Thread: Why do you think we suck?

Originally Posted by Valar Morghulis

I think the main reason is because we are not very good.

This is hard hitting analysis. It's hard to disagree.

As to the original question, others here have addressed a lot of these (dogfish specifically mentions a few things I wanted to talk about) and sadly, most of this falls on Elway.

1) Bad drafts. Last year looks pretty good so far and it's obviously too early to judge this year. But take a look at our first three rounds of picks from, say, 2014-2017:
2014 - Roby, Latimer, Schofield
2015 - Ray, Sambrailo, Heuerman
2016 - Lynch, Gotsis, Simmons
2017 - Bolles, Walker, C. Henderson, Langley

This is ... pretty rough. Gotsis is fine and Simmons looks like a star. Other than that? Just not a lot there. Bad drafting leads to no depth, which is our biggest issue right now. It also leads to us chasing free agents and overpaying them instead of having guys coming up in the system ready to replace older veterans. We're going to need a new LT pretty soon, for example, when we had our pick in 2017 and missed.

2. The QB situation post Manning. Siemian wasn't good, but at least he was cheap. We went out and got Keenum who was basically a more expensive Siemian, but he was a "veteran" who had one good year under his belt. Not surprisingly, he wasn't good. So we then trade a pick and eat dead money for Keenum to bring in Flacco, who at best is a moderate upgrade. This leads to the larger question of what we're doing with our roster in general - Elway's "win from now on" sounds good when we're winning, but it should have been obvious a couple of years ago that this roster wasn't good enough and putting a band aid on QB was just trying to mask the issue. We needed to dump some veterans, collect draft picks and try to hit on something, particularly a young QB. Is Lock it? I sure hope so.

3. Continuity, as dogfish mentioned. How many coaches and QB's have we gone through in recent years? The common denominator is Elway. Put aside this specific, unique situation and tell me any other GM in the league that lasts through this many regime changes. Football is a "what have you done for me lately?" business. The Super Bowl was four years ago, which is a generation in the NFL. Most GM's get two coaches and QB's, and if they don't produce, they're gone. But Elway is a) an icon in Denver and b) in a situation where there is no owner.

Fangio has inherited a mess. Not sure any HC wouldn’t have the deer in the headlights look. No depth, and that’s why Bolles will remain at his position, and Yiadom too.

Originally Posted by Nomad

Fangio has inherited a mess. Not sure any HC wouldn’t have the deer in the headlights look. No depth, and that’s why Bolles will remain at his position, and Yiadom too.

They're better off with a second stringer from anywhere.

i want to see Lock get at least 2 seasons of starting.

Originally Posted by ShaneFalco

i want to see Lock get at least 2 seasons of starting

If they can get one of these Top QBs next year, stick with Lock if its not considered an upgrade?

Originally Posted by Shazam!

If they can get one of these Top QBs next year, stick with Lock if its not considered an upgrade?

i am highly suspect of Alabama and Oregon qbs. just believe those teams are always stacked with talent against their competition. Alabama has been the power and Oregon always has the speed.

Mariota has turned out okay tho i guess.

Lock and Hall were pretty much the offense at Mizz. He has a crazy arm, and i have always wondered what he would look like, if he got developed. Meaning multiple years.

Thing is, its not like we got Andy Reid helping him develop. To me thats kind of a problem.

i hope he gets peytons phone # is all im saying. And bothers the hell out of him.

Originally Posted by ShaneFalco

Originally Posted by Shazam!

If they can get one of these Top QBs next year, stick with Lock if its not considered an upgrade?

i am highly suspect of Alabama and Oregon qbs. just believe those teams are always stacked with talent against their competition. Alabama has been the power and Oregon always has the speed.

Mariota has turned out okay tho i guess.

Lock and Hall were pretty much the offense at Mizz. He has a crazy arm, and i have always wondered what he would look like, if he got developed. Meaning multiple years.

Thing is, its not like we got Andy Reid helping him develop. To me thats kind of a problem.

Right now, QB just isnt the problem.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

Right now, QB just isnt the problem.

yes it is. he threw an int in the redzone. that was pts. But ill give Flucco a pass yesterday because the ending was beyond frustrating, and nobody could block mack.

And furthermore Broncos need use rookie qb contracts to their benefit. This is where you use the draft to take advantage of rookie contracts for QBs otherwise you end up paying 110m guaranteed down the road before you know what you have.

Originally Posted by ShaneFalco

Originally Posted by Shazam!

Right now, QB just isnt the problem.

yes it is. he threw an int in the redzone. that was pts. But ill give Flucco a pass yesterday because the ending was beyond frustrating, and nobody could block mack.

I disagree, Flacco has been playing well. The INT was bad but he has been effective. The offense is handicapped. How can they win like this.

0-3 here they go to GB gonna get killed unless Fangio calls a much more attacking game.

What really is the problem? A failed Elway plan.

Elway driving the wrong way, refusing to let go of the wheel.What was the plan? "We can recreate the 2015 defense and win with great defense and just enough offense".

What's wrong with the plan? The NFL is moving in the direction of "you can't touch the QB". The penalty on Chubb was a perfect example of that.
https://twitter.com/CharlesRobinson/...78523756732416

That wasn't a bad call, that was an NFL directive. "Call penalties if a player falls on the QB."

They are deliberately doing that because they want "more passing". Eventually they will just put the QB in a plastic bubble so they can get 350-400 yards of passing and 3 or more passing TDs every game from every QB.

Only Elway is just going in the opposite direction, swimming upstream against that tide. Which is fine - if it works. Only it's not remotely working.

You need a star passing QB in today's NFL because they are making it impossible for teams to win consistently any other way. Period.

And a bunch of good young prospects have come into the league the last 4 years -- Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, and Deshuan Watson, and Pat Mahomes and Sam Darnold and now apparently Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield and even Lamar Jackson.

Not all these guys will be stars but they all have a chance. Joe Flacco doesn't. He will throw about 15-17 TDs and 5-7 picks this year.

Teams are refusing to go to 5 or 7 step drops because they don't have to score more than 16 points to beat the Broncos.

Because they don't have a QB capable of elevating his passing game when you need it. And they don't have an offensive design to do that either.

This team is always one Bolles holding penalty away from disaster. They play so close to the edge that the slightest thing -- a dropped pass in the end-zone, a holding call stalling a drive, the opponent offense makes a great play -- away from disaster.

Elway just needs to leave and they need to move in a different direction. Whether that's Drew Lock or a 1st round QB next year. It has to happen.

I think the players are ok, got to address the penalties though. All the holding calls are just unacceptable. And you just can't let subpar players continue to kill drives and not have the stones to address it. That kills spirit in the lockerroom and breeds complacency.

Something about the playcalling feels off (both sides of the ball).

They called the same kind of crap penalty on the Bears NT, #91 This is not an accident. This is league policy.

The Broncos just can't win with Elway's plan because it's a passing first league by design now. They are trying to make it impossible to win with defense.