Happy Returns After an Ugly Game

Sunday was a big day in the AFC West. The Broncos sure did suck it up against the Ravens, but they managed to pull out a win which is all that counts. More importantly, both the Chiefs and Chargers lost. Those losses coupled with Sunday's ugly win gives the Broncos a two-game lead in the division. The Chargers and the Chiefs both have difficult games coming up, while the Broncos have a more manageable schedule. Barring a major meltdown the Broncos should easily win the division. That, at least, is the good news.

The bad news is that the Cincinnati Bengals also won on Sunday bringing their record to 10-3 just like the Broncos. Denver and Cincinnati are now fighting for homefield advantage and the first-round playoff bye. Losing homefield advantage and the first-round bye would be problematic for the Broncos. Denver has not won a playoff game away from Mile-Hi since the 1997 season. They’ve been crushed the last two years in Indianapolis and lost to the Ravens in Baltimore in 2001. If they plan on advancing in the playoffs the Broncos need homefield advantage. Losing the first-round bye could be even more devastating. Potential first-round opponents include New England, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and San Diego or the Chiefs. New England is starting to get healthy and will be a huge threat to any team they face in the playoffs. Jacksonville has one of the best all-around defenses in the league and an offense that is comparable to Denver. Pittsburgh is also a tough all-around team, the Chiefs have shown they can beat Denver, and San Diego is too schizophrenic to be considered benign. Any of these teams could come into Mile-Hi and steal one during the playoffs. The Broncos must win every game the rest of the season.

More bad news: the Broncos are not dominating their opponents as they did earlier in the season. Sunday’s victory over the Ravens showed the rest of the NFL that Denver is struggling. The running-game looked anemic. Plummer avoided mistakes but was unable to take over the game like a truly dominant QB. Special teams were horrible, including the big return on the opening kickoff and Elam’s missed extra point. The defense played well, but that shouldn’t count for much against an offense featuring Kyle Boller. It could have been a case of playing down to the opponent, but that's not what quality teams do. Indianapolis did not play down to Jacksonville, nor did Seattle play down to San Francisco.

Indy and Seattle are setting the bar right now in the NFL, and the Broncos are failing to measure up. The have Saturday games the rest of the season at Buffalo, home against the Raiders, and at San Diego. To show they are ready to play with the big boys (and secure homefield advantage and a first-round bye), the Broncos should dominate each of their last three opponents. New England trounced Buffalo yesterday – The Broncos should do no less next Saturday night.