#lacvsden

The Denver Broncos lost to the Houston Texans 17-19.

The Game stats

Time of Possession

DEN: 27:35 HOU: 32:25

Play Selection

DEN 42 Passing Attempts, 290 yards: 20 Runs for 75 yards HOU 24 Passing Attempts, 213 yards: 33 Runs for 98 yards

The Running Game

The Broncos Rushing Attack Carries AYPC Long TD Fumble Lindsay 17 4 22 0 0 Booker 3 5 14 1 1 *AYPC is average yards per carry

The Passing Attack

Receptions % Long TD Fumble Heuerman 10 91% 14 1 0 Sanders 6 67% 18 0 0 Thomas 3 100% 31 0 0** Sutton 3 60% 22 0 0 Booker 4 50% 8 0 0 Lindsay 2 67% 12 0 0 LaCosse 1 100% 44 0 0 Janovich 1 100% 9 0 0 Patrick 1 25% 17 0 0 **No longer a Bronco, but I’m including his stats for comparison.

The Quarterbacks

Keenum

Passing comp ypa TD INT Long Rating 62% 7 1 0 44 90 Rushing Att Yards Long TD 0 0 0 0 Sacked Times Yards Lost Fumbles 2 17 0

Watson

Passing comp ypa TD INT Long Rating 71% 9 2 0 31 126 Rushing Att Yards Long TD 6 38 8 0 Sacked Times Yards Lost Fumbles 4 21 0

During the week

After the Houston game in week 10, lip readers claimed there was video of the Houston coach bad mouthing Vance Joseph before halftime. This would have ballooned into a meme fest, but the bye week killed the meme enthusiasm.

The Broncos didn’t get any credit for almost winning the game. The local media just stuck with their 2018 message, fire Vance. The Broncos listened to the media on two occasions that I can remember. They acquired Jake the Snake after the voice of the Avalanche started a campaign to bring him to Denver. During the Josh days, a billboard helped persuade the Broncos to start Tim Tebow. The media didn’t trade Cutler, but they were very happy when he left town.

Von Miller was all over the media helping out the community. Why do I bring this up? There’s speculation that if the Broncos fire Vance, they’re going to openly rebuild and Von’s contract is huge. The business people see his contract as an obstacle to rebuilding. The bad news for the business people is that the Von and Chubb combo is starting to pay dividends.

News leaked that teams are interested in hiring Gary Kubiak as head coach. Who cares? If Vance doesn’t make it through the season, some have speculated the interim coach would be Gary. As it stands, his office is only three doors down the hallway from Vance’s office.

The Afc West

Lets look at the AFC west. Although the Broncos are vastly improved over last year, they’re not a threat to win the division this year, so I haven’t spent a lot of time reviewing the division.

The Divisional Race

Team WP% Net_Points Games_played Kc 100% 21 3 Lac 67% 20 3 Den 33% -10 3 Oak 0% -31 3

AFC West vs AFC Conference

Team WP% Net_points Games_played Lac 100% 45 3 Kc 80% 69 5 Oak 33% -19 3 Den 0% -33 3

AFC West vs the NFC West

Team WP% Net_points Games_played Kc 100% 23 2 Den 67% 35 3 Lac 67% -2 3 Oak 0% -75 3

Today’s teams ranked by stats

Broncos

Points: 19th

Yards: 11th

Passing yards: 17th

Rushing yards: 9th

Passing Touchdowns: 12

Rushing Touchdowns: 10

Pick Six: 2

Safeties: 0

Punt Returns for Touchdowns: 0

Fumble Returns for Touchdowns: 0

Net Turnovers: 0

Chargers*

Points: 10th

Yards: 8th

Passing Yards: 13th

Rushing Yards: 7th

Passing Touchdowns: 21

Rushing Touchdowns: 7

Pick Six: 1

Safeties: 0

Punt Returns for Touchdowns: 0

Fumble Returns for Touchdowns: 1

Net Turnovers: +6

*They have converted 3 two-point conversions.

The game

It’s an away game. Everyone knows what that means. The Broncos have only won one game on the road this year (WP 25%). The Chargers have won 80% of their home games this season.

Game time

Sunday afternoon 2:05pm MT

Outlook

The Broncos are playing well enough for me to revise my season prediction. My revised predictions.

Week Team Outcome WP% 11 Lac Loss 78% 12 Pit Loss 67% 13 Cin Win/Loss 44% 14 SF Win 20% 15 Cle Win 30% 16 Oak Win 11% 17 Lac Loss 78%

That puts the Broncos at 6-10 or 7-9 depending on the Bengal game. It should also be noted that the Broncos have a winning record against teams with a WP of 50 or below. Which makes a strong case for the 7-9 final record.

