Around the AFC West: Chiefs clinch playoffs, Raiders survive Jets
By Ellen Mathis
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos were hoping to bounce back after the quarterback debacle of last week. The Broncos had all quarterbacks forced into quarantine and were forced to roll with a practice squad wide receiver in Kendall Hinton. Understandably, they were not good last week against the Saints. The hope was that they would bounce back and deliver a shocking upset to the reigning champs.
The Broncos actually played much better than I thought they would. Their defense deflected a number of balls at the line and gave the Chiefs fits on third down. They also stopped the Chiefs in the red zone, forcing 5 field goals rather than touchdowns. Unfortunately, such great defensive play has to be accompanied by good offensive play if you want to win. Drew Lock decided that Tyrann Mathieu was a Bronco and one of his best receivers…
Drew Lock finishes the game 2/2 targeting Tyrann Mathieu pic.twitter.com/CoCcAJMiwG
— PFF (@PFF) December 7, 2020
Wrong team, man. Ultimately, the Broncos put up a fight but it wasn’t quite enough to pull out the upset. The Broncos continue to slide their way up the draft board. Honestly, at this point, you have to wonder if a move at the quarterback position might need to be made. Lock hasn’t shown the mental development that is necessary. Even though the athleticism is there, he just needs to take the mental leap or they need to move on.
Center Graham Glasgow left with a foot injury in the first quarter while cornerback Essang Bassey left with a knee injury on the first drive of the second half. He went down awkwardly but walked off on his own. Hopefully it isn’t too serious. Next week, the Broncos head to Carolina to take on the Panthers. The Panthers are a strange team, often playing really well and challenging the tough teams. The Broncos are such a mess that I think this is yet another loss for the Broncos.
Game time is 12:00 p.m.