Chaos Reigns in Broncos Country
Days before the Broncos travel to Oakland to play the arch rival Raiders on Christmas Eve, chaos reigns supreme.
Broncos Country is in full, open rebellion.
From the always on the hot seat head coach, to the players on the field the to very leaders atop the organization in Dove Valley, no one is safe from the growing critique of unhappy customers.
There are rumors of old coaches returning to town, rants regarding possible turns the Broncos could have taken or should have taken. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Angry callers rule the radio air waves.
Former quarterback Chad Kelly due back in court.
Dogs and cats living together!
Losing to the Cleveland Browns may be the straw that broke the last line of defense, turning the last of the loyal fans against the home town team.
If that's not enough crazy for you, there are factions of the Bowlen family pushing in different directions for ultimate control of the team. Bill Bowlen's recent legal court actions await the NFL and the Broncos as the city loses faith and trust in the Pat Bowlen Trust currently in charge of the team.
The face of the aforementioned trust, Denver Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis, made news this week for supposedly turning away John Elway's choice to replace Vance Jospeh one year ago. It's very strange to see that a year old 'story' would suddenly surface in a week of media turmoil surrounding the team.
That kind of story leaking to us all means John Elway is under fire as well. And he is certainly part of the problem. He spoiled Denver with the only three Lombardi trophies the Broncos have ever won. Two on the field and one from the front office.
Those previous good deeds seem like they should offer Elway some leeway.
Apparently not.
At least not in Broncos Country, where expectations are a Mile High.
From afar, it may seem Broncos fans have lost their minds.
However, Denver is already eliminated from playoff contention and stands at 6-8. There is a very real chance the Broncos could suffer two consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the very early 1970's. That's a pretty solid run.
Fans are more than a bit spoiled by the incredible success of the Pat Bowlen era. A team owner who awaits the outcome of a well-earned NFL Hall of Fame nomination.
Instead of getting excited about Bowlen's potential award, or thumping the Raiders on Christmas Eve, the legion of orange and blue clad faithful are calling for heads to roll.
I've already read a couple reports that Vance Joseph is out at season's end. That move makes sense. Vance had his chance. The team has played better than last year, but too many close losses that should have been wins. Joseph may yet evolve into a decent coach, but Denver is really not a place that has the patience to offer on-the-job training in hopes Vance gets better.
Kicking that silly fourth quarter, fourth and one field goal last week against the Browns showed V.J. still has a big learning curve as a decision maker.
The off-field ownership drama? Well, that is still going to take some time, and a bunch of lawyers.
I don't know what to think of the Mike Shanahan drama. That dude can coach offense for sure, but I'm still not sure he knows how to draft a defensive player. I'm thinking the team may move in a different direction.
Elway set himself up for some of this heat. He's the one who promised, "There is no Plan B."
There really isn't a Plan A right now either.
Despite all of that, Elway and company did pull off their best draft.
And Case Keenum really was the only guy available after Kirk Cousins went all in for the Vikings money vault.
It turns out, Case is only mildly better than Trevor Siemian, and is clearly not the final answer. That said, he wasn't signed as the solution. Next year is only an option year for Keenum if the Broncos find their really real next quarterback.
Baker Mayfield may have been an answer, but the Broncos didn't have the top overall pick. The rest of the rookie QB's really look like rookies and it's hard to tell if any of them would be more fun than watching Bradley Chubb sack opposing signal callers.
Two straight losing seasons isn't any fun. I understand why there is an unhappy mob gathering on the horizon.
I don't think Saint Peyton is the answer either. I heard that pitch too, for Manning to ride in and save the front office. It sounds great, until the team keeps losing, because the roster is a few all-pro players away from another title run. A Manning run as GM would be entertaining. I bet the promo spots would be a lot of fun to watch.
I would simply caution that not just anyone understands or cares about this city or this team more than John Elway. I think it's very much a 'be careful what you wish for' scenario when it comes to ditching the Duke. He did keep his promise to Pat Bowlen about winning another title. But the winds have shifted. It turns out the only people who hate the rebuilding word more than Elway are the fans.
However, Elway needs some help or a new plan. He will need to select a better coach, and have another solid draft or two in order to keep the shine on his overall legacy.
