rejuvenated. Thursday’s 36-33 overtime win at Dallas stopped a three-game skid that threatened to make it a third consecutive late-season collapse (1-5 and 2-5 finishes in 2019-20).
Numbers of note: Offense — second in passing yards per game (296.5) and tied for 27th in red zone (50%). Defense — 26th stopping the run (125.9) and last in red zone touchdown rate (75.9%). Special teams — 31st in punt coverage (12.6 yards per return) and 25th on kick returns (19.8-yard average).
Key injuries: The Raiders entered the Dallas game with 11 players on injured reserve, including starting OL Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good and LB Nicholas Morrow. TE Darren Waller was injured against the Cowboys.
Reasons for optimism: QB Derek Carr leads the NFL with 3,414 passing yards, RB Josh Jacobs was more involved Thursday (season-high 22 carries for 87 yards) and DE Yannick Ngakoue has eight sacks in the last six games.
Reasons for concern: The Raiders rank 28th in rushing (89.1 yards per game) and the defense isn’t getting any stops in the red zone (opponents are 7 for 9 in the last three games).
Predicted final record: 8-9 (fourth place).
L.A. CHARGERS
Record: 6-4.
Remaining games: at Broncos, at Cincinnati, vs. Giants, vs. Kansas City, at Houston, vs. Broncos and at Las Vegas.
Current form: Primed-to-take-control. The Chargers are 2-0 in the division (only undefeated team) and can move to 2-0 in AFC West road games if they beat the Broncos on Sunday.
Numbers of note: Offense — eighth in scoring (26.0) and fifth in yards per play (5.0). Defense — last in rushing (145.1) and 31st on third down (46.8%). Special teams — last in punt coverage (13.4 yards per return) and 27th on kick returns (18.9).
Key injuries: The Chargers have only four players on injured reserve, but two were Week 1 starting offensive linemen — RT Bryan Bulaga and RG Oday Aboushi.
Reasons for optimism: RB Austin Ekeler has 573 rushing and 405 receiving yards, QB Justin Herbert has five games with a passer rating of at least 107.6 (all wins) and S Derwin James leads the team with 86 tackles.
Reasons for concern: The Chargers’ 20 sacks are tied for seventh-fewest in the NFL and they aren’t getting much out of their return game (26th on punt returns, 27th on kick returns).
Predicted final record: 12-5 (first place).
AFC West futility
The Broncos’ enter Sunday’s game with a five-game losing streak in AFC West games, their longest in a decade and tied for their third-longest since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. A look at the streaks:
| No. | Years | PF | PA | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1982-83 | 77 | 169 | Broncos went 0-5 in division during strike-shortened ’82 season |
| 6 | 2010-11 | 115 | 169 | Four one-score losses, Josh McDaniels fired after second defeat |
| 5 | 2020-21 | 99 | 144 | Two double-digit losses, three defeats to Las Vegas |
| 5 | 1979-80 | 70 | 112 | Three one-score losses, Chargers won by 10 and 17 points |
| 5 | 1971-72 | 78 | 176 | Allowed at least 37 points in three losses (all by at least 20 points) |
Looking up at rivals
The AFC West teams’ in-division record since the start of 2016:
| Team | W-L | Longest winning streak |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 27-5 | 8 (2017-18, 2018-19) |
| Las Vegas | 14-19 | 3 (2020) |
| L.A. Chargers | 13-19 | 5 (current) |
| Broncos | 10-21 | 3 (2016-17) |
"heavy" - Google News
November 27, 2021 at 07:45PM
https://ift.tt/3cW0Byx
Broncos’ message entering division-heavy final stretch to season: Why not us? - The Denver Post
"heavy" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35FbxvS
https://ift.tt/3c3RoCk
heavy
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Broncos’ message entering division-heavy final stretch to season: Why not us? - The Denver Post"
Post a Comment