It's Become Pretty Obvious

[spikerman]

That Denver was fully prepared to lose this game in order to make sure they have a better shot at Thursday's game. I think they went in with the attitude that if they could steal a win then, great, but it is much more important to beat the Chargers and they protected Siemian knowing it could cost them.

[BigDaddyBronco]

Let's hope that is what it was.

[Az Snake]

I agree that the doltz game is much more important.
However passing to RBs against our LBs needs some work.
I'm sure Wade will come up with something to counter our D getting exposed there.
As far as the O line, it never was great to begin with but having someone who can make decisions faster will help offset thier ineptitude until they can improve.
All in all, the Broncos' staff made the right decision in not risking Trevor and throwing Paxton into the fire.

[BigDaddyBronco]

We need Stephenson and Green back in a bad way. The OLine was horrible against Atlanta, and not much better against Tampa Bay. If our running game could be more like Week 1, it would help out tremendously with the passing game. I think both Stephenson and Green are big components of that run blocking.

[VonDoom]

Let's see if any of these guys actually play Thursday. If they do, I agree with your point - clearly everyone has been "close" to ready, and all signs pointed to them playing on the short week, which is probably the opposite of how most people would do it (either try to rush them back or hold them out for both games). This game is bigger in the scheme of things, and I'd love to pull out a win to get rid of the taste of that Falcons game.

[CoachChaz]

That Denver was fully prepared to lose this game in order to make sure they have a better shot at Thursday's game. I think they went in with the attitude that if they could steal a win then, great, but it is much more important to beat the Chargers and they protected Siemian knowing it could cost them.

I'll agree with this. Give Siemian, Green, Donaldson an extra few days to heal...and then 10 days to continue healing after the Thursday game. No team wins every game anymore and losing by 7 to a good offense considering the situation, I think we fared "decent".


I agree that the doltz game is much more important.
However passing to RBs against our LBs needs some work.
I'm sure Wade will come up with something to counter our D getting exposed there.
As far as the O line, it never was great to begin with but having someone who can make decisions faster will help offset thier ineptitude until they can improve.
All in all, the Broncos' staff made the right decision in not risking Trevor and throwing Paxton into the fire.

I think if Wade was going to fix this, he'd have done it by now. We regularly get beat up by teams that have athletic TE's and good receiving RB's. Look at any Patriots game for immediate proof.

[BroncoWave]

I tend to agree. It seems like Siemian, Green, and Stephenson all COULD have gone if it was like a playoff game or something, but with a quick turn around this week, it made more sense to have them ready for a road divisional game. We can stomach a non-conference loss much more than a divisional one.

[Buff]

We should have been able to run over the Falcons defense. A combination of bad o-line and QB play made us ineffective against a subpar squad - I think it's wishful thinking to assume all of those injuries are going to be materially better in 4 days. We don't have the depth on offense to afford to lose 3 key starters and keep firing on all cylinders. I'd feel a lot better about things if we could squeak out a W against SD and then have a week and a half to get healthy.

[Broncoknight30]

I doubt they were thinking like that. I do believe they were confident that they would win it. I really think they were pleasantly surprised by what they saw on the road out of Lynch last week. If he did not have good production, they probably would have played Siemian this week.

I think they believed the Broncos defense would be effective behind the home crowd, and for the most part they were. It is just that the Falcons found a real good matchup. They knew they had two good VERSATILE RBs that could run 8 or 9 routes. Which against a LB is really a mismatch. They exploited it pretty well.

What Kubiak did not count on was the Broncos OL being so dominated by a DL that has been awful all year. Vic Beasley had 5 sacks in his CAREER and had 3.5 yesterday. Their defense had 4 sacks the whole season and had 6 yesterday. The Broncos rushing attack was being stuffed.

Believe it or not, Lynch is a good enough QB when the play action is working. I think they were confident they could get CJ going and the play action would be there against what was suppose to be a pretty bad defense.

Home games, in this league are pretty much as important as any. The idea is to hold serve at home and at the very least split on the road. That is a 12-4 season. Not bad.

No, I do not think they were "prepared" to lose this one. The offensive line production is a point of great concern right now. Most people are going to put this on Lynch. I think he is effective with play action. He had a very good game last week.

[VonDoom]

I doubt they were thinking like that. I do believe they were confident that they would win it. I really think they were pleasantly surprised by what they saw on the road out of Lynch last week. If he did not have good production, they probably would have played Siemian this week.


I agree with this part. They probably felt they didn't need to rush these guys back because they were encouraged by what they saw from Lynch last week. Like most things in the NFL, it's a gamble or a gut feeling (which Kubiak was great at last year, when it came to our QB's) but this time it just didn't work out.

[underrated29]

I think it's wishful thinking to assume all of those injuries are going to be materially better in 4 days.



I think it has more to do with not getting beat up than getting healthy in 4 days. I can say I agree with that. Had my first two hockey games since August yesterday and the day before. Woke up today and my arm was sore. Thought my muscles were just rusty from not being used. Nope, big ass bruise! Huge one right on my bicep. No clue how that one got there. I took a slapper to the foot that some how deflected up and hit me in the pills. That one I knew about immediately, and still feel it since saturday. Point is, with something as bad as what he had, re-aggravating it and taking other shots and hits, would likely just set him back and reduce his overall performance for Thurs (if he plays- heard rumors he will be out again).

[Broncoknight30]

Not for nothing but Shannon Sharpe seems to think Siemian will be out Thursday. That is what he said on Undisputed.

[wayninja]

I'm always prepared to lose. I take great pains to ensure that.

[Northman]

Not for nothing but Shannon Sharpe seems to think Siemian will be out Thursday. That is what he said on Undisputed.

