Denver Broncos
Division: AFC West
Record: 6-10, 3rd in AFC West
Record Splits: 2-4 vs. AFC West, 2-2 vs. AFC North, 2-2 vs. NFC West, 0-2 vs. 2017 4th Place Teams (Jets, Texans)
Playoffs: He is not having the time of his life
Statistics
Offense/Defense
| Team Statistics | Offense | Rank | Defense | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points Per Game | 20.6 | 24th | 21.8 | 13th |
| Total Yards Per Game | 350.1 | 19th | 365.1 | 22nd |
| Pass Yards Per Game | 230.9 | 19th | 246.4 | 22nd |
| Yards Per Pass Attempt | 6.7 | T-24th | 7.7 | T-23rd |
| Rush Yards Per Game | 119.2 | 12th | 119.6 | 21st |
| Yards Per Rush | 4.9 | T-3rd | 4.5 | 17th |
| Total Turnovers (Offense)/Turnovers Forced (Defense) | 21 | 18th | 29 | T-8th |
| First Downs Per Game | 20.0 | 20th | 19.9 | 16th |
| Third Down Conversions | 33% (69 for 207) | 28th | 39% (82 for 211) | 17th |
| Penalties/Penalty Yardage | 125/985 | 31st/27th | 123/1,006 | 28th/26th |
| Average Time of Possession | 28:58 | 28th | 31:02 | 24th |
Special Teams
| Team Statistic | Broncos Special Teams | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Kickoff Yards Per Return | 20.1 | 28th |
| Punt Yards Per Return | 4.4 | 32nd |
| Gross Yards Per Punt | 44.5 | 19th |
| Net Yards Per Punt | 38.3 | 28th |
| Kickoff Coverage (Yards Per Return Against) | 20.8 | 4th |
| Punt Coverage (Yards Per Return Against) | 10.5 | 29th |
Coaching and Other Personnel Changes
| Outgoing | Incoming |
|---|---|
| Brock Olivo (Special Teams Coordinator) | Tom McMahon (Special Teams Coordinator) |
| Eric Studesville (Running Backs Coach) | Curtis Modkins (Running Backs Coach) |
| Tyke Tolbert (Wide Receivers Coach) | Zach Azzanni (Wide Receivers Coach) |
| Fred Pagac (Outside Linebackers Coach) | Bill Musgrave (Full-Time Offensive Coordinator) |
| Johnnie Lynn (Defensive Backs Coach) | Greg Williams (Defensive Backs Coach) |
| Jeff Davidson (Offensive Line Coach) | Sean Kugler (Offensive Line Coach) |
| Tom Heckert Jr. (Senior Personnel Adviser) | Mike Sullivan (Quarterbacks Coach) |
All six outgoing coaches were relieved of their duties on January 1st, 2018 after the last game of the season.
Sean Kugler and Chris Strausser replaced Davidson on the offensive line, a unit that finished ranked 24th in the league by Pro Football Focus. Mike Sullivan took over as QB coach, coming over to Denver after two years as offensive coordinator with the Giants. The numbers posted at the QB position (19th in pass yards per game, 24th in yards per pass attempt) in Denver were not enough to keep him around after the 2018 season. Two coaches that were able to keep their job despite the changes after 2018 were RB coach Curtis Modkins (Broncos would finish the year 12th in rushing yards per game, 3rd in yards per carry) and WR coach Zach Azzanni, two former Bears coaches who spent time with soon-to-be Broncos coach Vic Fangio.
John Bowlen also sold a portion of his minority stake in the Broncos to the Broncos, further solidifying Pat Bowlen’s majority ownership of the team.
Draft Picks
*=Compensatory Draft Pick
| Draft Pick | Player | College |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (5) | Bradley Chubb | NC State |
| 2 (40) | Courtland Sutton | SMU |
| 3 (71) | Royce Freeman | Oregon |
| 3 (99)* | Isaac Yiadom | Boston College |
| 4 (106) | Josey Jewell | Iowa |
| 4 (113) | DaeSean Hamilton | Penn State |
| 5 (156) | Troy Fumagalli | Wisconsin |
| 6 (183) | Sam Jones | Arizona State |
| 6 (217)* | Keishawn Berria | Washington |
| 7 (226) | David Williams | Arkansas |
| UDFA | Phillip Lindsay | Colorado |
· Bradley Chubb and Phillip Lindsay emerged as the stars of this draft class in their rookie years. Chubb broke the Broncos’ rookie sack record with 12, while Lindsay accumulated the second-most rushing yards by an undrafted rookie in league history. He also became the first undrafted offensive rookie to make a Pro Bowl.
