A team that Broncos Country wanted out of town is making an unlikely run to the playoffs with their quarterback and defensive coordinator.
Greetings, Broncos Nation: After five straight victories by your preferred NFL club, are you prepared to apologize to Vance Joseph and Russell Wilson?
Allow me to simplify it for you. I’ll speak first.
I was prepared to run Wilson and Joseph out of this dusty old cowtown when this football team was 1-5. My justifications were compelling. However, I was mistaken.
In their most comprehensive effort of the NFL season, the Broncos defeated Cleveland 29–12, securing a winning identity that should get them through to the postseason.
Many, myself included, wanted the quarterback and defensive coordinator to leave Denver, and they are now guiding an unlikely run to the postseason. Wilson and Joseph have turned into heroes during an unexpected turnaround.
Wilson declared on Sunday, “I have never doubted.” “I never questioned our football team’s potential.”
The two individuals who were just declared Persona Non Grata No. 1 and No. 1A in Broncos Country have established that persona.
Through the establishment of an image as vicious as pro wrestling villain Ric Flair, Joseph has transformed a defense that was the unfortunate victim of 70 points in Miami: Let the penalty flags fall where they may, hit hard, and flex.
With evangelical belief not seen around here since the height of Tebowmania, Wilson has rescued a lost season by becoming such a throwback of an option quarterback that I might have to give serious consideration to putting him on my Heisman Trophy ballot.
“The best thing about us … is it’s about us,” Wilson said. “It’s about us being together.”
That might sound corny, but it doesn’t make it any less true. When the team could’ve folded, Wilson held it together.
The Broncos are playing bully ball during this five-game winning streak, which is more disco than 1970s. Wilson is only throwing for 179 yards on average per game, but an 8-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio is hard to argue with.
The fact that general manager George Paton gave Wilson a $245 million contract extension before he had won a game for Denver is not Wilson’s fault. Now that he’s an experienced gunslinger, Wilson knows how to survive until the end of the game, when he still has enough magic in his bag to win.
“We’re pretty damn confident in our abilities,” declared tight end Adam Troutman, who gave Denver a 24-12 lead early in the fourth quarter with a sliding touchdown reception in the end zone following a classic Wilson scramble.
Although it makes sense for the Broncos to select a quarterback in the 2024 draft, I now predict that Wilson will play for Denver again in the upcoming season because he and head coach Sean Payton have managed to live in harmony and appreciate the value of winning even in the face of adversity rather than perfection.
Joseph has completely transformed the defense after allowing the Dolphins to score ten touchdowns. Denver’s edge rushers, Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning, have helped the team get past the blunders made by Randy Gregory and Frank Clark.
“Lights out has been our defense. Among the world’s top defenses. “Those guys have exceeded expectations,” Wilson remarked. “Those guys are in excellent hands thanks to Vance Joseph, who gets them ready every week.”
Ja’Quan McMillian has been a revelation, not to mention the feistiest slot corner this team hasn’t seen since the prime of Chris Harris. Fabian Moreau has patched a huge hole at cornerback, while P.J. Locke proves the Broncos are better at safety in the absence of Kareem Jackson. While members of the secondary wore “Free KJack” T-shirts during warm-ups, the fact of the matter is Denver is 3-0 in the games he has missed due to suspension for dirty hits.
Rather than whine about being penalized for hitting too hard, the Broncos should embrace their bad-boy image. As everyone from Ronnie Lott to Ray Lewis can attest: In the NFL, it is often better to be feared than to be loved.
After suffering an injury early in the season that left no one prepared, Justin Simmons commented, “I am really proud of this team and how we have fought to keep it rolling.”
These Broncos: how far will they go?
In 40 days and 40 nights, they will play their last regular season game in Las Vegas.
And on the second Sunday in February, less than 40 nights from now, a small football game is set to take place in Vegas.
Even if I did project the Broncos to finish 10-7 before the season began, I can’t claim I envisioned this insane journey to the postseason coming together.
The Super Bowl?
Indeed, it seems absurd to me.
Who are we to distrust Joseph and Wilson, though?
