Broncos fumble away comeback effort vs. Patriots, lose 31-21

Not hitting the panic switch, disappointed that we haven’t been able to top any better-than-average team yet, but not panicking, either.

Plenty of football left to play. The offense made some stupid mistakes that can be corrected and Kuper (and hopefully Franklin) should be back next week.

The offense can score points, now the defense just needs to step up, and they can do it. The game was frustrating to watch, but I’m confident going into Week 6. Perhaps it’s my orange sunglasses effecting my judgement, but I don’t believe the sky is falling just yet.

Bring on SD.

A heartbreaking loss. Still have a great deal of faith. The schedule opens up, an AFC West championship is clearly in the future for these Denver Broncos.

I agree that its not time to panic, it just is what it is. We got our asses kicked by a better team, one that has been playing together on a high level for quite some time. Well at least the D got iot handed to them. And once again he turnovers cost us the game, plain and simple. ALL of the Def players that were interviewed were pretty honest I thought, “we didn’t play well” was the theme and the fact.

There we’re some good plays just as well though on both sides of the ball. They are, in spurts, playing together. Rare fumble by Willis but not really a game decider, no one play EVER determines a game as a whole. Some think a missed field goal at the end does but it doesn’t (ala Packers today), if ALL guys play well enough together (like the Pats did) you win. Thomas has for sure got to learn how to hang on to the ball and I think he will.

Most of you guys know I can be critical but I’m more positive about this than I have been in years. And to think that Peyton cant play is just dumb, when is the last time we had a guy that can march down the field in min to score??? He didn’t fumble today.

The next couple games could be tough, but I tend to agree with eljbow, it get better for a while before it stiffens again.

Some of these statements are crazy, today was not a must win game… everyone forgets this was the fifth game of a whole new system Offensively and Defensively. Am I upset with the D, of course… do I think the offense is terrible? No WAY… I was watching the fourth quarter in laughter on how quickly we drove and scored two touchdowns. What we need, is a better start in the first half which we haven’t had all season and the Defense to step it up. Offensively were clicking and fine, if your going to sit here again and again that Willis is old, Manning is old and all we do is ten yard outs… well those ten yard outs are completions and Manning and Willis look fine being at the age they are. C’mon maaannn

Who cares about 350 yards and 3 td’s. That sounds like a Raider fan trying to rationalize how great the team is through poor play. Jim is right, Manning can’t throw well to the right side of the field at all. Anyone not wearing goggles can see how blatantly obvious it is. That effectively means we are passing on 40% less field. There is a reason we only put up 21 points. There is a reason we are the “#1 4th quarter team” and don’t do much for the first 3 quarters.

I too have become worn out watching this once proud organization continue to make poor executive decisions and poor coaching decisions.

3 out of 5 games we have now been blown out by the 4th quarter. Our offense is every bit as lacking as our defense. It’s just we kick ass against relaxed defenses when it doesn’t really matter and make the final scores look better than the actual play indicates.

I guess I will just accept the team for what it is, root for the few bright spots like Von Miller and hope Manning can heal enough to contend for a run next year.

7 points in the first 3 quarters sure as hell didn’t help.

It was an analogy speaking to the intelligence level of the average Raider fan and how they think they are going to win the Super Bowl every single year even when they are eliminated from playoff contention.

I hope you are right!

Where is Big Pete? I’d like to know your take buddy…

Yeah Denver Lost but at least this year with manning the score wasn’t that bad of a lost not like last year when Pats killed them. Let’s say we make playoffs and meet Pats again. I have a feeling next time we will see a better and improved manning…….

Good post!

That’s exactly what you were saying last week, right? Oh wait.

(1) Bunkley was a big loss to the defensive line but the Broncos would have overpaid his value to keep him around (but I’ll consent that perhaps they should have).

(2) Cassius Vaughn was going to be cut if not traded, so the Broncos got a decent fullback that can get the job done when their offense uses a fullback (which is not often in Peyton Manning’s offense). So just because he doesn’t get a lot of snaps it does not mean he’s crap. And BTW, Cassius has played in four games (starting in one) in Indy and has recorded four tackles, what a loss.

(3) We spent $18 million on Manning this year and each year following, if the team chooses to keep him around. And he can still play. And Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are not his only targets; Brandon Stokley, Jacob Tamme, Willis McGahee, Joel Dreessen, Ronnie Hillman, Lance Ball, Matt Willis, Knowshon Moreno and Chris Gronkowski have also caught passes. As for Manning throwing to the left side 90%, I’d like to see some factual evidence before taking your word for it, because that has not appeared to have been the case (in my eyes).