· Sutton was given a first-round grade by John Elway and started the season out as the team’s #3 wide receiver but wound up as the #1 option at the end of the year through a combination of trades and untimely injuries. He struggled with being the primary focus of opposing defenses but finished the season with a glowing 16.7 yards per reception.
· Hamilton missed a few games mid-season with a sprained MCL but came back and served as the team’s primary slot receiver when Emmanuel Sanders went down for the year, hauling in at least 5 passes in each of the team’s final four games.
· Freeman’s rookie season was vastly overshadowed by Phillip Lindsay’s breakout. The Oregon product finished with 521 rushing yards on 4.0 yards per carry and should open next season firmly entrenched as the #2 back behind Lindsay.
· Yiadom started the year on special teams, but an injury to Chris Harris Jr. and poor play by Tramaine Brock allowed Yiadom to see more playing time late in the year. He finished his rookie season with his first career INT off Philip Rivers in the season finale.
· Jewell started his season out hot, being ranked as high as #2 among all linebackers in the league early on by Pro Football Focus but cooled down once entering a snap rotation with fellow inside linebackers Todd Davis and Brandon Marshall.
· Jones saw very little action in his first year, as the interior line is a strength of the Broncos’ offense. He rotated in in relief, but otherwise did not see the field much.
· Fumagalli missed his entire rookie year with a sports hernia surgery. He’ll open 2019 competing with Jake Butt and Jeff Heuerman for the starting TE spot.
· Bierria was relegated to special team duties in his rookie year, only recording 4 tackles on the year.
· Williams was the lone draft pick of the group who failed to make the team’s final roster.
2017 Key Free Agents and Departures
| Player | 2018 Team |
|---|---|
| C.J. Anderson | Carolina Panthers/Los Angeles Rams (Released) |
| Riley Dixon | New York Giants (Traded) |
| Todd Davis | Denver Broncos (Re-signed) |
| Aqib Talib | Los Angeles Rams (Traded) |
| Bennie Fowler III | Chicago Bears (Signed) |
| Trevor Siemian | Minnesota Vikings (Traded) |
| Virgil Green | Los Angeles Chargers (Signed) |
| Cody Latimer | New York Giants (Signed) |
| Corey Nelson | Philadelphia Eagles (Signed) |
| Brock Osweiler | Miami Dolphins (Signed) |
| Billy Turner | Denver Broncos (Re-signed) |
| Matt Paradis | Denver Broncos (Re-signed) |
Most of the Broncos’ key players were under contract through the 2018 season. Todd Davis and Matt Paradis – the latter of whom has become one of the best centers in the league – were re-signed by the team. The most notable losses to free agency were Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer, two second-string receivers, Virgil Green, the team’s starting tight end from last year, and Brock Osweiler, a former starter for the team. Most of the players they lost would fail to produce at a level high enough such that their production was irreplaceable. The most notable of them – Osweiler – started a few games for the Dolphins in the absence of Ryan Tannehill.
In the trade department, punter Riley Dixon was traded to the Giants for a conditional draft pick in 2019. Trevor Siemian, once a starter for the team, was traded to the Vikings for a fifth-round pick. The most notable departure of the season came when the team agreed to send Pro Bowl CB Aqib Talib to the Rams for draft picks, signifying the end of Denver’s “No Fly Zone” secondary. C.J. Anderson, another key part of the NFC Champion Rams’ late-season push, was cut after the additions of Freeman in the draft.
