Broncos not already making a Vance Joseph change is a mistake

Of course Vance Joseph is still the defensive coordinator of the Broncos just three games into the 2023 season.

I mean, no one could have predicted a change would even be discussed with the calendar still reading September.

But Sean Payton (or CEO Greg Penner) not electing to make one on Monday was a mistake.

There needed to be a scapegoat for the most embarrassing loss ever for the franchise. You can’t give up 70 points and do nothing. That’s a slap in the face to the fans, making it look like you don’t understand the wrong kind of history made on Sunday in Miami.

Joseph should’ve been relieved of his duties, showing Broncos Country the team can already admit it was a massive whiff to bring him back. That didn’t happen, even though they lost by 50 points.

How did the blowout go down and what were the biggest takeaways? Let’s dive into it with our third edition of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 2023.

The Good

Marvin Mims Jr. flashed his speed again, this time on special teams. The rookie returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and showed he can be a weapon in that part of the game.

Other than that… um?

Russell Wilson threw for more than 300 yards and a touchdown. Jerry Jeudy had a long catch late and eclipsed 80 yards. Courtland Sutton was over 90, but he had two costly fumbles.

No one from the defense will be mentioned in this section after that atrocious day. This might be the shortest “good” blurb ever.

The Bad

Where to begin with this defense?

Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert scored four touchdowns. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill had 157 yards and a score on nine receptions. De’Von Achane went for more than 200 yards on the ground. Tua Tagovailoa threw for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns and essentially played three quarters. The Dolphins finished with 726 total yards, the second most in NFL history.

They also scored more than 70 points in an NFL game for the first time since 1966. You’d have to be nearly 60-years-old to be able to say you were on the planet the last time that happened. It’s a stunning number, showing just how far this defense has fallen. High-priced pass-rusher Randy Gregory didn’t even make it into the box score.

Yes, the team missed Justin Simmons, but how many do they give up if he plays? 60? 56? Maybe instead of 10 touchdowns Miami only gets eight. It’s one of the most pitiful performances from a defense in the history of the league. The Broncos missed 24 tackles. It’d be hard not to go watch Cherry Creek High School play and see better tackling technique.

It was horrendous, miserable and embarrassing.

The Ugly

Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to bring Joseph back?

He went just 11-21 leading the Broncos as head coach in 2017 and 2018. Outside of one season in Arizona, his Cardinals were nothing special on defense the last four years. After hiring Payton, Denver waited too long to assemble a staff and “VJ” was one of the few still looking for a job.

But this is where Joe Ellis or John Elway needed to put on their consulting hats and pick up the phone. The Broncos former CEO or GM should’ve called Penner and told him it was simply too soon for Joseph to be back in orange and blue. We’re talking about four years since he was fired, not 24. The wounds of his brutal tenure were simply too fresh.

Yes, Vic Fangio and Nathaniel Hackett took some of the stink off Joseph, but that doesn’t mean he did a good job. Far from it. Denver gave up more than 50 points on his watch in a game in Philadelphia. Who would’ve thought a few seasons later Joseph could do even worse, as the Dolphins broke the scoreboard with 70.

It’s nothing personal with VJ, it’s just business. And the business on Monday should’ve been Penner or Payton sitting him down and telling him this just isn’t going to work. It was a mistake in the first place, and the quicker it’s corrected, the quicker the franchise can move on.

Now, if the Broncos lose to the Bears, then maybe a change will be made. They’re perhaps the only franchise in worse shape than Denver. And Joseph isn’t the only reason why, but he’s a big one.

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