(4) McGahee may be old in terms of running backs (30), but he does not have as much ware and tear on his tires as do many other backs his age. He’s actually been very productive (ranked 12th overall in the league in yards with a great 4.5 yards per carry average) and he has found the end zone three times. If you’re going to say he’s “old and stiff in the hips” just because he fumbled in a game, I dare say, twenty-five year old Jamaal Charles must be old and stiff in the hips as well, for I saw him fumble twice just last week.

(5) As for Coach John Fox not being innovative, I agree. He’s been a conservative coach his entire career and it drives me crazy every week!

(6) If by Os you are referring to Omar Bolden, I disagree. He has a lot of potential and has not been able to jump stars Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter and one of PFF’s Top Rookies of 2011, Chris Harris. No shame in that. He’ll get his time on defense eventually and in the meantime, he’ll be an effective kick returner if he performs like he did in the preseason.

(7) Doug Martin is a good back, but the Broncos already have two of those (McGahee and Ronnie Hillman) and Derek Wolfe will help out our defense more than Martin would have helped our offense (and right now our defense could use the help!). Wolf has notched up two sacks and I’m curious as to who the other good defensive tackle and linebacker prospects you mentioned are, for I can’t think of many (if any) that have had more snaps than Wolfe this season.

(8) As for Hillman, he injured his hamstring over the summer so he was a little behind early in the year and was inactive through the first two games. Since then, he has gotten nineteen touches over the past three weeks as the Broncos ease him into the offense (opposed to rushing him into a starting role as the team did with Knowshon Moreno in 2009, which did not work out well). As the season goes on, he’ll get more carries. But if you’re upset that he didn’t get more carries solely because McGahee fumbled, that’s ludicrous. McGahee is a veteran that is tough and has been in the league for a long time; Hillman is a small rookie. When the team needs tough yards, it’ll be McGahee over Hillman any day of the week.

win the AFC West, and we’re hosting a play off game.10-6 will probably be enough. 8-0 in the division will seal it.

Surprised by all the comments on the offense. It’s basic, too many turnovers, period.
The real issue is STILL this defense. It’s basic: lousy scheme, too many DC’s, average (at best) personnel.

haha no it wasn’t getting rid of Tebow. I have disagreed with so much for so long in this organization and come regular season time, I put it all aside and put my glasses on. I’m just done with it. I may not be a football genius but apparently I know a little more than the people who keep running the show because our results have been very predictable for a very long time now.

Well brother-man I have to admit I’m with you on most of the decisions that have been coming down as well. I thought our draft, aside from Hillman (hopefully) was a bust. Many of the players we passed on are already making a mark and I wonder if Wolfe is more than good depth and have doubt the the Brockster will ever do anything.

But I do feel pretty good about what we have and how it can get much better. I very much like the feeling I have with Peyton, even diminished he is better than ANY guy we have had since Elway and he, I think, will even progress. Dude had been off for a tad more than a year and was unable to work out for most of that.

Yada, yada, yada you know all that. Point is I feel good about him. Now will the rest come along with him is what is to be seen. Not going after Reggie Wayne was as poor a decision as our draft.

Their hurry-up is….effective.

I went to the game yesterday. Very disappointing. I really didn’t know the Broncos run defense was so awful. Bottled up McFadden nicely last week, but they were exposed on Sunday. Their inability to get off the field on 3rd down is obviously an enormous problem. It’s limiting Manning’s chances with the ball. Except one quarter, Manning has been tremendous. I don’t know how anyone can argue that point thus far. He easily would have put up 30+ on the Patriots yesterday if his team doesn’t put the ball on the ground twice in the red zone. Mcgahee’s fumble was excruciating. Completely inexcusable. Soft. As tough as the game had been to that point, they have a legitimate shot (down 1 score/3:00+ left/2 timeouts and the 2 min warning) if McGahee doesn’t gag. I expect more from a veteran like that. Also waiting for Dumerville to show up and for Champ to make some impact plays. Beating really good teams is going to be nearly impossible if some of the best players on defense are invisible. Frustrating game for sure, but the most difficult part of the schedule (brutal really) is behind them. They can right the ship and go into the bye tied for first with a victory in San Diego next week. A must win for sure.

Broncos giving up 3rd and long has been the broncos specialty for years now

Hell no! I’m still glad we are rid of that mess and really hope we have the fortune of getting 5 years out of PM. Comparing PM with TT is lunacy and comedy, at best. The point I was trying to make is this. At the end of the day, stats don’t get us anywhere. W’s do. I think all of us share the same sentiment. It doesn’t matter what the stats are, we just want wins..and lots of them.

Joe Mays needs to be replaced immediately.

Keith Brooking anyone?