Game Thread: Week 15- Denver Broncos @ Detroit Lions

[megalodon30]

No rookie outside the elite is going to be able to come to Denver and make us a better team right away

Depends on if Payton can get a guy that’s perfect for his system.

Purdy was a 7th round pick but was the exact QB Shanahan needed to run his offense.

We don’t need to find the QB that throws the ball the prettiest, we just need to find a guy that can be Denver’s Drew Brees…

 

[wingsauce7]

Depends on if Payton can get a guy that’s perfect for his system.

Purdy was a 7th round pick but was the exact QB Shanahan needed to run his offense.

We don’t need to find the QB that throws the ball the prettiest, we just need to find a guy that can be Denver’s Drew Brees…

It isn't like shanahan drafted Purdy to be his starter. He was Mr irrelevant and only got a shot because Jimmy and Trey both were injured. Purdy as a starter is blind luck.

 

[Orange Crush77]

What sucked about yesterdays game was the O line. They created no running lanes, something they are supposed to excel at, and the pass protection sucked except Bolles was solid. The middle of our line and McGlinchey got blown up on almost every snap. Now I know it was loud in the stadium, but it’s a bit disturbing that we’re getting blown off the line of scrimmage on the snap, when we’re the ones controlling when the ball is snapped. Questions need to be asked.

 

[SpringStein]

cliff notes?

Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams combined for 211 yards and five touchdowns during Detroit’s 42-17 rout of Denver on Saturday night at Ford Field, which dropped the Broncos to 7-7 and on the outside looking into the AFC playoff picture with three games remaining. All three of those Lions players are 22 years old or younger and were top-35 picks in the 2022 (Williams) or 2023 (LaPorta, Gibbs) NFL drafts.

The Broncos? They haven’t made so much as a single pick within the top 50 since 2021. Is it any wonder Denver looked older, slower and outclassed in a humiliating loss here Saturday in a game with so much on the line?

The Broncos did not have the benefit of selecting blue-chip prospects like the Lions’ young trio for the past two years. They opted instead to trade for the veteran quarterback, Russell Wilson, whom the organization believed it needed to throw punches with the likes of Patrick Mahomes in their division. They instead chose to trade for the championship-winning coach, Sean Payton, to resurrect a winning culture that had gone stale in Denver.

Both of those moves are a large part of the reason the Broncos had earned a moment like Saturday night, a chance to move two games above .500 this late in the season for the first time in seven years. An opportunity to move into the AFC playoff bracket and even keep alive hopes of an AFC West title. Wilson and Payton have both played major parts in the Broncos making something meaningful of a season that appeared lost.

But the talent disparity between the Broncos and teams like the Lions is real. Denver has now played two of the fastest teams in the league in Detroit and the Miami Dolphins: Total score: 112-37.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Depends on if Payton can get a guy that’s perfect for his system.

Purdy was a 7th round pick but was the exact QB Shanahan needed to run his offense.

We don’t need to find the QB that throws the ball the prettiest, we just need to find a guy that can be Denver’s Drew Brees…

Let me re-phrase that.

It is "unlikely"

You might get lucky and strike gold later on but let's be honest if you take QB in Round 7 and he turns into an MVP you got lucky because if you knew it you would have taken him a lot higher.

 

[CEH]

Russ

Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams combined for 211 yards and five touchdowns during Detroit’s 42-17 rout of Denver on Saturday night at Ford Field, which dropped the Broncos to 7-7 and on the outside looking into the AFC playoff picture with three games remaining. All three of those Lions players are 22 years old or younger and were top-35 picks in the 2022 (Williams) or 2023 (LaPorta, Gibbs) NFL drafts.

The Broncos? They haven’t made so much as a single pick within the top 50 since 2021. Is it any wonder Denver looked older, slower and outclassed in a humiliating loss here Saturday in a game with so much on the line?

The Broncos did not have the benefit of selecting blue-chip prospects like the Lions’ young trio for the past two years. They opted instead to trade for the veteran quarterback, Russell Wilson, whom the organization believed it needed to throw punches with the likes of Patrick Mahomes in their division. They instead chose to trade for the championship-winning coach, Sean Payton, to resurrect a winning culture that had gone stale in Denver.

Both of those moves are a large part of the reason the Broncos had earned a moment like Saturday night, a chance to move two games above .500 this late in the season for the first time in seven years. An opportunity to move into the AFC playoff bracket and even keep alive hopes of an AFC West title. Wilson and Payton have both played major parts in the Broncos making something meaningful of a season that appeared lost.

But the talent disparity between the Broncos and teams like the Lions is real. Denver has now played two of the fastest teams in the league in Detroit and the Miami Dolphins: Total score: 112-37.

thanks.

i believe a culture change was needed. mission accomplished. now they can focus on the draft and finding a QB that Payton believes in.

Denver is almost on the same path as Detroit from last year.

we’ll be ok if we draft the next TE from Iowa.

 

[Dolemite censored]

Wilson should have told Peyton to go fuck himself. He was great on that drive and that idiot Peyton had 2 chances to throw the challenge flag.

Wilson overrated? How about Peyton is overrated.

 

[SpiritOf77]

Wilson should have told Peyton to go fuck himself. He was great on that drive and that idiot Peyton had 2 chances to throw the challenge flag.

Wilson overrated? How about Peyton is overrated

I don't think anyone here - or anyone in general, that I can remember - referring to Russ as "overrated ".. In his final year with the Hawks, the decline that is very natural and understandable that comes with a 33 year old QB was apparent ... He is now 35 years old, and while our perception of what an older QB can do has been adjusted by the anomaly known as Tom Brady, the fact is that Russ is 35 years old, and has had three different coaching staffs in the past three years ..

