There’s a reason why Broncos fans need to root for the Colts on Sunday

When the Broncos lost last Thursday night to the Chiefs, most people in the Mile High City waved the white flag on the season. With a chance to get back into the AFC West race, and Kansas City’s MVP-caliber quarterback sidelined with an injury in the first half, Denver laid an egg.

But getting blown out 30-6 on their home field in front of national-television audience didn’t discourage everyone. Dropping to 2-5 and residing in the division cellar wasn’t cause for some to turn the page and start the rebuilding project.

John Elway isn’t ready to give up on 2019 just yet.

This week’s trade of Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers was seen as some that the general manager is ready to start the team’s youth movement. But a nugget of information dropped by Adam Schefter, the guy who broke the news about the deal, suggests otherwise.

“Denver wanted to hold on to Emmanuel Sanders for another week and have him play Sunday against Indianapolis,” the ESPN insider tweeted on Tuesday.

Despite the fact that the wideout asked for a trade, Elway wasn’t quite ready to pull the trigger this week. Even though the team was clearly ticked at the veteran playmaker for putting himself ahead of the team in multiple instances this season and wanted to send a message to the rest of the locker room that it was unacceptable, there wasn’t a sense of urgency when it came to shipping him out of town.

Why? Because the Broncos still think they’re in the playoff mix.

Call it delusional. Call it optimistic. Call it stubborn. But Elway and Company believe all is not lost. They subscribe to the notion that if not for a couple of questionable roughing-the-passer penalties against Chicago and Jacksonville, Denver would be 4-3 right now. And if that was their record, there wouldn’t be sellers at the trade deadline.

That’s all well and good, but the reality of the situation is that the Broncos lost those two games. They aren’t 4-3. They aren’t a game behind the Chiefs. They aren’t knocking on the door for the playoffs.

But that doesn’t seem to matter to the powers that be at Dove Valley. They’re convinced the season is not lost.

That’s why every Broncos fan should be rooting for the team to lose to the Colts this weekend. It’ll be uncomfortable. It’ll feel almost treacherous. But it’s in the best interests of the franchise.

If Denver manages to win at Indianapolis, they’ll convince themselves that they’re back in the race. It’ll be the exact same song and dance that was put forth after they beat the Chargers and Titans; the narrative will be all about Vic Fangio righting the ship.

With the NFL trade deadline coming up on Tuesday, that opinion will prevent the Broncos from making difficult decisions. It’ll talk them into not taking the hard, but necessary, route.

As currently constructed, Denver isn’t a contender. They’re not on the upswing. A Super Bowl run isn’t on the horizon. So they need to blow things up and start down a new path.

That means trading Chris Harris Jr. Yes, he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Sure, he was a big part of the “No Fly Zone” that led the team to a win in Super Bowl 50. But his value to the Broncos is quickly diminishing.

Harris will be a free agent during the offseason. There is zero indication that he has any interest in sticking around, especially if the season ends with a third-consecutive sub-.500 record.

So the smart thing to do is to trade him. Get something in return, other than a TBD compensatory pick. Add another second-round selection in 2020, which can be used to find a player who should contribute for a decade, and let Harris play for a contender. It’s a win-win.

The same can be said for Derek Wolfe. It’ll be difficult to part with one of the longest-tenured Broncos, but the prudent move is to deal the veteran defensive lineman to anyone willing to give up a draft pick in exchange for his services during the second half of the season.

Neither of those trades will happen if Denver beats Indianapolis. With a home game against Cleveland coming up next week, Elway and Company will be convinced that they’ll be 4-5 heading into their bye.

Even if they are, which seems unlikely, it doesn’t mean that a playoff run in imminent. After their week off, the Broncos play four out of their next five games on the road. Trips to Minnesota, Buffalo, Houston and Kansas City loom.

Denver will be prohibitive underdogs in each of those games. Only an unbelievable optimist would believe a team that lost to Mitchell Trubisky, Gardner Minshew II and Matt Moore at home will beat four playoff teams on the road. It’s not happening.

But once those losses happen, which would officially eliminate the Broncos from the playoffs, it’ll be too late. The opportunity to get something in return for Harris and Wolfe will be gone. And it will have disappeared because Denver’s brass was unwilling to accept the reality of the team’s current situation.

The window to do the right thing is quickly closing. Elway only has until next Tuesday to pick the correct path.

If the Broncos beat the Colts, he’ll talk himself out of admitting that the 2019 season is lost. A win on Sunday will make it too difficult for him to pull the plug on the current “win now” mentality.

That’s why Denver needs to lose at Indianapolis. It’ll save them from themselves.

Follow @jamesmerilatt