Hawk Valley

Denver Broncos  Regular Season Game 16  January 2, 2021

Quick Review

Dan Reeves passed away on New Years day. He is one of the best coaches the Broncos have ever had. He set the Bronco standard of ten win seasons back when there were only 16 games in a season. He led the Broncos to three super bowls, even more AFC championship games. Remember the shovel pass? He was the best offensive coach the Broncos have ever had. He was the coach during the period known as “Bronco Mania”. During this time people painted everything in Broncos colors. From hair to cars, even homes were painted in Broncos colors, not to mention trains. He was also able to develop a quarterback you might have heard of, John Elway. The Standards are much lower now. Instead of playing games to secure the top seed in the AFC playoffs, the Broncos have to win their remaining games to finish the season out of the AFC west cellar. Times have changed. :( #RipDanReeves

The Broncos could have won this game…

A longer review

From the 25 yard line, Gordon ran up the middle for four yards. On second down, Lock connected with Sutton over the middle for a gain of six yards. On third and short, the Broncos called the QB sneak and Lock gained five yards. On first down, Lock’s pass was incomplete. On second down, Gordon gained a yard running over the left side. On third down, Lock was hit as he released the ball, but Fant caught the ball and gained two yards. The Broncos punted from their 42 yard line with 11:38 left in the quarter.

From the four yard line, Derek Carr, #4, tossed the ball to DeSean Jackson, #1, for an eight yard gain. On second down, Josh Jacobs, #28, ran over the left side for a one yard gain, but there was a flag on the play. John Simpson, #76, was flagged for holding. On second and eight from the six yard line, Carr found Jackson on the right sideline for a gain of five yards. On third down, Carr connected with Foster Moreau, #87, who was crossing from right to left over the middle for a gain of 16 yards. Carr threw an incomplete pass on first down. On second down, Carr found Hunter Renfrow, #13, over the middle for a gain of 18 yards. On first down, Jacobs ran to the left for three yards. On second down, Jacobs ran up the middle for three yards. On third down, Carr was almost sacked, but he managed an incomplete pass. The Raiders punted with 7:22 left in the quarter.

On first down, from the 11 yard line, Gordon ran to the right for one yard. On second down, Lock connected with Williams over the middle for a seven yard gain, but there was a flag on the play. Clelin Ferrell, #99, was flagged for roughing the passer. On first down, Williams ran over the right side for a gain of one yard. On second down, Lock’s pass was incomplete. On third down, Lock threw another incomplete pass, but there was a flag on the play. Casey Hayward, #29, was flagged for pass interference. On first down, Lock was sacked for a seven yard loss. On second and 17 from the Denver 44 with 4:45 left in the quarter, Williams ran up the middle for three yards. On third down, Lock connected with Williams on a delayed pass to the right for a gain of one yard. The Broncos punted with 3:25 left in the first quarter.

On first down from the 24 yard line, Jacobs ran to the right for a gain of seven yards. Carr’s pass on second down was incomplete. On third down, Carr had all day to throw the ball, but eventually he scrambled to the left for a gain of four yards. On first down, Carr’s pass was incomplete. On second down, Jacobs ran to the right for six yards. On third down, Carr found Zay Jones, #7, for a gain of six yards. On first down, Carr rolled to the right before connecting with Jones for a four yard gain. That play ended the first quarter. The score after one, Las Vegas 0, Denver 0.

When play resumed, on second and six, Jacobs ran to the left side for five yards. On third down, Jacobs stuttered to the left and then gained three yards over the left guard. On first down, Peyton Barber, #31, ran over the left guard for three yards. On second down, Carr dumped the ball off to Barber for no gain. On third and seven, Carr was hit as he threw the ball, it was almost caught, but fell to the ground incomplete. There were two flags on the play. Sterns was flagged for holding, that penalty was declined. Harris was flagged for roughing the passer, that penalty was accepted. On first down, Carr connected with Jones over the middle for 15 yards. On first and goal, Jacobs attempted to run over the right side, but he was tackled in the backfield for a two yard loss. On second and goal with 11:01 left in the half, Carr connected with Renfrow on a ten yard touchdown pass. Las Vegas 7, Denver 0.

From the 25 yard line, Lock connected with Jeudy for a 40 yard gain. On first down, Lock dumped the ball off to Williams for an eleven yard gain, but there was a flag on the play. Bolles was flagged for hands to the face. On first and 20, Gordon ran over the left side for one yard. On second down, Massie was flagged for a false start. On second and 24, Lock dumped the ball off to Gordon for a four yard gain. On third and 20, Lock connected with Jeudy for a 14 yard gain. With 7:24 left in the half, the Denver Broncos kicked a 49 yard field goal. Las Vegas 7, Denver 3.

On first down from the 25 yard line, Carr connected with Moreau on a seam route for a twenty yard gain. On first down, Jacobs ran to the right for a one yard loss. On second down, Carr dumped the ball off to Jacobs for a five yard loss. On third down, Carr found Jalen Richard, #30, on a late release to the left side for a gain of five yards. On fourth down, with 4:40 left, the Raiders punted.