Until then, chaos reigns.
Broncos Country is in full, open rebellion.
From the always on the hot seat head coach, to the players on the field the to very leaders atop the organization in Dove Valley, no one is safe from the growing critique of unhappy customers.
There are rumors of old coaches returning to town, rants regarding possible turns the Broncos could have taken or should have taken. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Angry callers rule the radio air waves.
Former quarterback Chad Kelly due back in court.
Dogs and cats living together!
Losing to the Cleveland Browns may be the straw that broke the last line of defense, turning the last of the loyal fans against the home town team.
If that's not enough crazy for you, there are factions of the Bowlen family pushing in different directions for ultimate control of the team. Bill Bowlen's recent legal court actions await the NFL and the Broncos as the city loses faith and trust in the Pat Bowlen Trust currently in charge of the team.
The face of the aforementioned trust, Denver Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis, made news this week for supposedly turning away John Elway's choice to replace Vance Jospeh one year ago. It's very strange to see that a year old 'story' would suddenly surface in a week of media turmoil surrounding the team.
That kind of story leaking to us all means John Elway is under fire as well. And he is certainly part of the problem. He spoiled Denver with the only three Lombardi trophies the Broncos have ever won. Two on the field and one from the front office.
Those previous good deeds seem like they should offer Elway some leeway.
Apparently not.
At least not in Broncos Country, where expectations are a Mile High.
From afar, it may seem Broncos fans have lost their minds.
However, Denver is already eliminated from playoff contention and stands at 6-8. There is a very real chance the Broncos could suffer two consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the very early 1970's. That's a pretty solid run.
Fans are more than a bit spoiled by the incredible success of the Pat Bowlen era. A team owner who awaits the outcome of a well-earned NFL Hall of Fame nomination.
Instead of getting excited about Bowlen's potential award, or thumping the Raiders on Christmas Eve, the legion of orange and blue clad faithful are calling for heads to roll.
I've already read a couple reports that Vance Joseph is out at season's end. That move makes sense. Vance had his chance. The team has played better than last year, but too many close losses that should have been wins. Joseph may yet evolve into a decent coach, but Denver is really not a place that has the patience to offer on-the-job training in hopes Vance gets better.
Kicking that silly fourth quarter, fourth and one field goal last week against the Browns showed V.J. still has a big learning curve as a decision maker.
The off-field ownership drama? Well, that is still going to take some time, and a bunch of lawyers.
I don't know what to think of the Mike Shanahan drama. That dude can coach offense for sure, but I'm still not sure he knows how to draft a defensive player. I'm thinking the team may move in a different direction.
Elway set himself up for some of this heat. He's the one who promised, "There is no Plan B."
There really isn't a Plan A right now either.
Despite all of that, Elway and company did pull off their best draft.
And Case Keenum really was the only guy available after Kirk Cousins went all in for the Vikings money vault.
It turns out, Case is only mildly better than Trevor Siemian, and is clearly not the final answer. That said, he wasn't signed as the solution. Next year is only an option year for Keenum if the Broncos find their really real next quarterback.
Baker Mayfield may have been an answer, but the Broncos didn't have the top overall pick. The rest of the rookie QB's really look like rookies and it's hard to tell if any of them would be more fun than watching Bradley Chubb sack opposing signal callers.
Two straight losing seasons isn't any fun. I understand why there is an unhappy mob gathering on the horizon.
I don't think Saint Peyton is the answer either. I heard that pitch too, for Manning to ride in and save the front office. It sounds great, until the team keeps losing, because the roster is a few all-pro players away from another title run. A Manning run as GM would be entertaining. I bet the promo spots would be a lot of fun to watch.
I would simply caution that not just anyone understands or cares about this city or this team more than John Elway. I think it's very much a 'be careful what you wish for' scenario when it comes to ditching the Duke. He did keep his promise to Pat Bowlen about winning another title. But the winds have shifted. It turns out the only people who hate the rebuilding word more than Elway are the fans.
However, Elway needs some help or a new plan. He will need to select a better coach, and have another solid draft or two in order to keep the shine on his overall legacy.
Until then, chaos reigns.
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