Denver Broncos: 3 Reactions from the Kansas City Loss

Is it coaching?

This is the million-dollar question for the Denver Broncos.It resonates through the roster and all the way up to  the man that hired him.  The Vance Joseph question has been very difficult to work out.

There’s a very vocal contingent that insists Joseph must be fired as soon as possible.  They cite intangible things and seem inexplicably angry. Fortunately, they don’t make personnel decisions for the Broncos.

There’s a middle ground, one where we can acknowledge that Joseph and staff adjusted well and had a well-executed gameplan for the Chiefs but question his command and leadership with his roster and staff.

The public beef with punter Marquette King is not a good look for Joseph, nor is the fact that his defense looks unprepared which can be traced to the decision to promote defensive backs coach Joe Woods rather than retain Wade Phillips.

Phillips would have been a nice transition for the new staff and it seems Woods could have used a couple more years of grooming.

So, yes, there are questions about the quality of the coaching staff and their ability to prepare this Broncos team.  Blaming Joseph for the ills of this team alleviates responsibility from players who don’t perform and from executives who have made questionable decisions, including the coaching choices that have seen four head coaches in Denver in a decade.  There is plenty of blame to go around.