The Broncos were inspired by that drive. On first down, Lock threw an incomplete pass. On second down, Williams ran to the right for three yards. On third down, Jeudy was stopped just short of the first down and the Broncos punted on fourth down.

On first down, from the Las Vegas 33 yard line, Carr connected with Jones for a seven yard gain. On second down with 2:12 left, Jacobs ran to the right and fumbled. Purcell recovered the ball for Denver. That play took us down to the two minute warning.

When play resumed, Lock found Sutton for a gain of eight yards. On second down, Gordon lost four yards attempting to run up the middle. On third down, Lock escaped a sack but his pass was incomplete. With 32 seconds left, the Broncos kicked a 55 yard field goal. Las Vegas 7, Denver 6.

From the 26 yard line, with 30 seconds left in the half, Carr’s pass was intercepted by Bradley Chubb who took it to the house for a Denver touchdown. He was ruled down on the Las Vegas one yard line. With 15 seconds left, Williams ran into the end zone for a Denver Bronco touchdown.

The Raiders got the ball back and just knelt to end the quarter and get to halftime. The score at halftime, Denver 13, Las Vegas 7.

From the 25 yard line, Jacobs ran to the left for an eight yard gain. On second down, Jacobs ran to the right for seven yards. On first down, Jacobs ran up the middle for three yards. On second down, Carr connected with Jackson for a gain of 13 yards. On first down, Jacobs ran over the left guard for a gain of eight yards. On first down, Jacobs ran up the middle for a huge gain of 20 yards and then he fumbled. Darby recovered the ball at the Denver 14 yard line. Upon further review, the runner was ruled down by contact. On first down, Jacobs ran up the middle for a gain of four yards. On second down, Jacobs ran to the left for eight yards. On first and goal, Barber ran over the left guard for five yards and a Raider touchdown. With 10:22 left in the third quarter, Las Vegas was back in front, 14-13.

From the 25 yard line, Lock connected with Fant on the right sideline for a gain of 20 yards. On first down, Gordon attempted to run up the middle but he lost three yards. On second down, Lock found Patrick on the right sideline for a five yard gain. On third down, Lock’s pass was almost intercepted, but it fell to the ground incomplete. With 8 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos punted on fourth down.

On first down from the 13 yard line, Jacobs ran up the middle for five yards. On second down, Carr found Jones for a 12 yard gain. On first down, Jacobs ran to the right for a four yard gain. On second, Carr found Renfrow over the middle for a 12 yard gain. On first down, with 5:18 left, Carr connected with Jackson for an eighteen yard gain. On first down, Barber ran up the middle for eight yards. On second down, Jacobs lost four yards. On third down, with 3:28 left, Carr was sacked for a nine yard loss and he fumbled. The ball was recovered by Jones at the 42.

On first down, with 3:19 left, Williams ran to the left and lost one yard. On second and 9, Lock found Patrick for a gain of 13 yards. On first down, Williams ran up the middle for three yards. On second down, Williams was stuffed at the line. On third down, Lock connected with Fant for a gain of four yards. With 19 seconds left in the third, the Broncos attempted a 55 yard field goal, but McManus missed, wide left.

With 13 second left in the third quarter, Jacobs ran to the left for a gain of three yards. That play ended the third quarter. After three quarters, Las Vegas 14, Denver 13.

When play resumed, Carr connected with Jones for a gain of six yards. On third down, Jacobs was stuffed at the line. On fourth down, the Raiders called a quarterback sneak and Carr gained enough for the first down. On first down, Car scrambled for five yards. He was chased by Malik Reed. On second down, Jacobs ran up the middle for four yards. On third down, with 11:50 left in the game, Richard ran to the left for four yards. On first down, Carr found Moreau for three yards. On second down, Jacobs started and then stopped, and then gained ten yards over the right side. On first down, Barber ran to the right for six yards. On second down, Barber ran up the middle for no gain. On third down, Carr was sacked for a nine yard loss by Harris. The Raiders successfully kicked a 41 yard field goal. Las Vegas 17, Denver 13.

On first down, Gordon tried to run to the left, but he lost four yards. On second down, Lock found Fant for a gain of eight yards. On third down, Lock scrambled for five yards, but he needed six. Denver used their first timeout. On fourth down, Lock connected with Sutton for a gain of 16 yards. On first down, Lock’s pass was incomplete. Second down was the same as first down. On third down, Lock was sacked for a loss of six yards. The Broncos punted with 3:54 left in the game.

The Raiders successfully ran out the clock on their last drive. Final score: Las Vegas 17, Denver 13.

