Mile High Report
The loss to the Kansas City Chiefs stings but there are still reasons to be optimistic about the Denver Broncos.
Yesterday’s heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs left a bad taste in the mouth for many fans across Broncos Country.
It was a missed opportunity that would have given them a lot of confidence moving forward. A win would have given them a two-game lead for the final wildcard spot in the AFC. Instead, they only have a one-game margin over several other teams.
Sitting at 5-5, every game from here on out is crucial for the Broncos. Head Coach Sean Payton vowed that the Broncos would keep grinding and after yesterday’s loss. Next up? The NFC South leading Atlanta Falcons who were stunned by the New Orleans Saints who had lost seven games in a row.
The Broncos can most certainly win against the Falcons, and I believe they will. Losing three in a row isn’t something the franchise can afford to do. On top of that, two AFC matchups loom large with respect to the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals who are still in the hunt as well—but each lost in Week 10 and are 4-6 on the season. Their two easiest games are against the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders. The Broncos also have a divisional game with each of their rivals.
Truth be told, the Broncos control their own destiny. If they take care of business in most of their remaining games, I believe a 10-7 record and playoff spot is still on the table. I understand why fans are upset about yesterday’s loss. However, I do feel that there is a lot to be optimistic about moving forward.
Let’s take a look at some reasons why I’m still encouraged about the direction the team is heading.
The Broncos’ offense struggled in their first three drives of the second half against a well-coached and aggressive Chiefs defense. However, I felt Nix’s effort was impressive despite the loss. In fact, he played better than Mahomes on the road at Arrowhead. The game wasn’t too big for him, and he performed admirably.
It’s certainly not his fault a blocked field goal took away a game-winning drive and fourth quarter comeback. If the opposite would have happened, it would have only added to the allure of his rookie campaign which has been the best of any rookie quarterback in the NFL—unless you would want to argue in favor of Jayden Daniels’ efforts with the Washington Commanders.
His gamer mentality has stood out throughout the season. It’s one of those ‘it’ factors you can’t teach. Moreover, his penchant for explosive plays in the air and on the ground has been fun to watch. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but he has certainly improved greatly after his first several starts.
I’m also encouraged by what we have seen from Devaughn Vele, Audric...
