The Denver Postap Nicki Jhabvala on Tuesday answered your questions about the in a live Lunch Special chat. Here are the highlights.
How seriously are the Broncos taking their worst losing streak in decades? And how are the Bronco’s planning on turning things around? Because as a die hard Broncos fan, I am embarrassed.
Nicki: Very seriously. This notion that players have become lackadaisical or just don’t care is ridiculous. This is their job, their reputation. And to even make it to this level, they have a competitive edge that most normal people can’t even fathom. Think they like losing?
Fans are rightfully upset, but remember it is the players’ jobs that are on the line. They’re doing what they can to try to figure out what these same mistakes keep happening, while the bad losses continue to pile up. They’re as frustrated as anyone, if not more.
Given Paxton Lynch’s injury, how will the Broncos move forward with the assessment of the QB situation.
쾱:For now and likely the remainder of the season, the plan is to go back to . Lynch is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain and only five games are left this season. So Siemian will start Sunday at Miami and could end up finishing the year as the team’s starter.
After the season, all options are open. If the Broncos continue to lose, they’ll have a top-five pick in the draft and undoubtedly finding a quarterback will be their biggest priority.
Any updates on and Domata Peko injuries?
쾱:Coach said Peko has a left MCL sprain and could miss one to two weeks. Peko, however, is doing everything he can to try to play Sunday. He’s started 123 consecutive games, the longest streak for an active defensive lineman, and hopes to extend it this season.
Joseph said Wolfe is dealing with a neck sprain and was expected to undergo further testing Monday. We should know more when the players return to practice Wednesday.
“Obviously, our concern is for his health and well-being,” Joseph said Monday. “If itap not right, we’ll shut him down. We’re going to be smart with that being a neck. We’re going to be smart with Derek.”
Their injuries could leave the team thin on the line and likely facing future moves for depth. They promoted Kyle Peko from the practice squad Monday and might call up Tyrique Jarrett this week.
Domata Peko (knee) and Derek Wolfe (neck) not practicing.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala)
Do you think there’s any way Joseph can survive past this season? No matter what says…this team went 9-7 last season with probably less talent than our current roster. And with so many blowout losses in that 3-8 record.
쾱:Itap going to be difficult for Joseph if the Broncos lose out the rest of the season. Now, if they bounce back and the offense shows some life, Joseph could preserve his spot for year two.
Nothing would surprise in this league or with this team. But I would expect some balance when it comes to evaluating the season and the team’s performance. This is a young coaching staff in terms of experience — first-year head coach, two first-year coordinators — and some tougher years had to be expected when and retired.
That said, I can’t imagine Elway or the rest of the staff expected this type of implosion, and his history shows he’s not afraid to make the difficult decisions.
National media seems to miss hits .. is that okay now as a move off the line to get open?
Nicki: I can’t speak for national media. But locally, it wasn’t missed.
The coaches film from Sunday's game offers a better look at what happened between Michael Crabtree and Chris Harris on the play before the fight broke out:
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala)
There are many reasons why the Broncos are struggling this year. But isn’t their turnover margin the only one that really matters? If they were +16 rather than -16 what do you think their record would be?
Nicki: The turnovers have been the biggest reasons for the Broncos’ spiral, and the team has admitted as much. They were the reasons Siemian was benched earlier in the year, partially the reason was fired and likely went into consideration when the Broncos benched in favor of Lynch last week. So many of their losses could have been victories had they eliminated an interception here or a fumble there. Opponents have scored 98 points off Broncos’ giveaways, the most in the league.
So yeah, itap a serious issue — one they’re clearly aware of but still unsure of how to correct.