The Game Stats

Denver Broncos

Time of Possession

23:23

Passing Attempts

22

Passing Yards

153

Rushes

16

Rushing Yards

18

Las Vegas Raiders

Time of Possession

36:37

Passing Attempts

25

Passing Yards

201

Rushes

40

Yards

160

The Running Game

*AYPC is average yards per carry

Player Carries AYPC Long TD(s) Fumble(s)  Williams 7 2 3 1 0 Gordon 7 -1 4 0 0 Lock 2 5 5 0 0

The Passing Attack

* targeted twice Player Pos Receptions % Long TD(s) Fumble(s) Sutton WR 4 80% 16 0 0 Fant WR 3 75% 20 0 0 Jeudy WR 3 75% 40 0 0 Patrick WR 2 50% 13 0 0 Williams RB 2 100% 7 0 0 Gordon RB 1 100% 4 0 0 Okwuegbunam* TE 0 0% 0 0 0

The Quarterbacks

Lock

Passing

comp ypa TD(s) INT(s) Long  Rating 68%  7  0  0  40  88

Rushing

Att  Yards  Long  TD(s) 2  10  5  0

Sacked

Times  Yards Lost  Fumble(s) 2  13  0

Derek Carr

Passing

comp  ypa  TD(s)  INT(s)  Long  Rating 80%  8  1  1  28  97

Rushing

Att  Yards  Long  TD(s) 7  5  4  0

Sacked

Time(s)  Yard(s) Lost  Fumble(s) 2  19  1

Afc West Standings

Vs the Division

Team  Game(s) Played  Winning %  Net Kansas City  5  80%  +79 Los Angeles  4  50%  -1 Las Vegas  5  40%  -66 Denver  4  25%  -12

Vs the Conference

* Schedule Finished Team  Game(s) Played  Winning %  Net Las Vegas  5  80%  +1 Los Angeles*  6  50%  -15 Kansas City  5  40%  -13 Denver*  6  33%  +4

vs the NFC (2021 Final Standings)

* Schedule Finished Team  Game(s) Played  Winning %  Net Kansas City*  5  100%  +49 Denver*  5  80%  +46 Los Angeles*  5  60%  +13 Las Vegas*  5  40%  -6

Problems: The fourth quarter

Denver loves to pad the stats in the fourth quarter, so what would their record be if only the fourth quarter counted? Lets take a look.

If only the fourth quarter counted

Broncos Points Opponent Points 4th QTR result Real result Denver 10 New York Giants 6 Win Win Denver 3 Jacksonville Jaguars 6 Loss Win Denver 6 New York Jets 0 Win Win Denver 0 Baltimore Ravens 6 Loss Loss Denver 13 Pittsburgh Steelers 3 Win Loss Denver 14 Las Vegas Raiders 3 Win Loss Denver 7 Cleveland Browns 0 Win Loss Denver 7 The Washington Football Team 0 Win Win Denver 11 Dallas Cowboys 16 Loss Win Denver 0 Philadelphia Eagles 3 Loss Loss Denver 14 Los Angeles Chargers 6 Win Win Denver 6 Kansas City Chiefs 9 Loss Loss Denver 7 Detroit Lions 0 Win Win Denver 0 Cincinnati Bengals 0 Tie Loss Denver 0 Las Vegas Raiders 3 Loss Loss Denver ? Los Angeles Chargers ? ? ? Denver ? Kansas City Chiefs ? ? ?

The Broncos would be 8-6-1 if only the fourth quarter counted.

The worst offenses in the NFL after week 3

Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Chicago Bears

Las Vegas Raiders

Cleveland Browns

Atlanta Falcons

The best of the worst offenses in the NFL after week 3

Denver Broncos

Cleveland Browns

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Las Vegas Raiders

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

Carolina Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans

Opponents ranked by points scored after week 3

I just realized, it helps to have a reference point. The Broncos were ranked number 12 after week 3.

1. Dallas Cowboys

4. Cincinnati Bengals

5. Los Angeles Chargers

6. Philadelphia Eagles

9. Kansas City Chiefs

16. Baltimore Ravens

18. Pittsburgh Steelers

19. New York Jets

22. Washington The Football Team

24. Cleveland Browns

25. Las Vegas Raiders

27. Denver Broncos

29. New York Giants

30. Detroit Lions

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Today's teams ranked by stats

Broncos (7-8)

23rd

19th

19th

13th

19

13

23

82%

0

38

0

0

0

1

+3

Lost 2

Chargers (8-7)

8th

4th

4th

18th

33

16

21

91%

0

28

0

0

1

0

0

Lost 2

Outlook

The Broncos have only once chance to sweep a divisional opponent. To do that they have to win today.

The Broncos have been hit by Covid. Basically, every name you’re familiar with is out. With only two games remaining, I wonder if it’s really covid or players making business decisions.

At this point of the season, I think Bronco country is more interested in what will happen once the season ends. New coaches? New quarterbacks? New owner? New city? Who knows what will happen.

