Sunday’s 15-12 loss to the Oakland Raiders was yet another case of the Denver Broncos being shut out of the end zone for the seventh consecutive quarter, and today, head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are out of answers. The coach knows this; his whole staff knows this.
The fact of the matter is that the issues ailing Denver’s offense are far bigger than just an aging quarterback whose glory days are way behind him.
“We want Peyton to get back healthy. He’s one of our guys. But Peyton or Brock, you know, I think with either situation, we have got to play way better around those guys,” Daniels told USA Today Sports. “We have to hold up our end of the bargain on that.”
This past month, the question of selecting Brock Osweiler over Peyton Manning has hovered above like a dark cloud, and even though Kubiak managed to ride the storm while Manning rehabbed his injured left foot, the cloud will return again as soon as Manning is cleared by the medical staff to make his return to practice. And with the team consistently struggling on the offensive side of things, including in the win at San Diego last week, the answer is becoming blurrier by the day.
Two weeks back, following a much-needed home win against the New England Patriots, the only worry about the decision to stick with Osweiler would have been concern for Manning’s feelings, considering that he enjoys a status with the team not many QBs of his age enjoy these days.
However, it is clear that the Broncos offense is not ready to match resurgent Pittsburgh Steelers or make a good postseason run.
The offense that was on show this Sunday was shut out in the second half after settling for four first half field goals. This was a display that was hardly better than what we have usually seen when Manning was running the huddle during the first two months of the season. A stagnant running game and a leaky offensive line have plagued the Broncos since the beginning of this year.
Missing no. 2 tailback C.J Anderson, the Broncos rushed for only 34 yards, while the QB was sacked five times (all in the second half, and all by Raiders outside linebacker Khalil Mack).
“We lost the line of scrimmage,” Kubiak said. “There is no doubt we got pushed around.”
And this is a clear case of déjà vu. Not for the first time this season, the defense carried the team to an important win. A depleted defense, without three of its top four safeties and without star inside linebacker Danny Trevathan, the Broncos dominated the Raiders during the first half and held them to negative 12 yards. Yet despite their efforts, the scoreboard was only 12-0 at halftime.
On four separate occasions, the Broncos drove inside the Raiders’ 25-yard line, and twice they had a first-and-goal, only to be kept out of the end zone.
Indeed, cornerback Chris Harris was understandably frustrated.
“I’m hot. We were not supposed to lose that game,” Harris said. “Defensive-wise, we played great. I don’t know how many yards they had, we shut them down.”
The locker room seems to be headed for a great divide following a day in which so many players are to be blamed for the defeat. However, pointing fingers may not be the right way to go about things according to veteran defensive end Antonio Smith.
“That boat has sailed. We already passed that obstacle. That was a test early in the season, and we don’t do that,” Smith said. “You can’t do it, and I just think, the way the chemistry of this team is, that seed never could grow.”
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