Notable New Acquisitions
| Player | Position | 2017 Team |
|---|---|---|
| Tramaine Brock | CB | Minnesota Vikings |
| Adam Jones | CB | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Su'a Cravens | S | Washington Redskins (via trade) |
| Case Keenum | QB | Minnesota Vikings |
| Jared Veldheer | OT | Arizona Cardinals (via trade) |
| Marquette King | P | Oakland Raiders |
| Gino Gradkowski | C | Carolina Panthers |
The Broncos’ 2018 offseason was one to forget from an acquisition standpoint, signing numerous players who were cut after only a few weeks on the roster. Marquette King was signed as a replacement for Riley Dixon but was cut after sustaining an injury in favor of Colby Wadman. Adam Jones was brought over from Cincinnati but only lasted 7 games before being released. Tramaine Brock was benched late in the year in favor of Isaac Yiadom after spending most of the year as the #3 corner. Veldheer came over in a trade after struggling for years at both tackle spots in Arizona. However, the pièce de résistance of the offseason was Case Keenum. After a season in which the Broncos rotated between Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch at QB, the Broncos firmly entrenched themselves in the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes. When Cousins signed with Minnesota, the Broncos signed Keenum over from the Vikings to be the piece needed to bring the Broncos back to Super Bowl contention. As the season progressed, Keenum struggled to complete passes at an efficient rate, completing just 62% of his attempts with a passer rating of 81.2.
Season Summary
The Broncos entered 2018 looking to improve on their 5-11, last place finish in 2017. They were also looking to avoid consecutive losing seasons for the first time in almost half a century. In doing so, they added Bradley Chubb in the draft hoping to create a lethal pass rushing duo with Von Miller as well as adding two running backs to complement Devontae Booker in the backfield. Head coach Vance Joseph returned to the team despite some believing that he should have been let go after last year.
The biggest step the team took in trying to return to contention was signing Vikings QB Case Keenum to a 2-year, $36M contract. Keenum was a major piece in the Vikings making it to the NFC Championship the year prior, throwing for a career high in TDs while also setting career marks for completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating. The belief was that Keenum could replicate his success in Minnesota and lead the Broncos back to the postseason. If he couldn’t, the seats of both Joseph and GM John Elway would be getting a lot warmer.
The season started strong with two wins to open the year, but quickly fell apart as a 1-6 stretch had the team at 3-6 entering their Week 11 game with the then 8-2 Chargers. A three-game winning streak, including victories over the Chargers and the 7-2-1 Steelers gave fans hope that the team could make a late-season playoff push, but season-ending injuries to Emmanuel Sanders and Chris Harris Jr. as well as a bad loss to the 49ers quickly squashed them. The Broncos finished the year on a four-game losing streak and closed out the year with a 6-10 record. As a result, head coach Vance Joseph was shown the door one day after the season’s end.
Arguably the most frustrating aspect of the Broncos’ season was the way they played up or down to their opponents. An art mastered by the Steelers, the Broncos lost games to bad teams (see: Jets, 49ers, Raiders) as often as they beat good ones (see: Seahawks, Chargers, Steelers). The team also gave the Chiefs (twice), Texans and Rams some of their toughest fights of the year.
Weekly Game Review
Week 1: vs. Seattle Seahawks (0-0)
The Broncos kicked off the season with a rematch of a Super Bowl that I’m almost certain never happened to Broncos fans. In his debut game in a Broncos uniform, Keenum showed both flashes of brilliance and causes for concern with a 329-yard, 3 TD, 3 INT game. Offensively, Emmanuel Sanders and Phillip Lindsay starred with over 230 yards from scrimmage between the two. On defense, it was two familiar faces in Chris Harris Jr. and Von Miller delivering the key plays against Seattle, limiting them to 64 rushing yards on the day. An Adam Jones interception of Russell Wilson sealed the Broncos’ first win of the season. W 27-24. Record 1-0.
Week 2: vs. Oakland Raiders (0-1)
Following a win over Seattle in Week 1, the Broncos got an early taste of divisional football as the Raiders came to town. The offense struggled mightily early on, with four of their six first half drives ending in punts. A fifth drive ended in a Rashaan Melvin interception at the Oakland 18. The defense struggled to stop Derek Carr through the air (29/32, 288 Yards, 1 TD) but kept the Raiders from the end zone for most of the afternoon. The turning point of the game came when Shaquil Barrett blocked Mike Nugent’s extra point attempt, a play that proved to be the difference in the final score. The Broncos got on the board early in the 3rd with a Royce Freeman TD run and would score on each of their four second-half possessions, including a game-winning field goal by Brandon McManus. W 20-19. Record 2-0.
