Question: What is Broncos’ 2-0 record: championship material or fool’s gold?
Kiz: A football team cannot be better than undefeated. And there’s no reason to ever apologize for being 2-0. But, after two games, what have we learned about these Broncos? Have they established themselves as a serious contender in the AFC? Or should we slow our roll after two victories by a total of four points? It might be better to be lucky than good, but good fortune is tough to sustain over the course of a 16-game schedule. Will the real Broncos please stand up?
O’Halloran: All the Broncos have done so far is what they were supposed to do — win twice at home as the betting favorite. That is still reason for optimism, though. Teams who end up being good hold serve at home (6-2 or 7-1) and then steal a few road games to make the playoffs. A serious contender in the AFC? Not yet. A serious contender in the AFC West? Absolutely.
Kiz: Let’s start with stuff that makes me smile. Almost every season, nearly half the 32 NFL teams can finish 10-6 if everything goes right, or 6-10 if everything goes wrong. By winning twice on late comebacks, the Broncos have quickly put two toss-up games in the W column. They’ve bought in on the never-surrender attitude of and established a little swagger. Phillip Lindsay? It’s no longer a question if he’s the best back on team but when he will get elected mayor.
O’Halloran: Lindsay woke up Monday morning with 178 rushing yards, third-most in the NFL. He is developing into one of the league’s best stories, not just Denver’s top story. Building on some of the positives, this appears to be a team that will win games on special teams (a novel concept, I know) and their front seven should continue to produce third down situations because they can stop the run.
Kiz: The secondary formerly known as the No Fly Zone is a hot mess. Denver has made and look like . Adam Jones looks like a 35-year-old cornerback that needs to find a seat on the porch. is getting picked on. Unless linebacker Von Miller dominates, this defense is extremely vulnerable. Keenum has been gutsy, but inconsistent. I predicted an 8-8 record for Broncos and will stick with that, though early trends suggest something worse, despite the 2-0 start.
O’Halloran: Is it too early to call it the Frequent Fly Zone? The Broncos aren’t getting much from No. 2 cornerback Bradley Roby and Jones and Tramaine Brock allowed multiple completions Sunday. Coming out of the win over Oakland, this is developing into a major concern. Teams will throw quick to keep Miller at bay and knowing the receivers can get open. I had the Broncos starting 2-0 on their way to 9-7. Not changing that now.
