Mile High Monday: A reality check at Arrowhead for the Broncos

The Broncos were riding high entering Week 15. They had just won back-to-back games with rookie quarterback Drew Lock starting for the first time this year. They won on the road against a tough Texans team the week before, and the Chiefs seemed like they could be vulnerable to a surging Denver team.

Instead of serving Kansas City an upset, the Broncos were easily beaten by a score of 23-3. The score wasn’t indicative of how truly one-sided this contest was. In two games so far this season, the Broncos have not been close to competing with the best team in their division.

I like when the Broncos are competitive in the AFC West. They have looked like they’re close in many games this year – except for when they play the Chiefs. The talent gap is real between these two teams and that gap must be addressed quickly if the Broncos want to contend for the division title in the near future.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ – even in December! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Thank God For Sutton

There was not that much to feel good about in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Only a couple of players had good games, but one of those players has been consistently good for the Broncos all year.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton showed a ton of heart in the loss. He was getting a ton of attention from the Chiefs defense, but he still kept fighting on every route. Sutton was trying to maximize his yards after the catch, pushing for extra yards as defenders swarmed around him. Just to get the ball thrown his way, Sutton had to work hard on his release and break away from coverage.

It was an inspiring performance from the second-year pro. Too bad the Broncos don’t have many other weapons at the wide receiver position. This is something they’ll need to address in the 2020 NFL Draft. Adding a speedy playmaker to line up opposite of Sutton would be exactly what this offense needs.

Love the fight in Courtland Sutton #Broncos @1043TheFan every single route. Every single catch. There is no give up in his game.

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) December 15, 2019

Sutton has yet to play his best football. I can’t wait to see him grow and develop even more as an NFL player. The Broncos not only got a quality starting receiver in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, they got a superstar in the making in Sutton.

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Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

Drew Lock didn’t have a good game on Sunday. In his first two starts, Lock had not played from behind and he looked good. On Sunday, it was a different story. The Broncos fell behind to the Chiefs early and were never really able to recover.

Lock finished the game going 18-of-40 passing attempts for 208 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception. This was the first game he didn’t throw a touchdown and it was the third game in a row that he’s thrown a pick.

This was the first snow game Lock had ever competed in, so it’s good experience for him. But you could tell things were uncomfortable for the young quarterback on Sunday. He was under duress and pressure like we hadn’t seen yet in his three-game career.

Lock was playing in front of his hometown crowd as he grew up about 15 miles from Arrowhead Stadium and was a Chiefs fan as a youth. This game didn’t go as planned, but it was good to note he had a good outlook after the game.

Even in this tough loss, Lock maintained a sense of positivity in the locker room.

“People look at this and it will be blown up, like we got our butts kicked today, but there were so many opportunities for us to make plays and as bad as people are going to say it looked and how we feel right now, we are going to watch it and we are going to realize that there were plays there to be made. If we make a couple here and there, that is a different game.” Lock said.

Lock is a young player and things weren’t always going to work out in his favor. He needs games like this to learn and grow as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

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Emotional Leader

After the game against the Chiefs, superstar linebacker Von Miller was more upset than usual. This game was certainly a measuring stick for the Broncos. While they’ve been close in every other loss, in the games against the Chiefs, they have not been able to compete. This is a sign that the Broncos are further away from competing for the division than anybody – especially veteran players on the team – want.

The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and have been dominating the division since the Broncos won the Super Bowl. As the years go by, nobody else in the AFC West seems close to knocking the Chiefs off their throne. The Broncos have a better foundation of young, quality players than some admit but they also lack talent and depth on both sides of the ball.

Miller is the ultimate competitor and losing really gets to him. You heard that emotion after the Chiefs loss.

“Tough loss. It’s hard because I really don’t even know what to say. I don’t know how we got to this point. I don’t know how we win like this, I really don’t. It’s tough being where we’re at. It’s tough being 30 years old and going out there with whatever issues I’m dealing with and still coming up so short. I’m at a loss for words.” Miller said.

I’ve seen Von the happiest he’s ever been after this team won Super Bowl 50. I’ve also seen Von show emotions and be nearly in tears when talking about the 2019 version of the Broncos. These comments after the Chiefs game seem like a new low. Miller is a positive person and I know he’ll bounce back, but it sucks to hear him sound so despondent after a loss. I hope the Broncos can find more players like Von who hate losing as much as he does.

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Rising Interest

I really haven’t been that excited about the new Star Wars movie. I’ve read all the spoilers, I’ve watched a ton of YouTube shows discussing the upcoming film and I’ve watched all the trailers. However, it was the third and final trailer that got me super excited for “The Rise of Skywalker,” which hits theaters this week.

I loved “The Force Awakens” when it was released a few years ago. Yes, I know it was a soft-reboot of essentially hit the same beats as the first Star Wars film “A New Hope,” but I thought it was fun and I was ready to see more in this familiar universe.

“The Last Jedi” came out and I was initially excited but then disappointed as time went on. While “The Force Awakens” set up certain storylines and made things seem like major plot points, “The Last Jedi” went meta and told the audience that none of that setup from the first sequel movie mattered.

Star Wars fans are super nerdy and I’m no different. I don’t like things that are important being made non-important in one fell swoop. That’s why there has been a backlash on Star Wars, and that’s why this final film needs to nail the landing.

The final trailer for ‘STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER’ has been officially released. (Source: @starwars) pic.twitter.com/1w6Tu3LeJD

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 12, 2019

How could you watch this trailer and not be excited?

So, what are your thoughts on the final movie in the Skywalker saga? Will this movie right the wrongs of “The Last Jedi” and make a majority of Star Wars fans happy? Let me know what you think on social media!

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