The Good and the Bad from the Denver Broncos Season Ending Loss to the Indianapolis Colts

The Denver Broncos season ended with a loud thud and if some reports from earlier in the day on Sunday are true, there could be some major changes on the way at Dove Valley. Multiple sources reported that John Fox could be in trouble if the Broncos laid an egg, and that’s exactly what happened.

Some may argue the point but I believe that John Elway believes that he has given Fox and the coaching staff more than enough talent, and losing to an inferior team at home will not sit well with the Broncos boss.

There will be plenty of time to talk about the future in the coming days but for now, there was a lot not to like on Sunday.

What I liked:

No trip to New England: At least we don’t have to suffer through a blowout loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

CJ Anderson: He’s the only player who showed up on Sunday.

What I didn’t like:

The complete lack of urgency: The Broncos looked like they were playing the second game of the preseason. There was no sense of finality from the Broncos and that falls squarely on the shoulders of Fox.

The offensive game plan: Did the offensive coaches and players even watch tape this week? Every throw was a go route, there was zero creativity in the passing game and offensive coordinator Adam Gase looked like he already had one foot out the door. The Broncos were completely predictable on first down and the Colts knew what was coming all day. One of the worst offensive game plans in Broncos history!

The defensive game plan: The players did not play well and we’ll get to that but Jack Del Rio should be cleaning out his office tonight. There was zero creativity in the pass rush and if there was a blitz, I must have missed it. If Del Rio develops a good game plan during the week, then the Broncos are fine. However if Del Rio is forced to make any kind of adjustment, the Broncos are done. Why any team want Gase or Del Rio as a head coach is completely beyond me.

Peyton Manning: There’s no way around it, he was terrible on Sunday. The coaches did not help him but his accuracy was terrible, and he looked like he had no urgency. I’m not ready to throw the baby out with the bath water, but Manning deserves every bit of criticism he gets this week.

Aqib Talib: Talib was the worst player on the field on Sunday afternoon. He couldn’t cover anyone and had multiple penalties that were all extremely costly.

The pass rush: Or lack of a pass rush. Yes some of the blame goes to Del Rio but at some point someone has to make a play. Did Von Miller or DeMarcus Ware even play in the game? The pass rush was supposed to be the strength of this defense and it completely disappeared for the last month of the season.

Demaryius Thomas: What is it about Thomas and the Colts? They show up and all of the sudden Thomas can’t catch. He’s a great receiver but it is fair to question his concentration at times.

I could obviously go on and on but the bottom line is this, that was a pathetic effort and someone has to pay. Since it is impossible to fire 53 players, it’s time for a coaching change.

Fox is a nice guy and he did some good things in Denver but he has ultimately failed to produce the kind of results that everyone expected from a team with this much talent.

The Broncos are at a crossroads and they need Elway to step up and make the necessary changes, as difficult as they might be.