Originally Posted by TEX:
Dude, 0-5 IS 0-5 - No matter how YOU look at it. Again, when it was in your favor, you had no such vision. In fact - you took your PA / Arrogant approach as usual and suggested that it would be highly unlikely that KC would ever return the favor. You even instructed me /us to get back to you when KC did. So, here we are and you're making excuses. :-)
Not sure I said it was highly unlikely that KC would ever go on a run... but, let's say I did. I have no issues at all with the talk track happening now. My comment about the two close games in that 0-5 streak was simply to suggest Denver wasn't far from snapping the streak, even last year.
For me, teams rally around leadership and that's especially true at the QB position. Denver has only had two 'leaders' at the position since 2010 - Tebow and Manning. Players rally around those guys. Keenum has done nothing to put himself in that category outside of last year. Yes, the Vikings had/have a hell of a team, but from what I've read - the players connected to him and he played the leader role fairly well.
You get a QB that has leadership ability and things can improve. I think he brings that... we'll soon find out. If I were you guys, I'd totally mock my comments that they can win 10 games as well, just don't forget my other part of that statement. It's not all about QB or Keenum - they have work to do at other spots to make that quest for 10 wins a reality in 2018.
I've never said Keenum alone can do it... he won't repeat 2017 without other upgrades.
The Chiefs have a ton of talent on offense and some question marks on defense. They're not equally balanced with badassery on both sides of the ball. Denver lost Talib, remains to be seen how they play without him. I don't think the world is lost and I believe it was exactly the right time to move on and start fresh with younger guys. They changed the scheme with Wade gone and that impacted how they played.
Broncos could easily finish 3rd or 4th again - all depends on what they do with the $23M in cap space and draft picks. I'm sure they're working the phones for trade options, so we'll see how that goes.
Elway has also not been perfect, you've never heard me say he has been... I do trust him and I trust the process. They went SB or Bust with Manning, and they've achieved both. In hindsight, they made poor choices the last couple of years and it's burned them.
What Elway does now will define his legacy as the leader of that team from the front office... they need to make better decisions in the draft, without question. In about a month, we'll see if they're still playing from the same script.
At this point, it's KC's division to lose... they're in a great position to win 12 games if the defense doesn't fall apart. Everyone else is playing catch up.
My goals for the Broncos this year --- finish above .500 and the only way they do that is to upgrade the OL, find a good 3rd RB for a consistent ground threat and find a capable pass catching TE. Jake Butt could be the guy, but he's an unkown, so they need someone else to be in the mix. They'll address the 3rd WR either in the draft or FA.
They have a handful of moves still left to be made, but they're not far off from realistically being able to win 10 games.
At home, they will take on the Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers,
Browns, Steelers, Rams, Seahawks, and Texans.
On the road, they will face the Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers,
Bengals, Ravens, Cardinals, 49ers, and Jets.
They split with the Chargers and Raiders last year and were swept by KC (close to splitting) ... go 3-3 in the division in 2018 and things are headed in the right direction.
They have to protect the home field and win 5 at minimum. That means they have to win all the divisional home games (3 wins). Add to that, the Browns, Seahawks and Texans... those teams have their own bag of issues too and it's not unrealistic to think they win those 3 games or just 2 of them.
On the road - Bengals, Ravens, Cardinals and Jets ... 4 games against teams with question marks and issues. Anything can happen.
Protect home field in the division (3), beat the Browns, Texans, Bengals, Ravens, Cardinals and Jets... that's 9 wins. Again - not really jumping the shark there.
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