The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Broncos are an absolute dumpster fire

That one should make you cringe.

Hopefully, the powerful people inside the Broncos organization feel even worse.

Denver’s rock bottom, 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day was the culmination of a season going off the rails. There aren’t enough adjectives in the English language to describe how embarrassing it is to be a Broncos fan right now.

How did it happen and what were the biggest takeaways? Let’s dive into it with our 15th edition of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The Good

Jerry Jeudy is developing into a No. 1 wide receiver before our eyes. He had another good game on Sunday in L.A., hauling in six passes for 117 yards. Even when the Broncos were getting dominated late, Jeudy was showing the passion and fight that many of his teammates were missing. He wasn’t checked out, even if a lot of Denver players looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.

Jeudy, a first-round pick out of Alabama in 2020, has had a rocky career thus far. But he scored three touchdowns against the Chiefs a couple weeks ago and just registered his sixth “good” game in a row. I’m throwing out the Week 10 tilt against the Titans, considering Jeudy got hurt on the very first play and was forced to miss two contests after that.

But the decision on Jeudy’s fifth-year roster option is looming, and the Broncos might want to pick it up. He’s under contract for 2023 regardless, but Denver can control his status through 2024, if they’re willing to exercise the option. That would’ve sounded crazy a few months ago, but now looks like a wise idea.

The Bad

It’s tempting to copy and past the box-score here and say just about everyone was bad. Russell Wilson threw three interceptions, including two early on, that really let the game get out of hand. The defense didn’t force a single punt. Brett Rypien threw a pick-six in relief of Wilson.

Not only did the Broncos play poorly, it felt like guys were zoned-out. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett called the performance “embarrassing and unacceptable,”  and that’s how every fan felt watching. Baker Mayfield looked like he jumped into a time machine from his days at Oklahoma, going 24-28 for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

Cam Akers was a monster 0n the ground, rushing for three TDs and 118 yards. Tight end Tyler Higbee caught nine passes for 94 yards and both of Mayfield’s touchdown tosses. The offense was bad for Denver, but the defense was even worse. They finally reached their breaking point after carrying this team all season.

The Ugly

The Broncos are an absolute dumpster fire. There was a bizarre sideline fight between backup QB Brett Rypien and offensive lineman Dalton Riser. That sentence wouldn’t have made sense pregame, but it actually happened. Edge-rusher Randy Gregory slapped a Rams player postgame, then got punched in the face while still wearing his helmet.

This is the definition of dysfunctional, and a team that needs major changes from the top down. Hackett has go to, and the architect of this roster, GM George Paton, shouldn’t be far behind. New CEO Greg Penner could show Broncos Country he really cares by firing everyone responsible for the mess. The late, great Pat Bowlen never would’ve stood for it, and neither should Penner.

What happened against the Rams was simply appalling. The play on the field was bad, the behavior on the sidelines and postgame was even worse. Hackett’s lost control of this team, and Paton built this roster. Both need to be dismissed, as each guy set this franchise back years and years.

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