It was pretty much confirmed an hour or so ago that Siemien would suit up for Thursday.

[Valar Morghulis]

I think we just sucked balls

Lynch was terrible, but even behind a great line I still think he would have been terrible

I thought the play calling sucked, but I think that was due to personnel rather than bad game planning.

The only thing I might have done differently is run an option offense in the second half-life that may have allowed lynch more opportunities to use these prototypical tools, athleticism and atm talent he possesses

I don't think we lost it or were prepared to lose one for the greater good. I just think we sucked so bad offensively, like we have for two whole years, but came up against an offense that could beat our defense. More times than most.

The fact the went out ten early made it tough to claw back with Tebow I mean lynch stinking it up

That was a borderline great offense, but all teams could do that to us, that is exactly how to best us, fortunately outside of the falcons and the pats I doubt few other teams could execute such and efficient and disciplined game plan

We need to dip back into free agency and do something about the right side of our line, where the money for that comes from....i don't know

[NightTrainLayne]

Stephenson will be back if not this week, then the next.

Still need a competent back-up, but not sure that can be found at this point. We'll just have to pray STephenson/Okung can make it the rest of the way injury-free.

[spikerman]

If the offense isn't completely inept, I'll take giving up 23 points all day long.

[BroncoWave]

If the offense isn't completely inept, I'll take giving up 23 points all day long.

Yeah, it's hard to fault the defense too much. Teams with backs like Atlanta have are a horrible matchup for our D, but very few teams will present that type of challenge to us. Other than their usual shit first quarter defensive series, they held pretty strong the rest of the way.

[GEM]

I'll be hiding behind the couch saying this, but I miss Trevathan. You just can't replace that speed. Wish we could have kept him.

[Tned]

I'll be hiding behind the couch saying this, but I miss Trevathan. You just can't replace that speed. Wish we could have kept him.

Was hoping they could keep him and Marshall

[Valar Morghulis]

I'll be hiding behind the couch saying this, but I miss Trevathan. You just can't replace that speed. Wish we could have kept him.

I liked him too, but he never stopped the pats or Steelers from doing what Atlanta did last night.

[wayninja]

I'll be hiding behind the couch saying this, but I miss Trevathan. You just can't replace that speed. Wish we could have kept him.

To be fair, everyone wanted to keep him. When you win a SB, you have to pick your poisons the following year. I'd have love to kept him, just not sure how we could have done that.

[GEM]

I liked him too, but he never stopped the pats or Steelers from doing what Atlanta did last night.

He was our top tackler. He also wrapped up and took guys to the ground. Moneywise, we couldn't keep him, but I feel a lot of what we saw yesterday LB wise, wouldn't be an issue if he was still here.

[tripp]

That Denver was fully prepared to lose this game in order to make sure they have a better shot at Thursday's game. I think they went in with the attitude that if they could steal a win then, great, but it is much more important to beat the Chargers and they protected Siemian knowing it could cost them.

I got that impression leading up to the game as well. Just by how we had no sense of urgency of bringing players back from injury. Felt like the SD game was way more important to us than this one.

[tripp]

I'd much rather Malik Jackson back than Trevathan, our Run D is awful.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I'll be hiding behind the couch saying this, but I miss Trevathan. You just can't replace that speed. Wish we could have kept him.

He was also our best run D backer.

[wayninja]

I'd much rather Malik Jackson back than Trevathan, our Run D is awful.

If we can't afford Danny, we definitely can't afford Malik.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

I'd much rather Malik Jackson back than Trevathan, our Run D is awful.

Or even Vance Walker or Antonio Smith. I don't know if Crick would have even made last years roster.

[VonDoom]

Or even Vance Walker or Antonio Smith. I don't know if Crick would have even made last years roster.

Not sure why we didn't bring Smith back, especially after Walker got hurt. Really, Walker would have been a big help there, but obviously there's nothing we can do about it. Crick was supposed to rotate with Walker, remember.

[NightTerror218]

I'd much rather Malik Jackson back than Trevathan, our Run D is awful.

Paying them would have cost us okung, or sanders extension or von miller playing this year.

Pick your poison.

[Joel]

That Denver was fully prepared to lose this game in order to make sure they have a better shot at Thursday's game. I think they went in with the attitude that if they could steal a win then, great, but it is much more important to beat the Chargers and they protected Siemian knowing it could cost them.
The Denver sports press said as much last... Thursday? It was posted here, and stuck in memory because I responded by saying the same thing as many people in this thread: NO loss is desirable, but better a non-conference game than a divisional one. It sucked dropping a home game to the Falcons, but putting Siemian, Stephenson and Green back out there too soon so they wound up on IR AND we lost ANYWAY, but also lost to SD game Thursday and many other games as well... that would've sucked a lot worse.

It's too bad we're now tied with NE* in the conference and Oakland in the division, it's just like when we benched Manning last year to get him healthy for the playoffs. No one knew then that we'd win OT games against the conferences other contenders even with Manning on the bench, but everyone knew that if Manning couldn't play in January we weren't riding Oz to a World Championship.

[Simple Jaded]

I don't remember Malik being all that great against the run, Big Al has said he wasn't.

[Joel]

I don't remember Malik being all that great against the run, Big Al has said he wasn't.
I remember him making plays (and not just beating Ware by a hair to fall on Cams first SB fumble, though that definitely inflated his salary.) But it's a 3-4, so his biggest value may've been plays Von and Ware made while Jackson tied up linemen. I doubt we'd miss him at all if Walker weren't on IR (e.g. I don't think Jackson made more plays than Wolfe, run OR pass, and we were pretty fierce "Opening Month" with Jackson and Walker at DE.) But he is, so we do.