Schlereth: Broncos fans should feel excited about Denver’s 2-0 start
Sep 17, 2018, 9:55 AM
It may have looked ugly at times. It may have felt painful. But the Denver Broncos last-second 20-19 victory over the Oakland Raiders — just a week removed from a come-from-behind victory against the Seattle Seahawks — is something for the orange and blue faithful to be excited about, says Mark Schlereth.
The “Schlereth and Evans” co-host said on Monday that Broncos Country should feel excited with Denver’s performance through the first two weeks of the 2018 season not because it felt easy but instead because the team had to fight through adversity to pull off the victories.
“Wouldn’t you rather have a team that responds positively to adversity? And what I see is a team and a quarterback that doesn’t quit, that reacts to adversity,” Schlereth said. “And they don’t tuck tail. They don’t turtle. They come out there, they puff out their chest and say let’s take some responsibility and go out here and make plays.”
Schlereth touted the Broncos 2-0 record through what he described as extended preseason, wherein Denver’s still learning about itself — working through a new offensive coordinator, a new quarterback, the loss of Aqib Talib, and more.
“This is a work in progress, and you’re 2-0,” Schlereth said.
Schlereth’s comments echo that of head coach Vance Joseph following the game Sunday.
“I think two weeks in a row our guys played through adversity,” Joseph said. “We talked about that last night. It wasn’t going to be easy. We came in as a favorite, but it’s a divisional game. It’s never going to be easy.
“Those guys had a hard loss on Monday night, so we knew they were going to bring their best shot.”
Schlereth lauded the coaching staff as well for remaining calm and collected throughout a nail-biter Sunday.
“They never ever seemed to be a sense of discombobulation, a sense of panic on the sideline. So, not only have your players reacted well, but your coaches have reacted well to adversity,” Schlereth said.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