This list includes the overall records of the top 10 AFC teams looking to make the playoffs, mostly wildcard teams, since the division winners are pretty much locked down at this point.

Team, overall record, division

  Kansas City, 11-4, West

Buffalo Bills, 9-6, East

Indianapolis Colts, 9-6, South

Cincinnati Bengals, 9-6, North

New England, 9-6, East

Tennessee Titans, 9-6, South

Baltimore Ravens, 8-7, North

Los Angeles Chargers, 8-7, West

Miami Dolphins, 8-7, East

Las Vegas, Raiders 8-7, West

Game Time

Sunday January 2 @ 2:05 PM MT

Looking Ahead to Future Opponents

Preseason Outlook

Week  Team  Winning %  Win(s) 1  Vikings  0%  0 2  Seahawks  33%  1 3  Rams  0  0

First Quarter Outlook

Week  Team  Winning %  Win(s) 1  Giants  27%  4 2  Jaguars  20%  3 3  Jets  20%  3 4  Ravens  53%  8

Second Quarter Outlook

Week  Team  Winning %  Win(s) 5  Steelers  47%  7 6  Raiders  53%  8 7  Browns  47%  7 8  Football Team  40%  6

Third Quarter Outlook

Week  Team  Winning %  Win(s) 9  Cowboys  73%  11 10  Eagles  53%  8 12  Chargers  53%  8 13  Chiefs  73%  11

Fourth Quarter Outlook

Week  Team  Winning %  Win(s) 14  Lions  13%  2 15  Bengals  60%  9 16  Raiders  53%  8 17  Chargers  53%  8 18  Chiefs  73%  11

Hawk Valley

Denver Broncos Regular Season Game 11 November 28, 2021

Quick Review

The Denver Broncos played the role of the Dallas Cowboys this week and got hammered by the Eagles. It was embarrassing on all levels.

A longer review

The Eagles started off their first drive from the 25 yard line. Jalen Hurts, #1, ran to the right for 10 yards and a first down. On first down, Boston Scott, #35, ran up the middle, through a huge hole, for a gain of 17 yards. On first down, Scott was tackled for a two yard loss. On second and 12, Hurts connected with Scott for a gain of 16 yards. On first down, the Denver defense stopped Scott for no gain. On second down, Hurts found Quez Watkins, #16, for a gain of 18 yards. Hurts went back to Watkins on first down, but this time, he only gained three yards. On second and 7, Jordan Howard, #24, ran up the middle for one yard. On third down, Hurts threw an incomplete pass. On fourth and six with 10:17 left in the first quarter, the Eagles kicked and made a 30 yard field goal.

The Broncos first drive of the game started from the 25 yard line. On first down, Gordon picked up one yard running to the left. On second down, Teddy threw an incomplete pass. On third down, Teddy threw the ball to Gordon and he caught it for a two yard loss. After erasing only 90 seconds from the game clock, the Denver Broncos punted the ball away.

From the 20 yard line, Scott ran to the left and picked up four yards. On second down, Hurts tossed the ball to Dallas Goedert, #88. He picked up four yards. On third down, with about seven and half minutes left in the quarter, Howard ran to the right and picked up three yards. On first down, the Eagles tried an end around to the left side with Jalen Reagor, #18, but he lost eight yards on the play. With 18 yards to go on second down, Hurts connected with Watkins for a six yard gain. The ball was now near the 30 yard line. On third and 12, Hurts found Goedert for a 24 yard gain. On first down, Howard ran towards the middle-left and picked up six yards. On second down, Howard ran to the left side and picked up four more yards. On first down, with 3:30 left, Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith, #6, for a gain of 36 yards and a touchdown. There was a flag on the kickoff, Rick Lovato, #45, was flagged for a false start.

From the 25 yard line, Jeudy accepted the handoff from Teddy Bridgewater and he gained three yards running to the left. Williams came in and gained nine yards over the left side. On first down, Teddy Bridgewater was flagged for a false start. Williams came in and carried the ball for eleven yards. On his next carry, Williams only gained two yards running over the right side. On third down with two yards to go, Teddy completed a pass to Patrick for a seven yard gain, but there was a flag on the play. Avonte Maddox, #29, was flagged for taunting, which cost the Eagles 15 yards. On first down with 26 seconds left in the quarter, Milton Williams, #93, was flagged for a neutral zone infraction. On first down with five yards to go, Teddy found Jeudy for a five yard gain. That play ended the first quarter. After one quarter in Denver, the Eagles led the Broncos, 10 to nothing.

When the second quarter started, Gordon cut to the right and gained 15 yards on first down. On first and goal from the eight, Gordon carried the ball down to the one yard line. Gordon ran into the end zone with 13:41 left in the half.

