Mile High Monday: The Broncos show a lack of fight in loss to the Raiders

The Broncos were clown hammered by their division rival on Sunday. In a game the Broncos desperately needed to win, they lost to the Raiders by a score of 37-12.

Now, it seems like any sort of miraculous run at the playoffs – even with the expanded format – is out of the question. After nine games, the Broncos have a record of 3-6 with few games left on the schedule that look like potential victories.

Problems abound on both sides of the ball in Denver, and the team doesn’t seem to have any quick fixes on offense or defense. That means any sort of recovery is going to take time and patience from a fan base that has not seen their team make the playoffs since they won the Super Bowl in 2015.

I like seeing a bright future for the Broncos – and I don’t see one right now. It’s going to be a long road back to respectability. I thought the team was well on their way entering 2020, but after nine games that doesn’t appear to be the case.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep 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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Smile for the Camera

A couple of weeks ago, when the Broncos made a big comeback against the Chargers, starting quarterback Drew Lock busted out some dance moves after the win. Those dance moves drew the ire of talk show host Colin Cowherd, who called Lock out for the moves. As I said in last week’s Mile High Monday, I could care less if Lock dances.

I do care if he’s smiling on the sidelines during a blowout. On Sunday, my tweet about Lock smiling during a blowout caused a lot of controversy for some in the fan base.

I could give a damn about dancing. I do not like smiling on the bench when an AFC West rival is curb-stomping you. #Broncos @1043TheFan pic.twitter.com/0FHzQsOTWb

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 16, 2020

This smile doesn’t automatically mean Lock is okay with losing. I understand that players can joke around on the sidelines, but this was after three interceptions and there would be a fourth to come. I want Lock to hate to lose, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him seething on the sidelines because of his play.

I think body language is something you can look out for – even on the sideline – and I personally don’t care for joking around during an embarrassing loss. Years ago, the Saints had an athletic and talented quarterback in Aaron Brooks. He flashed a little bit with the Saints, but ended up getting caught on camera joking around while the team was getting blown away. I’m not saying Lock equals Brooks, but it’s just a look that rubs me the wrong way.

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Fight Club

The Broncos need more players with some fight in them. I don’t want this team to roll over to teams, and they haven’t for the most part.

However, against the Raiders, you almost saw this team give up at a certain point. They fought back against the Chargers and won. They fought back against the Falcons and lost. They didn’t even really fight back against the Raiders, even though the game was close as they entered the fourth quarter.

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick has that fight. On Sunday against the Raiders, you saw Patrick show how much fight he had. In fact, Patrick was tossed from the game for getting ticked off and throwing a punch at a Raiders defender.

Tim Patrick ejected. He's one of the players who has fight! #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 15, 2020

Patrick took things too far and it cost his team. It’s a good thing to have fight – like Patrick does – but it’s a bad thing when that boils over and it hurts your offense. Patrick is a solid veteran who brings a good energy to the field. I hope he keeps his emotions in check next time things get heated so he can stay in the game and put up numbers.

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Forget Where’s Waldo, Where’s Phil?

The best running back on the Broncos roster is Phillip Lindsay. He’s posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a rusher, but the team made a move to replace him this offseason when they signed Melvin Gordon to a big-money contract. Lindsay now works mostly as a backup to Gordon in the team’s running back by committee.

In recent weeks, Gordon hasn’t been doing much with plenty of touches while Lindsay is barely touching the ball. Lindsay busted off a 55-yard touchdown run against the Chargers which sparked the big comeback victory and since then he’s rarely seen the field. Gordon is average at best, so it makes little sense to give Lindsay such a small role.

On Sunday, the touches for Lindsay were humiliating. Lindsay – the best running back on the team – only ran the ball four times. He rushed for a paltry two yards against the Raiders, so his touches were about as non-productive as you can be. However, it’s not like Gordon was ripping it up on the field. Lindsay should be used more, and the team just doesn’t seem to think so.

there is no #FeedPhil backers on this staff…and it doesn't make any sense. He's the heartbeat of your offense and barely sees the field because Melvin Gordon got paid. Phillip Lindsay is either in the dog house or hurt more than we know b/c he's the best #Broncos RB @1043TheFan https://t.co/aq2FZbizJT

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 15, 2020

So, why is Lindsay not being used enough? He was not on the injury report for Week 10, so injury seems to be out of the question. Again, Gordon wasn’t exactly a “hot hand” against the Raiders, so that excuse should be out.

Does this coaching staff not like Lindsay? They’ve tried to replace him as the starter, yet he’s looked better than Gordon most every week. Sure, Lindsay has some struggles in pass protection and receiving the ball but it’s like the team is hesitant to use him even when they can have him on the field to produce. Hopefully, we get an answer on this topic during the week – but I’m not holding my breath for an explanation that passes the sniff test.

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Best Episode So Far

Anyone who knows me knows how much of a Star Wars fan I am. I have a test for people I meet when they say they love the movie franchise. I merely ask, What’s a Dianoga? If they answer correctly, I know they are serious fans. If they don’t, then I know they are more of the casual variety. That’s cool, enjoy what you enjoy in the way you enjoy it, but I prefer to be an uber-nerd when it comes to Star Wars.

This latest episode of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+ might have been the best one ever. I’m not going to spoil anything in this column, but that show really hit on all cylinders. If you are a serious fan of Star Wars, you understand what a major character was introduced in episode three of season two. Serious fans will also know what incredibly major character was teased to be ahead this season – although I’ve heard this character won’t actually show up until episode five.

So much this! #Mandalorian pic.twitter.com/wzWUPYPve1

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) November 16, 2020

What did you think of the latest episode of ‘The Mandalorian?’ Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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