The giants were able to beat the Broncos in Denver, and it is very important that we remember that teams sometimes win games they were supposed to lose. Conversely, the team that lost should have won that game. We know the Broncos are pretty good, and we need to make sure that we have given the Broncos their due even though the loss to the Giants looks bad. What is wrong with the Broncos, or what was wrong with the game?
Bad starts
I remember going to a baseball game once at the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. This was in the era of Eric Davis in Cincinnati, and it just did not start well.
My dad turned to me about halfway through the game and asked me if I was ready to go. I knew the game was over even though I was only 10 or so, and we went to the Varsity to eat. That was honestly better than the game, and I think that a lot of people could see that for the Broncos. They just never got it going, and the game was out of their hands. That is not anybody's fault, and we need to stop assigning blame because that is completely unfair.
The altitude
The altitude in Denver is just as bad for the Broncos as it is for everyone else. Not all those guys grew up in Denver. If you did not grow up there, it is a little bit weird to not have any air to breathe. If the Broncos were having a bad game, that is going to get in their heads.
You will notice that you have no air, and you will start to feel anxious. The Giants were playing well, and they did not feel it because they were all jacked up on adrenaline. That is not only completely normal, but it makes sense because we have all been in situations like that, that were impossible to feel at the time. You wake up sore the next day, and then you move on with your life.
What about Vance Joseph?
Vance Joseph is not perfect. Do you know how many dumb calls Bill Belichick has made? You have seen them. Tiger Woods did not win every tournament, and Michael Jordan did not hit every shot. Joseph got unlucky because the game just was not going their way. That kind of mini curse will get in your head, and I bet that messed up Vance Joseph's decision-making skills.
The Denver Broncos as a whole can say that they are to blame because they messed up really badly all the way around.
Can Denver make the playoffs?
Denver is going to have to get past a lot of teams to make the playoffs, but they could get close to the playoffs. Getting close to the playoffs would make them much more hopeful, and I think that that is what they should expect. Next year we need more.