Mile High Monday: The Broncos show some toughness in Sunday’s win

Nov 23, 2020, 6:42 AM

Denver Sports Analyst

The Broncos got back on the winning track in Week 11. They were able to beat the Dolphins at home by a score of 20-13 on Sunday. It was the team’s first win against a quality opponent this season. Yes, the Broncos have a 4-6 record, but the three other teams they’ve defeated (Jets, Patriots, Chargers) are all below average.

The Dolphins are a good team, and they didn’t really do much against the Broncos in Week 11. This game wasn’t perfect, but there are certainly things to build on for the future.

I like when it looks like the Broncos can build on something. They have not yet figured out who they want to be, but I felt on Sunday we saw what their plan for 2020 could have originally looked like come to fruition on the field.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! 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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Coughing It Up

Melvin Gordon is careless with the football. It’s a bad problem for the Broncos lead running back and one that comes up at all the wrong times. Gordon’s fumble in the fourth quarter against the Dolphins almost cost the Broncos the game.

He has addressed this problem before, and once again was asked about his fumbling problem after the Dolphins game. Gordon admitted that he thinks about ball security all the time which may be part of the reason why fumbling is such a problem for him.

Gordon is not good enough to forgive the fumbling. It’s not like he’s an elite-level talent that occasionally coughs up the rock. It’s also not like Gordon touches the ball so much that you’d get a few more fumbles. In nine games, Gordon has rushed the ball 122 times – a number that ranks No. 15 in the NFL.

He has to get better at hanging onto the rock if he wants to play up to his limited potential. Gordon has been underwhelming as a free agent addition for the Broncos and isn’t even the best back on his team. That would be Phillip Lindsay in my opinion who has zero career fumbles in the NFL.

most lost fumbles from a running back in the league this year (tied with Ezekiel Elliott) #Broncos @1043TheFan https://t.co/yyv7vIEh5U

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 22, 2020

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Tonka Tough

There is no doubt that Broncos tight end Noah Fant is tough. In his rookie season, there was a notion that Fant was a “soft” player. I’m not exactly sure why that started or who started it, and I certainly didn’t subscribe to that theory about the 2019 first-round pick. I stood next to Fant multiple times after bad games during his rookie year where he would answer all the tough questions. I also was around Fant after his good performances where he didn’t get too high on his accomplishments.

Fant is showing off his toughness by necessity this year. He’s clearly not himself and you can sometimes see him wince in pain after making a big play for the Broncos. Fant is still a matchup nightmare due to his athleticism and skill set, but you can tell he doesn’t quite feel like himself.

An ankle injury and a ribs injury have slowed Fant down this year. It hasn’t knocked him out of action except for one game (Week 6 against the Patriots), and you have to admire his toughness on the field. Fant can still make plays for his quarterback and is showing great effort as a blocker, as well. You can always tell the caliber of a player by how he performs when he knows the ball is not coming his way. Fant is excited to block for his teammates, and even though he’s not perfect as a blocker his effort is always evident.

I give a ton of credit to Noah Fant. He's not been himself for quite some time, still playing tough and making plays for the #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 22, 2020

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Diamond in the Rough

The Broncos have a knack for finding hidden talent. They’ve had injuries ravage their defensive line and had to turn to street free agents multiple times this year. One player who was out of football for all of the 2019 regular season has been signed back to the Broncos roster and is making plays for the team.

DeShawn Williams has been with the Broncos before. Undrafted out of Clemson in 2015, Williams spent the first three seasons of his pro career with the Bengals. Denver signed him in early 2018, and he spent all of the offseason with the team.

Williams didn’t make the 53-man roster that year, but he did earn a spot on the practice squad… for about a week until the team released him. He bounced to two other teams (Dolphins and Colts) that year before getting another shot with the Broncos in 2019. He competed for a roster spot in 2019, but the Broncos released him in final cuts and he remained out of the league for a calendar year.

On Sunday against the Dolphins, Williams came through on some big plays. The veteran defensive lineman compiled three solo tackles, 2.0 sacks, two quarterback hits and two tackles for a loss. His play helped the Broncos make rookie first-round quarterback Tua Tagovailoa look uncomfortable. Williams may not finish the year with the Broncos – because it’s that type of year – but he’s proven that he can make plays in the NFL.

His skill set and desire is one of the reasons why I told a CFL team early in 2020 that he would and should get another shot in the NFL. Rather than sign in Canada (and the CFL cancelled their season anyway), Williams waited patiently and has shown well with the Broncos this season.

before the season, I took a phone call about DeShawn WIlliams from a CFL team…I told them DW was good enough to make it in the NFL and they'd be lucky to have a shot at him. He is making quite a few plays out there today for the #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 22, 2020

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The Franchise

The Broncos are beloved in the Mile High City, but there was a time when the team could have left the city in the early days. Enter Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little, aka “The Franchise,” because his play (and the excitement around him) was the reason why the Broncos stayed in Denver.

It was revealed on Sunday that Little has been placed in hospice. Little has been battling a rare form of cancer for months. Doctors determined that his treatments were not having the desired results and recommended hospice care.

The Broncos talked about Little before the game according to head coach Vic Fangio.

“We did. We talked about him, one of the all-time greats in Broncos history. No. 44. I remember him as a kid growing up. I was an Eagles fan growing up, but from afar I was a Floyd Little fan, too. We did get him one and we are going to get it sent to him,” Fangio said.

The Broncos as a team ran for 189 yards against the Dolphins as a way to honor him. Little is a Hall of Fame player but also a Hall of Fame man and one of the nicest players you could meet. He was legendary on the field for the Broncos and a big reason as to why many long-time fans love the Broncos. It’s great to see the team give him a game ball after Sunday’s win.