On first down, from the 25 yard line, Hurts ran to the left and picked up two yards. On second down, Hurts ran to the left and picked up five yards. On third down Hurts was sacked by Jones for an eight yard loss. Hurts fumbled the ball but it was recovered by Jason Kelce, #62, on the 26 yard line. The Eagles punted with 11:39 left in the half.

On first down from the 28 yard line, Teddy Bridgewater connected with the “Big O” for a gain of 64 yards. On first down and goal from the Philadelphia eight yard line, Williams ran to the left for a three yard gain, but there was a flag on the play. Barnett was flagged for offside. On first and goal, this time from the Philly four yard line, Teddy rolled out to the left and threw an incomplete pass. On second down, Williams ran up the middle and gained one yard. On third down with 9:50 let in the half, Teddy threw another incomplete pass. On fourth down, the Broncos kicked a 21 yard field goal. The game was now tied at 10.

The Eagles, from the 25 yard line, responded with an incomplete pass on first down. On second down, Howard ran up the middle for eleven yards. On first down, Hurts called his own number and he scrambled for 31 yards over the left side. On first down, with 8:20 left, Scott ran up the middle for a one yard loss. On second down, Hurts tossed the ball to Scott for an eight yard gain. Scott ran up the middle again on third down for a gain of three yards this time. On first down, Hurts scrambled over the left side for 4 yards. From the Denver 18 yard line, Howard ran to the right and picked up three yards. On third down, Hurts found Watkins for a gain of six yards. From the Denver nine yard line, Hurts connected with Jack Stoll, #89, for a gain of four yards. On second down, with 3:45 left, Hurts ran the option to the left side and Kenneth Gainwell, #14, gained nothing. On third and goal, with 3:22 left, Hurts connected with Smith on a touchdown pass of five yards. The Eagles now led the Broncos by a touchdown, 17-10.

The Broncos responded to the touchdown drive with a three and out. On first down, Teddy threw an incomplete pass. On second down, Jeudy was flagged for a false start. On second and 15, Teddy connected with Jeudy for a four yard gain. On third down, Teddy Bridgewater was sacked for a fourteen yard loss, which took us down to the two minute warning. On fourth and 25, the Broncos punted from their end zone, but there was a flag on the play. After the punt, Zech McPhearson, #27, was flagged for unnecessary roughness. This moved the ball back to the Philly 15 yard line.

On first down, Gainwell carried the ball for five yards over the left side. On second down, Hurts found Gainwell for a gain of nine yards. The flag on this play was picked up. On first down, Hurts connected with Smith for a gain of eleven yards. With 56 seconds left, Hurts found Reagor for a gain of 12 yards. With 50 seconds left, Hurts connected with Smith for a gain of 14 yards. With 25 seconds left, Hurts threw two incomplete passes. Denver called a timeout with 15 seconds left. Hurts threw another incomplete pass on third down. On fourth down, the Eagles attempted a 52 yard field goal and they made it. There were still five seconds on the clock.

From the 25 yard line, with five seconds left, Teddy Bridgewater connected with Fant for a gain of 13 yards which ended the half. At halftime, the Eagles led the Broncos 20-10. The announcer mentioned that the Denver defense had given up 270 yards in the first half.

The Denver Broncos got the ball to start the second half and they started form the 25 yard line. On first down Teddy connected with Fant for a 15 yard gain. On the second first down of the second half, Teddy found Sutton for a 26 yard gain. On first down, from the Philly 34, Williams ran to the left and gained four yards. On second and six, Williams ran to the right for 20 yards. On first down, with 12:30 left, Teddy threw an incomplete pass that was almost a pick 6. On second down, the defense stuffed the middle and Williams lost four yards. On third down, Teddy connected with Williams for a ten yard gain. On fourth and goal, from the Philly four yard line with 11:25 left in the quarter, the Broncos attempted a 22 yard field goal. It was blocked by K’Von Wallace, #42.

The Eagles offense was not ready for the second half. On first down, Hurts ran the quarterback keeper and lost one yard. On second down, Hurts found Stoll for a two yard gain. Oh third down, Hurts threw an incomplete pass. The Eagles punted from their end zone with 9:15 left in the quarter.

Spencer returned the ball to the Philly 45. Gordon picked up seven yards running up the middle on first down. On second down, Gordon picked up nine yards running to the left. The defense held Gordon to a gain of one yard on first down with 7:45 left in the quarter. Teddy connected with Jeudy for a seven yard pickup on second down. With only two yards to go on third down, Williams took it to the house for a touchdown (20 yards), but there was a flag on the play. Saubert was flagged for holding. On third down, Teddy found the “Big O” for a four yard gain, but there was a flag on the play. Barnett was flagged for roughing the passer. On first down, from the Philly 11 with about six minutes left, Teddy avoided a sack, but threw an incomplete pass. On second down, Williams ran to the right for a gain of seven yards, but there was a flag on the play. The “Big O” was flagged for an illegal block in the back. On second and 19, Teddy threw an incomplete pass. On third down, Teddy found Fant for a ten yard gain. From the 10 yard line, with 4:54 remaining in the quarter, the Broncos made a 28 yard field goal. The score at this point was Philly 20, Denver 13.

