Mile High Monday: There are no moral victories in Broncos Country

Dec 7, 2020, 6:40 AM

Denver Sports Analyst

The Broncos fought hard on “Sunday Night Football” against the world champion Chiefs. In the end, however, they fell short in Kansas City by a score of 22-16. This game was a lot closer than anyone thought it would be, but a loss is a loss.

I like when the Broncos show heart and toughness on the field. They played a consistent game, something the team has struggled to do, but they did not emerge victorious.

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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Welcome Back, Shelby

The Broncos defense had been missing defensive end Shelby Harris. He hasn’t played since Week 8 and has been on the COVID-19/Reserve List for the Broncos over the last month. Missing those four games was huge for the Broncos defense as they were without one of their best defenders.

Harris made a return to the field on Sunday night against the Chiefs and immediately started to do what he does best – bat passes down at the line of scrimmage. He’s the Broncos version of Dikembe Mutombo with the way he can block passes like Mutombo blocked shots for the Nuggets back in the day. Harris ended the game with two passes defensed, a couple of tackles and one quarteback hit.

After the game, Harris was all smiles when talking about how much he missed the game.

“I love this stuff. Come on, I’ve been watching this on TV for four weeks. Just to get back, I’m truly blessed to be able to get back and play football. To have my health, to have everything and go out there and be able to play this game. (It’s) so special to just get back on that field with my boys and just ride. Man, it felt so good to get back out there,” Harris said.

Shelby Harris again! A welcome return for the big man. Another big stop for the #Broncos defense. @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) December 7, 2020

It was good to see Harris back out there for the Broncos. Playing on a one-year deal, the Broncos should work diligently to get him a contract extension.

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Do You Still Believe?

Drew Lock is running out of time to prove himself as a potential franchise quarterback. The Broncos have vowed to give this season to Lock in order to prove what he can do, but it would be unwise to follow that up with another season if he doesn’t start performing better. It’s not just his performance or stats put up during a game, Lock has to show more maturity on and off the field while also staying healthy since he’s missed more games than he’s played in the NFL.

The statistics for Lock are not kind. In fact, when it comes to completion percentage, third-down efficiency, red-zone efficiency and interception rate, Lock is among the worst – if not the worst – in the league. The film backs up those stats and one can see Lock’s struggles bright as day when the coaching film is monitored.

Only one time this year has Lock thrown for more than 300 yards passing and against the Chiefs he passed for half that (151 yards). Lock threw two interceptions against Kansas City, including one to seal the game when the team was trying to drive for a late-game touchdown to win the game. That makes seven games in a row where Lock has thrown an interception, and he’s thrown multiple interceptions in four of those seven contests.

Fans who still believe in Lock make all the excuses in the world for the second-year quarterback. It’s Pat Shurmur’s fault! Even though it’s not as Shurmur has made his offense more Lock-friendly during the last month or so and Lock has not responded with good play. It’s the lack of reps due to COVID-19, no preseason and just a weird year in general. Yes, that’s a factor but every team in the league is dealing with the same thing and the Broncos have handled things poorly with multiple COVID infractions. The team is young, give them time to gel! That’s not an inaccurate cry from some in the fan base, but along the way you need to see growth and development.

The biggest problem with Lock is that he seems to be regressing as a passer. I do not think Shurmur’s offense is a great fit for his skill set, but there have been some more West Coast concepts – including screen passes this week! – implemented by Shurmur over the last few games.

I'm giving him until the end of the season like I said he should get…but things are trending in the wrong direction. Four more games to keep his job as the starter in 2021. #Broncos @1043TheFan https://t.co/TZROV0I773

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) December 7, 2020

Do you still believe in Lock? I know my projection for him is changing due to his poor play. I am still giving him until the end of the 2020 season, but the Broncos will have a difficult decision coming up after the year.

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Credit Where Credit is Due

I’m not the biggest fan of Broncos co-starting running back Melvin Gordon. I don’t think he’s worth the contract the Broncos paid to get him in the offseason and he’s done little to squelch my concerns about his level of play. On Sunday night against the Chiefs, however, Gordon played up to his contract – and his potential in this Broncos offense.

The Broncos best chance to beat the Chiefs was to lean on their rushing attack. In order to win, the Broncos needed to have balance on the offense and use up the time of possession. By running the ball effectively and moving the chains, it’s a way for the Broncos offense to play defense against the Chiefs by keeping their offense cold on the sidelines.

Denver came out running the ball with Gordon and his co-starter Phillip Lindsay. While Lindsay struggled to get much room as a runner, Gordon was able to power his way to and through holes for big gains. Gordon ended the game with 15 carries for 131 yards, good for 8.7 yards per carry. It was a great start for Gordon as he had over 100 yards rushing in the first half against the Chiefs.

over 100 yards rushing in the first half for Melvin Gordon. If the #Broncos want to win, they should keep feeding the running backs. @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) December 7, 2020

The team needs to get more performances like this from Gordon. He insists that he can get stronger as the season goes on. If that’s the case, the Broncos have a month for Gordon to prove that. He has around 400 yards rushing to go in order to reach 1,000 yards on the season and so long as he’s not suspended at the end of the year from a pending DUI decision, Gordon might be able to reach that number for only the second time in his career.

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No Moral Victories

Broncos fans are desperate for reasons to feel good about their team. I get it, the Broncos are one of the most historic franchises in the NFL. This team has a passionate fan base and a sellout streak for their stadium that extends back 40 years. Broncos fans are some of the best and most passionate fans in the league.

This version of the Broncos seems like impostors. The Broncos have a way – a standard – that is not being followed this year. In fact, it’s been five years since the Broncos have made the playoffs and they’re not getting to that point this season. Instead, the Broncos are trending to have a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and their winning ways seem to be a thing of the past.

That’s why there are some in the fan base grasping for anything positive and they’re hearing that this loss against the Chiefs was a “moral victory” because they were able to keep things close. The Broncos fought hard but they did not end up with a “W” and that means there is no victory. Any fan or media member that is trying to sell this loss as a good thing is delusional.

The Broncos have a lot of what I call “spin doctors” in the local media. The Denver media is not hard-hitting and usually quite team friendly – by design. These “spin doctors” are going to try and sell you on how the Broncos could have won or should have won against the Chiefs. Don’t buy into the excuses. Demand more, expect more from this team so they can get back to the respectable Broncos team that they’ve been for the better part of 40-plus years.