I don't think anyone here has referred to Russ as "overrated" at any point in his Bronco tenure, or, had lumped lofty expectations on him saving the franchise .... What we are seeing from Russ this season is just about what we expected ...

Sean Payton is a different story .. Perhaps you'd like to elaborate on what makes you think he is overrated ..

The parallels between the Broncos and Lions as far as the courses taken and turnaround time are significant ... It is hard to "overrate" a head coach considering his success is judged on a much broader scale in terms of who is responsible for the wins and losses .. the HC can put a masterful plan together, but he does need time as far as finding those who implement that plan

You might think Payton's success was due to having Drew Brees as his QB .. But if you remember, Drew Brees was an afterthought, having been rejected by every team after his catastrophic injury, and being shunned in Miami who chose to sign Daunte Culpepper instead

Yes, I am saying that Brees' ascension to one of the all-time greats has a lot to do with Payton, as opposed to the opposite

 

[nflbronco]

Russ

thanks.

i believe a culture change was needed. mission accomplished. now they can focus on the draft and finding a QB that Payton believes in.

Denver is almost on the same path as Detroit from last year.

we’ll be ok if we draft the next TE from Iowa.

I agree with this except I don't think our roster is anywhere near as good as the Lions. I know we can play better but, a team that can expose you gives you a really look at our flaws. Can we please limit JW carries I'm thrilled he came back fast. He is clearly not right. Our LBer's are great dudes but, man we need upgrades. Now we get to the cake part of our schedule 3-0 finish should be easy.

 

[Mingo]

Thought PJ Locke took two steps back yesterday too. Had a poor game. Could be that he wasn't healthy but after getting a lot of love this week he struggled. Moreau had his worst game as a Bronco too. Won't throw these guys to the curb they have played great but just calling that out.

Singleton and Jewell weren't as active as we are us to. Browning didn't do much. Just an overall bad game that reminded you a bit of a game we had earlier in the year. After a few bounce back games for Singleton he looked more like he did earlier in the season. Wasn't fast to the football and out of position. Josey wasn't out of position but didn't make the plays we are use to him making. Zach Allen after having a crazy amount of good weeks was also off his game.

Thought DJ Jones played his best game of the year though.

I expected the Lions to run the ball a lot more.

Anyone else think maybe they knew our game plan was going to be expecting that? I think we confused so much on the run game this week that we got caught sleeping in the pass game.

Kudos to the Lions. The better team won. They were well prepared and I think they knew exactly what our game plan was. We lost to a good team. On to the next.

The Broncos were definitely "out schemed" in game preparation. The Lions played with more hustle and emotion than the Broncos did. The home team meant a lot to the Lions - as it should. The officiating was crazy enough for the Broncos to address that to the league office (not that it will do anything to help these recent bad calls). The Lions deserved to win - I was out before the game ended too - which is rare.

 

[Draft Crazy]

The Broncos were definitely "out schemed" in game preparation. The Lions played with more hustle and emotion than the Broncos did. The home team meant a lot to the Lions - as it should. The officiating was crazy enough for the Broncos to address that to the league office (not that it will do anything to help these recent bad calls). The Lions deserved to win - I was out before the game ended too - which is rare.

No doubt- Feels we lost that fire and emotion we played with from previous weeks. Need to get that back going forward.

 

[CEH]

Wilson should have told Peyton to go fuck himself. He was great on that drive and that idiot Peyton had 2 chances to throw the challenge flag.

Wilson overrated? How about Peyton is overrated.

maybe spell his name right unless you are talking about Manning

 

[Mingo]

No doubt- Feels we lost that fire and emotion we played with from previous weeks. Need to get that back going forward.

That's a big part of the reason only one team has gone undefeated - it is incredibly difficult to bring it every week.

 

[Dolemite censored]

maybe spell his name right unless you are talking about Manning

They look alike to me.

 

[SpringStein]

Now we get to the cake part of our schedule 3-0 finish should be easy.

Paul, Paul, Paul… are you new to the NFL? Ain’t no such thing as easy wins. Even the pats won a game last week.

Saying that, I do think it comes down to week 17 vs Raiders.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Paul, Paul, Paul… are you new to the NFL? Ain’t no such thing as easy wins. Even the pats won a game last week.

Saying that, I do think it comes down to week 17 vs Raiders.

Especially late in the season with 3 teams that have nothing to lose.

 

[Mountain Bronco]

What sucked about yesterdays game was the O line. They created no running lanes, something they are supposed to excel at, and the pass protection sucked except Bolles was solid. The middle of our line and McGlinchey got blown up on almost every snap. Now I know it was loud in the stadium, but it’s a bit disturbing that we’re getting blown off the line of scrimmage on the snap, when we’re the ones controlling when the ball is snapped. Questions need to be asked.

Our OL has been consistently rated high on win rate and advance metrics, but my eyes don't see it. There have been way too many times the line is just immediately blown back. The other concern was the secondary. They just didn't look right and there were way to many wide open lanes. Even Surtain was getting torched which happened a bit in the start of the season so that is worrying. The lack of pressure was noticeable as well.

Frustrating game, but we are a slightly above average team talent wise so better teams with decent coaches are going to win their fair share of games against us. We should win out, but not sure we will and even if we do I don't know that 10-7 will get us in. What I hope to see is continued progress as this was a large step back IMO.

 

[Mingo]

I'm really pretty happy just to still have an interest in how the games are going to play out for the Broncos playoff chances.