Stokley hopes Broncos win out or lose out; 1-1 the worst scenario

Dec 19, 2018, 3:45 PM Updated: 7:21 pm

With two games remaining, the 6-8 Denver Broncos need to win out to go .500 on the season and save the mantras of not having back-to-back losing seasons since 1972 and having more Super Bowl appearances under owner Pat Bowlen than losing seasons.

And losing out would benefit the Broncos, who are already out of playoff contention, in next year’s NFL Draft.

But going 1-1, said “Stokley and Zach” co-host Brandon Stokley on Wednesday, would be the worst-case scenario.

“The worse thing to do would be to go 7-9 this year. I mean, that would be the absolute worst thing to do, go 7-9,” Stokley said. “You talk about the bummer of all bummers, for me, you did nothing right. You screwed everything up.”

Stokley said the Broncos at 6-8 are in “no man’s land,” so he’s rooting for the team to win its last two games and avoid back-to-back losing seasons and losing the mantra of more Super Bowl appearances than losing seasons since Bowlen took ownership.

But if Denver is going to lose, they might as well lose both games to improve their draft position, Stokley said.

“I’m looking at it through the lenses of I want this organization, this team to get back to winning. How best do we get back to winning? Sometimes you have to take a step backward,” Stokley said.

And going 7-9 in 2018, said Stokley’s co-host, Zach Bye, looks to be the most likely outcome.

“I could absolutely see the Broncos going 1-1. And I think going 1-1 is far more probable than going 2-0,” Bye said.

If the season ended after Week 15, the Broncos would be picking No. 13 in the draft next season.

Last season, teams with 6-10 records drafted between Nos. 9 and 11, while 8-8 earned the Arizona Cardinals the 15th pick.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.