Well... that was... embarrassing to say the least.
The Broncos went into a must win game against their division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. They had every reason to play their best football and show that they had no intention of going quietly. In fact, near the end of the first half, it looked as if the Broncos had a chance to steal momentum going into halftime. Down 10-6, Drew Lock did a great job working the two minute drill and the Broncos moved right into the red zone! Drew ran into the end zone... only to have it called back due to a holding penalty by Noah Fant. Drew Lock followed that up with his second pick of the half, ruining any chance at the Broncos stealing momentum. And then it all was downhill from there.
Drew Lock had easily his worst game of his career, throwing four interceptions and turning the majority of Broncos fans against him. He played terribly and now has shaken the confidence of many surrounding the organization. While Vic Fangio and John Elway may have confidence in the young quarterback, Drew needs to have confidence in himself. He looked lost and confused. Turns out he was playing injured which is to be admired, showing his drive and toughness. But this speaks volumes to another issue: the offensive line. The left side is solid, with Bolles and Risner holding down the fort. Cushenberry is good enough. Glasgow, while not Pro Bowl caliber, was a welcome return. But what killed the Broncos was right tackle. Demar Dotson is still dealing with a groin injury and the Broncos turned undrafted 2nd year free agent, Calvin Anderson. This was his first start at the NFL level, and it really showed. He struggled to run or pass block and Drew Lock, Melvin Gordon, and Philip Lindsay paid the price. Drew got beat up all day, taking shots left and right. No wonder he looked gun shy. The running game couldn't get an inch, hindering the offense. Speaking of the run game, can someone please explain how Lindsay only got 4 carries... when he's been the best player on offense? And why the playcalling was the definition of unbalanced? Apparently, Pat Shurmur thinks, 'Let Drew Cook' meant, 'Throw the ball every time!' No. Not what we meant at all, Pat. As much as I don't want to have to force Drew Lock to learn another playbook, it's possible that moving on from Shurmur could be best for this offense. This experiment hasn't worked and it may benefit Drew Lock going forward to get a better playcaller.
Speaking of coaching, let's state the obvious: Tom McMahon needs to go. No question. His special teams coaching is terrible. He refuses to use Brandon McManus' kicking power from long distance, when he's proven more than capable of doing so, and his coaching on returns is awful, putting the offense in a tougher spot then it needs to be. Is Vic Fangio truly the right head coach for this team? Who knows. He and Drew Lock are in the same boat. They have seven games to prove they can at least get this moving in the right direction, regardless of the record shown.
Ultimately, this all falls on John Elway. If this fails, he is done. He's been on the hot seat for a few years but this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
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