A Monday night opener gives the Broncos a chance to prove they’re back
May 8, 2020, 6:44 AM
The Broncos 2020 schedule was released yesterday. Drew Lock and the Broncos and will be opening the season against the Titans on “Monday Night Football.”
The Broncos and the Titans played last year in a mid-October game in which the Broncos beat the Titans 16-0. It was an atrocious game to watch. It looked like a battle between the two worst teams in the NFL. It was also a game that was a turning point for the Titans.
During that game, Tennessee benched quarterback Marcus Mariota in favor of Ryan Tannehill. The move changed their fortune.
The Titans finished the season with a modest 9-7 record, but it was good enough to get them into the playoffs. Once in the postseason, the Titans got hot when it mattered most. They started their playoff run by going into Foxborough and beating the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots.
The following week, the Titans walked into Baltimore and dominated the top-seeded Ravens. The Ravens had looked unbeatable going into that game and the Titans completely outplayed them for four quarters. The Titans would lose a competitive game in the AFC championship to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Despite the loss, the Titans looked like they belong in the conversations for best teams in the NFL.
The Titans didn’t fluke their way into the AFC Championship Game. As the season went on, they were able to get better and better, finally peaking at the perfect time. They played tough defense and established a dominant run game with running back Derrick Henry. The team that lost 16-0 to the Broncos earlier that season no longer existed.
For the Broncos, opening up on “Monday Night Football” is a chance for the team to reintroduce themselves as a contender in the NFL by taking the fight to a proven winner.
The 2020 Broncos are entering the season very similar to the 2000 Broncos team. There are reasons for optimism, but the quality of the team is still very much a mystery.
In 1999, the Broncos were defending Super Bowl champions. John Elway retired and the Broncos were starting off a new era. They opened up on “Monday Night Football” against the Dolphins and were blown out 38-21. The Broncos finished 1999 with a record of 6-10 and out of the playoffs. That Monday night game showed that the Broncos had fallen to the back of the pack in the AFC.
Nobody really knew what to expect from the Broncos heading into the 2000 season. Quarterback Brian Griese was still a large unknown, Shannon Sharpe was gone to Baltimore and Terrell Davis was coming off of injury. There were a lot of “what ifs.”
To start the 2000 season, the Broncos were once again slated to open the season on “Monday Night Football.” This time, they were up against the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams. The Rams were led by Kurt Warner and the record setting offense known as “The Greatest Show on Turf.”
On paper, the Broncos had talent, but to most, it seemed like a game the Rams should win rather easily. The game itself told a different story.
The Broncos would keep the game close in the first half before falling behind 35-20 in the third quarter. Once down 15, it started to feel like the game was going the way many thought it would – a Rams blowout.
What happened next nobody saw coming. The Broncos would score 16 points unanswered and following a Terrell Buckley pick-six, found themselves ahead 36-35 in the fourth quarter. The Rams would respond with a touchdown drive that would give them the lead for good.
Yes, the Broncos lost 41-36. The defeat was a bummer, but the Broncos looked nothing like the team that lost 38-21 week one the previous season. In the loss against the Rams, the Broncos proved that they could score, make big plays on defense and overcome adversity.
That performance was a sign of things to come. The Broncos would finish the 2000 season with a record of 11-5 and make it back in the playoffs. The Broncos made the playoffs despite losing starting quarterback Brian Griese to injury in Week 11. Griese was on his way to having one of the best seasons for a quarterback in Broncos history and the injury could’ve ended their season. Instead, the Broncos were unshaken and found ways to continue winning.
To start the 2019 season, the Broncos opened up on “Monday Night Football” against the Raiders. That night, the Broncos looked like they had never played football before. They looked unprepared, undisciplined and downright sloppy. The Broncos would continue that trend throughout the season until Lock came in and team no longer looked embarrassing.
The Titans are not the 2000 Rams, but they were close to the Super Bowl last season. They have high expectations this season in Tennessee. If the Broncos can beat the Titans, they can firmly establish themselves as a team to watch in 2020. Like the 2000 Broncos, this team has a lot of “what ifs.” Week 1 is their chance to put that talk to rest.
If the Broncos come out flat and get dominated by the Titans, it will send the message that this team is still far away from making a step back into the spotlight. On the flip side, if the Broncos can come out and beat a contender and do it in convincing fashion, Broncos Country could be in store for a return to relevance.