The Eagles started their drive from the 25 yard line. Howard ran over the left side for a gain of five yards on first down. On second down, Scott picked up 21 yards running to the left. On first down, Hurts lost two yards on his quarterback scramble. On second and 12, with 3:30 left, Hurts threw a pass that was almost blocked by Harris, but it was intercepted by Simmons who returned it 17 yards.

On first down, from the Denver 47, Teddy found Fant for a six yard pickup. On second down, Teddy returned to Fant for a 15 yard gain. Teddy threw an incomplete pass on first down. On second down, with 97 seconds left in the quarter, Gordon ran over the left side and picked up two yards. With 55 seconds left, Teddy connected with Patrick for a seven yard gain. With 21 second left, on fourth down with one yard to go, Gordon fumbled the ball and Darius Slay, #2, returned it 83 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles point after touchdown was good and that play ended the third quarter. Bridgewater caught some flak during the downtime for not tackling Slay. After three quarters, Philly 27, Denver 13.

On first down, Jeudy caught a pass for a five yard gain. On second down, from the Denver 30 yard line, Teddy’s pass was tipped, almost picked, but caught by Williams for a nine yard loss. On third down, Teddy tossed an incomplete pass. With 13:33 left in the game, the Broncos punted on fourth down.

From the Philly 35, Howard ran to the left for 15 yards. On first down from the 50, Howard picked up five more yards running to the left. With 12:31 left, Howard ran to the right and picked up 25 yards. Hurts called his own number on first down, but he only picked up one yard on the quarterback keeper. Scott came in and picked up seven yards running to the right. Hurts scrambled to the right on third down for a five yard pickup. Nate Herbig, #67, fumbled and Hurts recovered for a three yard gain on first and goal. Howard came in and ran up the middle for a three yard gain. Howard ran up the middle again on third down and gained one yard. With 7:36 left in the game, the Eagles kicked a 23 yard field goal. The kick was successful. The score: Philly 30, Denver 13.

This Denver 3 and out took 47 seconds off the clock. Teddy threw two incomplete passes and he completed a pass to Patrick for a gain of zero yards. The Broncos punted on fourth and 10 from the Denver 25 yard line.

On first down from the Philly 32 yard line, Scott ran to the left and picked up two yards. On second down, Scott ran to the right and picked up six yards. Oh third down, Hurts ran to the right for one yard. Philly thought Hurts gained two yards and a first down, so they challenged the spotting of the ball. The review confirmed he was short of the first down, so Philly punted the ball.

On first down from the Denver 12 yard line, Teddy connected with Jeudy for a gain of 13 yards but he fumbled. The “Big O” recovered the fumble and advanced it two yards. Philly then called their last timeout of the game. On first down, Teddy connected with the “Big O” for a nine yard gain. With one yard to go on second down, Teddy threw an incomplete pass, but there was a flag on the play. Steven Nelson, #3, was flagged for pass interference. That penalty advanced the ball to the Philly 27 yard line. Teddy connected with Jeudy on first down for a gain of 14 yards. With 2:50 left in the game, Teddy threw an incomplete pass that was almost picked. On second down, Teddy tossed the ball to Sutton for a gain of three yards. Teddy ended this drive by throwing incomplete passes on third and fourth down.

From the Philly 10 yard line, Scott ran to the right and picked up 23 yards. This took us to the two minute warning. When play resumed, Hurts kneeled down three times to kill the clock and end the game. Final score: Eagles 30, Denver 13.

The Game Stats

Denver Broncos

Time of Possession

25:02

Passing Attempts

36

Passing Yards

226

Rushes

18

Rushing Yards

96

Philadelphia Eagles

Time of Possession

34:58

Passing Attempts

23

Passing Yards

178

Rushes

40

Yards

214

The Running Game

*AYPC is average yards per carry

PlayerCarriesAYPCLongTD(s)Fumble(s) Gordon951511 Williams862000 Jeudy13300

The Passing Attack

PlayerReceptions%LongTD(s)Fumble(s) Jeudy667%1401 Patrick350%700 Okwuegbunam3100%6400 Gordon125%-200 Fant583%1500 Williams267%1000 Sutton267%2600

The Quarterbacks

Bridgewater

Passing

compypaTD(s)INT(s)LongRating 61%6006479

Rushing

AttYardsLongTD(s) 0000

Sacked

TimesYards LostFumble(s) 1140

Jalen Hurts

Passing

compypaTD(s)INT(s)LongRating 70%82136103

Rushing

AttYardsLongTD(s) 1453310

Sacked

Time(s)Yard(s) LostFumble(s) 161

Afc West Standings

Vs the Division

TeamGame(s) PlayedWinning %Net Los Angeles2100%+20 Kansas City250%+21 Las Vegas333%-31 Denver10-10

Vs the Conference

TeamGame(s) PlayedWinning %Net Las Vegas475%-1 Los Angeles450%-22 Denver540%+9 Kansas City425%-39

vs the NFC

*Schedule Finished TeamGame(s) PlayedWinning %Net Kansas City*5100%+49 Denver475%+18 Los Angeles450%-3 Las Vegas450%-4

Problems: The fourth quarter

Denver loves to pad the stats in the fourth quarter, so what would their record be if only the fourth quarter counted? Lets take a look.

