If ever it were time for a reality check, 2-3 is that time. As in two wins, three losses and a whole lotta issues.
They don’t count moral wins, close encounters and ones that got away in the NFL. This is big-boy, bottom-line football. But the truth is, the Broncos are lucky not to be 0-5.
They haven’t dominated anyone, solidly defeated anyone, or even outplayed anyone. They beat the Bills on a last-second field goal and had to rally to escape with an overtime win over the Raiders.
Home-field advantage? That’s ancient history for the Broncos. They aren’t to be trusted to play well on the road or at Invesco Field at Mile High, where they have dropped six of their past eight games.
They’ve been outscored by 65 points in their past three games. So much for the notion that their problems are a blown assignment here and a missed tackle there. The question now becomes not whether the Broncos are a good team — they aren’t — but whether they can become one.
There’s no magic in that logo. Not anymore. The Broncos, including injured lists and the practice squad, have added 40-plus players in the past two years, and it remains to be seen if more than a few will make an impact.
Then there’s the coaching. Mike Shanahan has to be questioning himself more today, after the 41-3 humiliation against the Chargers, than at any point in his 13 seasons as the keeper of the Broncos’ flame. That was no bad day at the office. It was a clear reflection of all the issues this team has.
Shanahan’s red-zone play-calling hasn’t gotten it done, and his past draft-day mistakes are apparent every Sunday, when the Broncos have either too much inexperience or too much age filling key spots on the field. They have holes at linebacker and on the defensive line, and their special teams continue to cost them yardage, if not touchdowns.
The only way out, of course, is hard work. But sweat and effort offer no guarantee the Broncos will find their way out of this mess, especially with Travis Henry facing a possible year-long suspension.
Maybe, to put it in football terms, they will have to punt this season.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s Broncos commentaries every weekday on The Jimmy Page at 7 a.m. and noon. And read his Third & Short column on Sundays and the day after Broncos games.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
