Sunday’s loss proved that the Broncos haven’t fixed their biggest problem

Teddy or Drew? Drew or Teddy?

That question divided Broncos Country during the offseason, training camp and preseason. The quarterback battle between Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock made people pick sides, choosing the veteran or the upstart to be Denver’s starter.

Today, the battle will be raging again. After the Broncos first loss of the season, one in which Lock failed to rally the team in the second half after taking over for an injured Bridgewater, the controversy will continue.

In the end, however, it’s all just a distraction. The debate simply prevents everyone from looking at the real issue.

The Broncos didn’t suffer their first loss of the season because of their quarterback. Instead, they lost for the same reason the team has repeatedly failed for the past two-plus years.

Denver didn’t fall to Baltimore because of their quarterbacks. They lost due to inept coaching.

In the first half, Bridgewater was less than stellar. He was 7-of-16 for 65 yards and a touchdown. He put seven points on the board, but led the Broncos to six punts.

After halftime, Lock wasn’t any better. He was 12-of-21 for 113 yards and an interception. He put zero points on the board, leading Denver to four punts.

On the surface, that looks like the Broncos were cooked either way. With that kind of quarterback play, they weren’t going to beat a quality Ravens team.

But that would miss the real problem. It wasn’t about the QB.

Instead, Denver’s issue was their defense. That unit didn’t do what they needed to in order to win the game.

The Broncos have invested big on that side of the ball. They have the most-expensive defense in the NFL. They hired a “defensive guru” to be their head coach. The retained veterans and spent a first-round draft pick to bolster that group.

Thus, Denver’s defense needs to carry them. In big games, they need to make plays that lead to victory.

What did they do on Sunday? They were mediocre, at best.

They allowed Lamar Jackson to throw for 316 yards, just the second time the former MVP has eclipsed the 300-yard plateau in his career. The Ravens held the ball for more than 33 minutes, controlling the clock and keeping the Broncos offense on the sidelines. And they forced zero turnovers, doing nothing to change the momentum of the game.

This shouldn’t be a surprise, however. It’s been the norm throughout the Vic Fangio era.

Denver’s head coach likes to play a bend-but-don’t-break style of defense. This results in decent statistics over time, but it doesn’t result in wins.

A year ago, the Broncos forced 16 turnovers in 16 games. Four of those came in the season finale. That’s just not going to get it done, as the lack of playmaking doesn’t help Denver win games.

The Broncos offense, whether with Bridgewater or Lock, would benefit immensely from a short field. They’d be light years ahead if some easy points were available to them.

Instead, they constantly have to drive the length of the field to score. Their defense never seems to make life easy on them.

That’s on Fangio. That’s on his defense. Their lack of being opportunistic isn’t a one-game outlier; it’s been the norm throughout his time in Denver.

But the head coach wasn’t the only one who failed on Sunday. The Broncos offensive coordinator also laid an egg.

In the first half of the game, Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams combined for 77 rushing yards on 12 carries. After halftime, the duo had four carries for 37 yards.

Why on earth did Pat Shurmur go away from the running game? With Lock seeing his first live action in more than a month, why did he only keep the ball on the ground four times?

The duo was averaging more than nine yards per carry in the second half. To not run the ball, with a backup QB in the game, is just inexcusable.

Yes, the Broncos were behind. But it was a 10-point deficit. That doesn’t necessitate an air-it-out approach.

But what else is new? This is the same pattern than Shurmur followed a year ago, when he forced Lock to throw the ball repeatedly in three- and four-receiver sets. It’s what Denver’s offensive coordinator does.

All in all, that’s why the Broncos start to the season was a façade. Prudent observers knew that 3-0 was fool’s gold.

It wasn’t because they didn’t believe in Bridgewater. It wasn’t because they wished Denver had gone with Lock.

The naysayers didn’t believe in the Broncos coaching staff. They didn’t think that Fangio and Company had changed their ways.

On Sunday, that was proven to be a valid stance. Denver’s defense once again didn’t make any plays, while their offense was too pass-happy. Nothing has changed.

That’s why Broncos Country shouldn’t be divided. The Bridgewater-Lock debate is simply a distraction, a diversion from the true issue.

Vic Fangio, Pat Shurmur and Denver’s coaching staff is the problem. It’s not about the QB. It’s not about personnel. It’s not about injuries.

The Broncos have talent, including at quarterback. It’s underutilized, on all fronts. That was readily apparent on Sunday.

Denver lost to Baltimore because they got outcoached. Any other rationale is nothing more than an intentional distraction, one designed to deflect from the real problem.

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