Since winning Super Bowl L in February 2016, Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway watched Gary Kubiak step down due to health issues, hired and fired head coach Vance Joseph, and signed or drafted the Four Loko of quarterbacks: Trevor Siemian, Case Keenum, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch, who proceeded to compile a 20-28 record over three seasons. Needless to say, that’s pathetic. Not Cleveland Browns pathetic, but pathetic nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meet the “new and improved” 2019 Denver Broncos, led by first-time head coach and former Bears Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, and ex Ravens Super Bowl MVP quarterback Joe Flacco. Fangio has 32 years of NFL coaching experience and knows how to run a ball hawking defense, but he’s never been a shot caller. As for Flacco, a lingering hip injury and declining play eventually led to his benching a season ago in favor of rookie Lamar Jackson. But hey, Baltimore’s trash is Denver’s treasure\u2026 right?
There are a myriad of reasons why the Broncos have the same Super Bowl odds as the lowly Bills and lackluster Jets, and worse than the abysmal Raiders. Wait, worse than the Raiders? Oof. Their pass catching corps is banking on 32-year-old Emmanuel Sanders eight months removed from suffering a ruptured Achilles. Their offensive line is chock-full of red flags (although rookie guard Dalton Risner looks like a keeper). If (when) Flacco gets hurt again, the alternatives are journeyman Kevin Hogan and newbie Drew Lock. Good luck with that.
The good news is Fangio has the defensive pieces to make this team competitive on a weekly basis. The trio of Von Miller, Chris Harris, and Bradley Chubb are as talented as any in the league. Toss in veteran Derek Wolfe and the promising Adam Gotsis, and you have the makings of a solid group that will make life difficult for opposing signal callers. The lightning-thunder backfield of Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman should be able to grind clock and shorten games, and second-year wide receiver Courtland Sutton could thrive if Flacco can connect with him on deep balls.
Overall, Denver is appropriately priced at +6600<\/a>, and therefore a shot in the dark Super Bowl pick. Four matchups with the Chiefs and Chargers coupled with a brutal road schedule that includes trips to Green Bay, Minnesota, Buffalo, Houston, and Indianapolis means reaching 8 wins is unlikely. The best case scenario involves Flacco regaining his 2012 form and Fangio\u2019s defense finishing as a Top 5 unit. Even if that comes to fruition and they squeeze into the playoffs, the Broncos are not a legitimate Super Bowl contender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n