MILE HIGH MONDAY: WEEKLY SPORTS NEWS
Broncos loss to the Chargers is squarely on Sean Payton
Dec 23, 2024, 6:12 AM | Updated: 6:25 am
The Denver Broncos disappointed in Week 16. The weekend got off to a rocky start with the Broncos loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on “Thursday Night Football.”
I like when the Broncos get to the postseason. They could have sealed the deal on Thursday night, but they still are not yet guaranteed a spot in the wild-card round due to the loss.
I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep Wrangler 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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Don’t Forget to Remember
Why did the Broncos lose on Thursday night? Some are blaming defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for his game plan against the Chargers. Some are blaming inside linebacker Justin Strnad for his 100 yards receiving allowed in what his worst game starting in the pros. Others are blaming head coach Sean Payton since he forgot to run the ball in the second half.
I’m in the latter category.
The Broncos came out against the Chargers, and I thought I was in a dream. The team was running the ball effectively. Rookie RB Audric Estime looked good to begin the game, and even RB Javonte Williams ran the ball well early against the Chargers. It was a “pinch me” moment because there haven’t been too many times this Broncos team has ran the ball effectively.
Each week, I want Estime to get more of an opportunity and I’ll take what I can get from Williams. Early in the game on Thursday, it looked like the Broncos were finally going to have the intent to run the ball they need for a postseason appearance.
Without RB Jaleel McLaughlin, we got to see more from undrafted rookie Blake Watson. He looked good as a runner and a receiver early in the game. With the score 21-10, the Broncos had run the ball effectively 14 times. After that moment, the team only ran eight more times in a close game. Going away from the rushing attack meant the Chargers could tee off on rookie QB Bo Nix. With no threat to run, the Chargers just went after Nix as a passer.
Their strategy worked, but I feel it was Payton’s stubbornness with the passing game that allowed victory to slip through their fingers.
Sean Payton wrote “Run It!!!“ at the top of his play sheet. pic.twitter.com/bI1pyAHKpa
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) December 20, 2024
The Broncos had a playoff appearance on the line, and they failed to win. They still have an 86 percent chance of making the postseason, but hopefully they don’t forget to run the ball – especially when it’s working effectively.
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NFL Officials Need Help
The NFL has a problem with the refs. Each week, NFL officials miss calls or make calls they have business making. I believe that good teams overcome bad refs, but the officiating is so bad this year that mantra needs to change.
The Kansas City Chiefs are always benefactors from the officiating. On a weekly basis, the Chiefs get multiple calls that go their way. They are defending Super Bowl champions, but these calls going their way all the time seems a bit too obvious. There are already social networking trends suggesting the NFL is rigged, and there are former players who have talked about “the script.” To be clear, I don’t think the game is rigged but the way they’re connected with Las Vegas casinos, the NFL much ensure the integrity of the game is maintained.
Against the Chargers, I counted 12 missed holding calls. Now, the old adage is that there’s holding on every play – and that’s not untrue. However, these calls were clearly missed by the refs. They were terrible, and the Chargers were barely flagged. Add in the egregious play that was clearly pass interference on WR Marvin Mims, and you can see how fans are frustrated.
No pass interference?…
Better Vision. Better Calls.
Still offering free modern LASIK to NFL refs. pic.twitter.com/5T2ABmMbUz
— LASIK.com (@LASIKdotcom) December 20, 2024
What can fix this problem? Full time officials need to be a thing. Until then, the NFL’s integrity is going to take these weekly hits. Some are already saying the NFL is less fun to watch because they know the refs are going to be biased towards certain teams.
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Elway Coming to Netflix
John Elway is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. That’s my belief based on his out-of-this-world natural talent as a passer and his championship tenure. Everything Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes does today was already done by Elway back in the 1980s. Mahomes is great, but we’ve seen him before in Elway.
This past week, it was revealed that Netflix is doing a documentary on the Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback. Sports documentaries are hit and miss. Some are great like most any 30-for-30, and some miss the mark. The story of Elway is a fascinating one, because “can’t miss” prospects like him don’t come around often. The term may be overused now, but I can honestly say the only prospect near the level of Elway coming out of college as Andrew Luck.
So, twice in 40-or-so years is about how often we see a stud college quarterback with all the tools to make it in the pros almost immediately. Yes, quarterbacks get better in the pros – just like Elway did – but most are not the prospect that Elway was in college at Stanford.
ELWAY, a documentary about the life and career of John Elway, is coming to Netflix. pic.twitter.com/8nDn4KF5Q5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 19, 2024
It’s going to be interesting to see how much this Netflix series reveals about Elway that most of Broncos Country doesn’t know. Like “The Last Dance” with Michael Jordan, I’m sure to be glued to the television while I watch this.