Week 3: at Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Lack of offense and discipline proved to be the Broncos’ downfall in a loss to the Joe Flacco-led Ravens. The game started off well enough for Denver, with Joseph Jones blocking a Sam Koch punt which turned into a Royce Freeman TD run. On the ensuing drive, the Ravens answered with a TD thanks in part to penalties on Isaac Yiadom and Todd Davis giving Baltimore 20 free yards on a 63-yard drive. The Broncos would respond with an Emmanuel Sanders TD run, but would end their scoring on the day there, as the Ravens would close out the game scoring 20 unanswered points through the final three quarters on their way to a win. Of the Broncos’ final nine offensive possessions, seven ended in a Marquette King punt, one ended in an interception, and one in a turnover on downs. One such drive saw the offense put something together only to be brought out of field goal range thanks to penalties by Garett Bolles, Connor McGovern, and Ronald Leary. L 14-27. Record 2-1.
Week 4: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) (Monday Night Football)
The Broncos returned home to face the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football”. Opposite the Broncos’ defense was sensation Patrick Mahomes II, who will be referred to as “Showtime” from here on in. The game was an exchange of scores early on, as the teams both made field goals followed by TD runs in the first half. A second Denver field goal was matched with a second Kansas City field goal to keep the game knotted up at 13. A Phillip Lindsay touchdown run and third field goal made it 23-13 Broncos early in the fourth. It was then when the Broncos could no longer keep up with Showtime. A 12 play, 95-yard, 6:20 TD drive by the Chiefs was answered with a Broncos punt. The Chiefs’ late rally was nearly stopped when Von Miller had Showtime sacked, only for Showtime to make a left-handed pass to Tyreek Hill that had the media falling over themselves for weeks to come. The Chiefs would score on that drive, and a last-ditch effort by the Broncos to win the game was stopped when Justin Houston nearly recovered a lateral attempt that was ruled incomplete. L 23-27. Record 2-2.
Week 5: at New York Jets (1-3)
The Broncos turned a solid first quarter into their most disappointing loss of the season as the Jets would outscore Denver 34-9 over the final three quarters of the game. In what would be the low point of the early part of the year, the Broncos would allow a Jets-franchise record 219 rushing yards to Isaiah Crowell as well as three passing TDs to rookie Sam Darnold. The Broncos’ defense allowed two 70+ yard scoring plays, the only game this year in which this happened. A field goal and garbage time touchdown to Demaryius Thomas made the score closer than the game was throughout the afternoon. Case Keenum would throw a season-high 51 pass attempts in this game and complete a career-high 35 of them. L 16-34. Record 2-3.
Week 6: vs. Los Angeles Rams (5-0)
For the second time in three weeks, the Broncos would face an undefeated team at home, and for the second time in three weeks, the Broncos would come close to upsetting a red-hot offense. The story of the game was the same as the week prior for Denver, with the defense failing to stop the opposing run game. Todd Gurley II gashed the Broncos’ D for 208 rushing yards and 2 scores on 7.8 yards per carry. The defense was able to limit Jared Goff (201 yards, no touchdowns, and a pick on 50% completion) and keep the game from getting out of hand by forcing the Rams to kick field goals. Bradley Chubb and Darian Stewart had spectacular games, but the offense’s inability to score early was their downfall. The run D of the Broncos had now given up 548 rushing yards to #1 backs in a three-game stretch. Their own run game was shut down as well, accumulating only 60 yards on the ground. L 20-23. Record 2-4.
Week 7: at Arizona Cardinals (1-5) (Thursday Night Football)
In what was the most dominating performance of the season and the largest blowout on Thursday Night Football in almost a year, the Broncos pounced on a weak Cardinals team early and never looked back en route to a 35-point victory. The game started with two early pick-sixes by Todd Davis and Chris Harris Jr. Wideout Emmanuel Sanders did his best Odell Beckham impression by both catching and throwing for a TD pass in the game. Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay each rushed for a TD after being held scoreless the last two games. The biggest improvement on the week, however, was seeing a run defense that had let up almost 600 yards in the last two games give up only 69 yards on the ground. This would be the only game of the season in which the Broncos had reached the 30-point plateau. W 45-10. Record 3-4.
Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
The Broncos would see the Chiefs for the second time in a month, this time in Arrowhead. A Phillip Lindsay TD run gave the Broncos an early lead, and the defense was able to hold the Chiefs to a field goal on the following drive despite a key pass interference call against Bradley Roby. Brandon McManus missed a field goal on the next Denver possession, a moment that turned the game in the Chiefs’ favor. Kansas City would reach the endzone on each of their next two trips downfield, both by way of TD passes from Showtime. A TD pass to Tim Patrick brought the Broncos to within two going into halftime, but the Chiefs would bring the lead up to 16 with two more Showtime TD throws. The Broncos would score a TD on their next drive (failed two-point conversion) and picked off Showtime on the Chiefs’ following possession, but two turnovers by Keenum on two consecutive fourth quarter drives dealt serious damage to their chances of escaping with a win. The defense continued to hold, forcing 3 three-and-outs in a row. A field goal cut the Kansas City lead to 7, but the Broncos’ desperation play to force OT was unsuccessful. L 23-30. Record 3-5.
*****TRADE ALERT****\*
With the trade deadline looming, the Broncos received some interest in WR Demaryius Thomas, whose $17.5M cap hit was expendable now that the team had Courtland Sutton waiting in the wings. Ultimately, the team found a willing trade partner in the Houston Texans, who sent a fourth-round pick and a swap of seventh-round picks back to Denver in exchange for Thomas. Thomas, the last remaining piece of the record-setting 2013 offense, left Denver trailing only Rod Smith for receiving yards and receiving TDs in a Broncos uniform.
Week 9: vs. Houston Texans (5-3)
Demaryius Thomas’ first game as a Texan happened to be against his former team. A Deshaun Watson pass to the Texans’ other Thomas – TE Jordan Thomas – gave Houston an early lead. After an exchange of punts, the Broncos would get on the board with a McManus field goal and then forced the Texans to turn the ball over on downs. They failed to take advantage, as Devontae Booker fumbled deep in Broncos territory, allowing the Texans to put up another TD and jump out to a 13-3 lead. Booker would later redeem himself with a TD run. McManus would miss his second field goal in as many games late in the first half, which gave the Texans a short field to tack on another field goal. Vance Joseph tried to ice Texans’ kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn; Fairbairn’s first attempt missed wide right, but he made the second attempt after the timeout. The second half saw the Broncos take their first lead of the game on a TD pass to Jeff Heuerman, but the Texans responded with a field goal that would end up the game’s final score. Notable from this game was Vance Joseph’s 4th-quarter play calling, choosing a more passive approach and settling for a 62-yard field goal attempt instead of going for the TD late. McManus missed the attempt. L 17-19. Record 3-6.
Week 10: BYE Week
At 3-6, the Broncos’ playoff hopes were fading fast, and the team needed to string together some wins to put themselves back in the conversation. The task seemed daunting, given that their next two opponents sported a combined record of 14-4-1 entering their games against Denver. If they could make it out of these two weeks with at least one win, it would go a long way in keeping their playoff chances – and possibly Vance Joseph’s job – alive.
Week 11: at Los Angeles Chargers (7-2)
First up on the Broncos’ last-ditch playoff push was the Chargers, sporting a 7-2 record and having not lost a game since Week 3. Despite their stellar record, the Chargers also had plenty to play for in this game, as the Chiefs led the division at 9-1. Recent history was on the Broncos’ side, as the team had won 11 of their last 14 games against the Bolts. The game started off slow, as two Los Angeles field goals made up the only scoring in the first quarter. A Lindsay TD run would give the Broncos the lead early in the second and they would get the ball back minutes later when Chris Harris Jr. picked off Philip Rivers.
The Broncos would take control of the game in the third when Von Miller picked off Rivers on a screen pass, giving the Broncos a short field for Royce Freeman to punch it in on a run. Lindsay would score on another run late in the quarter, giving Denver a 20-19 lead. Clock-killing drives defined the fourth quarter as both teams would only manage field goals in the quarter. The Chargers got theirs early on and would spend most of the quarter on top. However, poor clock management by Los Angeles gave the Broncos the ball back with enough time to put together a game-winning drive. Aided by timely Chargers penalties, the Broncos were able to drive the length of the field and put Brandon McManus in position to hit a game-winning 34-yard field goal. W 23-22. Record 4-6.
Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2-1)
Following an upset win in Los Angeles, the Broncos returned to Mile High Stadium for a showdown with the Steelers, the second straight game in which their opponent entered the game with a six-game win streak. In what was a pleasant change of pace, it was the Broncos’ opponents who failed to take advantage of scoring opportunities and fell victim to untimely turnovers. A missed Pittsburgh field goal was answered with a made Denver field goal to give the Broncos an early 3-0 lead. The 12-play, 74-yard Steelers drive that followed ended in a turnover forced by Will Parks. After a Broncos punt and Steelers field goal to tie the game, the Broncos marched down the field in 6 plays and took a 10-3 lead off a Keenum TD pass to Matt LaCosse. Pittsburgh responded by moving into field goal range at the end of the half and tricked the Broncos on a fake field goal passing TD to tie the game. Early in the third, the defense was burned on a 97-yard TD reception by JuJu Smith-Schuster, but tied the game back up after a Chris Harris Jr. picked gave Denver’s offense a short field. The Broncos would later take the lead on a Lindsay TD run after another Steelers fumble gave the offense the ball back. The Steelers’ final drive of the game saw them reach the Broncos’ 3-yard line before the two-minute warning; however, Ben Roethlisberger’s pass intended for Antonio Brown was intercepted by Shelby Harris, securing the win. W 24-17. Record 5-6.
Week 13: at Cincinnati Bengals (5-6)
After back-to-back wins over teams firmly in the AFC playoff picture, the Broncos found new life in their playoff hopes. Week 13 had them travel to face a Bengals team missing Andy Dalton and playing a hobbled A.J. Green, who would suffer a season-ending toe injury later in this game. This game started out as an offense to the term “offense”, with neither team advancing past the opponent’s 43 until midway through the second quarter, when McManus missed a 50-yard FG attempt. The first points of the game came when Phillip Lindsay scored from 6 yards out at the two-minute warning and, despite the Bengals driving down the field on their next drive, the Broncos still held a 4-point lead after a Cincinnati FG. The Broncos would extend their lead in the 3rd, with Keenum finding Courtland Sutton through the air and Lindsay scoring on a 65-yard run. The Bengals would cut the lead to 21-10 late in the quarter and would find life after Royce Freeman fumbled, but would not muster up any more offense from that point, and the Broncos kicked a field goal in the fourth to reach the game’s final score. W 24-10. Record 6-6.
Week 14: at San Francisco 49ers (2-10)
Now having rattled off three straight wins, the Broncos are making noise at a potential run for the conference’s 6 seed. Unfortunately for them, #1 wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders tore his Achilles in practice, ending his season and leaving the team with a major hole to fill. Rookie Courtland Sutton would take over in Sanders’ place as the team traveled to Santa Clara to face the 2-10 49ers. The Broncos fell behind 20-0 before the half, as George Kittle racked up 210 receiving yards against the defense, most of which came in the first half. The Broncos tried mounting a comeback in the second half, but early offensive shortcomings (70 yards of offense in their first 6 possessions combined) allowed the 49ers to hang on and placing a major speed bump on the Broncos’ January ambitions. The team would also lose CB Chris Harris Jr. for the season to a broken fibula in this game. L 14-20. Record 6-7.
Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns (5-7-1) (Thursday Night Football on Saturday)
The Broncos hosted the resurgent Browns in a Saturday night football special. After having lost to the 49ers last week, every game became must-win if the Broncos wanted a shot at the playoffs. The Broncos would take a 10-7 lead in the second quarter but would end the first half tied after a Browns field goal and Keenum and Baker Mayfield exchanging interceptions. Another turnover forced by the Denver D would allow the team to kick another field goal, giving them a 13-10 lead entering the 4th. Keenum threw his second INT of the game early in the final frame, allowing the Browns to regain the lead on a Mayfield TD pass. With just under 12 minutes left in the game, the Broncos would go on a clock-chewing 13-play, 64-yard drive that lasted over 7 minutes. With a 4th-and-1 at the Browns’ 6, Vance Joseph – in his most questionable move of the season – elected to kick a field goal. Trailing by 1 with only two timeouts left, Denver would need a defensive stop in order to keep their hopes of winning the game and staying in the playoff picture alive. They would get it on a failed 4th down conversion by the Browns; however, the Broncos’ final drive ended at midfield, with two incomplete passes and a Jabrill Peppers sack putting the nail in the coffin. With the Titans’ win over the Giants the next day, the Broncos were officially eliminated from playoff contention. L 16-17. Record 6-8.
