The Broncos two biggest problems were on display against the Bills

Saturday afternoon served as a microcosm for all that ails the Broncos. If someone had been stranded on a deserted island the past few years, returned to Denver and wondered what had caused their beloved team to tumble, the three-hour debacle against the Bills would’ve provided the answer.

Josh Allen was fantastic. And Bradley Chubb was a no-show.

The third-year quarterback picked apart the Broncos in every way imaginable. He completed 28 of 40 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for another pair of scores, powering Buffalo to a 48-19 victory.

On the other side, the third-year linebacker recorded one tackle in the game. And that’s it. No sacks. No passes defenses. No fumbles caused or recovered. In 46 snaps before leaving in the third quarter with a twisted ankle, he did virtually nothing.

Thirty-two months ago, John Elway had a choice to make. With the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Broncos general manager could’ve selected Allen or Chubb.

Elway chose the pass rusher over the passer, a decision that looks worse and worse with each passing week. Never was this more evident than on Saturday.

Allen helped his team to a win that clinched their first AFC West championship in 25 years. Chubb’s squad clinched a fourth-consecutive losing season.

This illustrated the Broncos failings on two fronts, both of which have caused the franchise’s recent struggles. They’re bad at evaluating talent and equally inept at getting the most out of the players on their roster.

Despite the fact that he played college football just up the road at Wyoming, and participated in the Senior Bowl when the Broncos coaching staff worked with him for a week, Elway didn’t spot the talent in Allen. Somehow, he didn’t like a big, strong, athletic, smart quarterback with a cannon for an arm. Instead, he went with a bookend for Von Miller.

Chubb has talent. That’s evident. But he isn’t a game changer. He doesn’t dominate. He doesn’t cause opposing offensive coordinators to lose sleep the week before playing Denver.

That’s a failing on the part of the Broncos coaches. In particular, it’s on Vic Fangio.

The defensive guru hasn’t made Chubb better. If anything, he’s made him worse.

Yes, the linebacker was lost for the 2019 in Week 4. But prior to tearing his ACL, Chubb was ineffective in Fangio’s defense, recording just one sack on the heels of a posting 12.0 as a rookie.

This year, his numbers are better, as Chubb has 7.5 sacks, but they’ve been hollow numbers. He hasn’t made a significant impact.

Should the Broncos have drafted Allen? Of course. But if they had, does anyone believe they would’ve developed him as well as Buffalo has in three years? There’s no evidence to suggest it.

Denver doesn’t make good personnel decisions. And then they don’t maximize the players they have, at least not immediately.

It took them four years to get things figured out with Garett Bolles, preventing him from joining a growing list of busts. They didn’t have the same luck with Isaiah McKenzie, Isaac Yiadom and others who’ve left the Broncos and found success elsewhere.

It’s a deadly combination. It’s why the franchise is in a free fall. And both facts were on display against the Bills.

What’s the problem with the Broncos? They don’t make good personnel decisions and they aren’t well coached.

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