Week 16: at Oakland Raiders (3-11) (Monday Night Football)
With playoffs out of the picture, the Broncos looked to finish the season strong for the sake of both morale and to save the jobs of many coaches on the team. Their penultimate game of the season would be an emotional one for their opponents, as it would be (as I am writing this) the final game the Raiders played at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, their home for the last 24 years. The game started out poorly for the Broncos, as the Raiders would return the punt 99 yards for a score and would add on another 10 points in the second to leave Denver down 17-0 at the half. The Broncos would get on the scoreboard in the third, but the Raiders would respond with another TD in the 4th to make it 24-7. A late rally that saw Denver score another TD and force a three-and-out was quelled when Keenum threw interceptions on consecutive drives. The Raiders kicked another field goal between the two Keenum picks to seal the game. L 14-27. Record 6-9.
Week 17: vs. Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
The final game of the Broncos season was a rematch against the Chargers, who they upset in Los Angeles in Week 11. Despite the defense’s spectacular start (6 of the 7 Chargers’ first drives ended in either a punt or interception), the offense was unable to do anything all afternoon, the low point being the Chargers recovering a Keenum fumble for a TD. The Broncos ended the half with a field goal, aided by Jahleel Addae fumbling an interception that was recovered by Denver. Down 14-3 in the 4th, the Broncos scored, but were unable to add any more points after, as the ensuing 2-point attempt was intercepted and returned to give the Chargers another two points. Another Chargers TD and a Broncos turnover on downs would be the end of Denver’s season, as they would go down quietly in a three-score loss. L 9-27. Record 6-10.
Season Highlights
Emmanuel Sanders does his best Odell Beckham impression
Von Miller becomes the Broncos’ all-time sack leader
It always feels good to hurt a divisional opponent!
Shelby Harris picks off Big Ben to seal the win
Bradley Chubb breaks the Broncos’ rookie sack record
Phillip Lindsay, Phillip Lindsay, and more Phillip Lindsay
Season Lowlights
Giving up 219 rushing yards to Isaiah Crowell…
…and then another 208 to Todd Gurley the following week
Settling for a field goal against the Texans…
…and watching their playoff chances disappear by doing it again
The AFC West and pick-2s: Name a more iconic duo…
…the Broncos and giving up record-setting performances
Season Awards, Pro Bowl, and All-Pros
- Week 7 AFC Offensive Player of the Week: Emmanuel Sanders
- October Defensive Rookie of the Month: Bradley Chubb
- Week 11 AFC Defensive Player of the Week: Von Miller
- Week 13 AFC Offensive Player of the Week: Phillip Lindsay
- Pro Bowlers: Phillip Lindsay (INJ), Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. (ALT), Casey Kreiter
- All-Pros: Von Miller – 1st Team Linebacker (Pro Football Writers of America), 2nd Team Edge Rusher and Linebacker (Associated Press)
Position Evaluations, Coaching Evaluation, 2019 Information, and Final Words in the Comments
Congratulations to former Broncos CB Champ Bailey and team owner Pat Bowlen for being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019!
Thanks
Thanks to:
- All those in r/nfl that choose to read this and give their feedback on it. It's my first foray into the 32 Teams/32 Days series and I hope that you all enjoy what I've put together!
- u/therealDoctorKay for giving me a shot at doing one of the write-ups for this series!
- r/DenverBroncos for not crucifying me the minute they found out that a Chargers fan would be doing their write-up. I promised leading into this that I would put my flair away for this write-up and would do my damnedest to treat it with the same respect and effort that I would have if it was the Chargers I was writing about.
Submitted February 26, 2019 at 06:35PM by itsnotyellowfever https://ift.tt/2GMcol0
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