If only the fourth quarter counted

BroncosPointsOpponentPoints4th QTR resultReal result Denver10New York Giants6WinWin Denver3Jacksonville Jaguars6LossWin Denver6New York Jets0WinWin Denver0Baltimore Ravens6LossLoss Denver13Pittsburgh Steelers3WinLoss Denver14Las Vegas Raiders3WinLoss Denver7Cleveland Browns0WinLoss Denver7The Washington Football Team0WinWin Denver11Dallas Cowboys16LossWin Denver0Philadelphia Eagles3LossLoss

The Broncos would be 6-4 if only the fourth quarter counted.

There are 7 games left in the season and five of those games are divisional games. This look back at the season may help you understand the afc-west.

Last six weeks

*played six games **played five games TeamPoints ScoredPoints SurrenderedNetWinning % Kansas City*12787+4083% Denver**98107-940% Los Angeles**118149-3140% Las Vegas**110142-3240%

Last four weeks

*played three games TeamPoints ScoredPoints SurrenderedNetWinning % Kansas City9347+46100% Los Angeles112115-350% Denver*6056+467% Las Vegas*4396-530%

Last two weeks**

*played one game **week 11 TeamPoints ScoredPoints SurrenderedNetWinning % Kansas City6023+37100% Los Angeles6164-350% Las Vegas2773-460% Denver*1330-170%

The worst offenses in the NFL after week 3

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Detroit Lions

Seattle Seahawks

*Denver Broncos

Atlanta Falcons

New York Giants

Chicago Bears

Washington Football Team

Miami Dolphins

*had bye week last week What stands out about this list is that the Broncos have five wins this season and every team they beat is on this list, plus a team they are expected to beat later in the season, the Detroit Lions.

Opponents ranked by points scored after week 3

I just realized, it helps to have a reference point. The Broncos were ranked number 12 after week 3.

3. Dallas Cowboys

4. Philadelphia Eagles

9. Cincinnati Bengals

10. Los Angeles Chargers

11. Kansas City Chiefs

14. Las Vegas Raiders

16. Baltimore Ravens

17. Pittsburgh Steelers

20. New York Jets

21. Cleveland Browns

24. Washington The Football Team

26. New York Giants

28. Denver Broncos

30. Detroit Lions

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

Today's teams ranked by stats

Broncos (5-5)

23rd

20th

18th

17th

14

7

18

86%

0

30

0

0

0

0

0

Lost 1

Chargers (6-4)

11th

8th

6th

21st

22

10

13

93%

0

18

0

0

0

0

+1

Won 1

Outlook

If the Broncos split their remaining divisional games, that would get them to 8-7. If the Broncos had played Kc earlier in the year, the odds would have been better for a split with KC. I'll guess the Broncos will beat the Chargers and Raiders at least once and lose both games to Kc, that puts the Broncos at 7-8. The other two games are the Bengals and the Lions. I bet the Broncos will split those two games finishing 8-9 on the year. I have a fear that the Lions will get their first victory of the year against the Broncos. They've been in every game.

The Broncos lost, by ten points, their first divisional game of the season when they played the Raiders on October 17. The Chargers are undefeated in the division this season...so far.

The Chargers are averaging 26 points per game through 10 games, but, on average, they give up 27. In divisional games, they're averaging 29 points per game, and they're only giving up 19 points per game. Through 10 games, the Broncos are averaging 20 points per game and are giving up 18 points per game.

That's sort of interesting you say, why did you tell me that? I told you that because the magic number for the Broncos this year is 17 points. When the defense holds the opponent to 16 points or less, the Broncos are 5-0 this season. When the opponent scores 17 points or more, the Broncos are 0-5.

Bradley Cubb has been activated for this game.

Game Time

Sunday November 28 @ 2:05 PM MT

Next week's game against the Chiefs has been flexed to Sunday night. The game is now on NBC at 6:20 PM MST.

Looking Ahead to Future Opponents

Preseason Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 1Vikings0%0 2Seahawks33%1 3Rams00

First Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 1Giants30%3 2Jaguars20%2 3Jets20%2 4Ravens70%7

Second Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 5Steelers50%5 6Raiders55%6 7Browns55%6 8Football Team40%4

Third Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 9Cowboys70%7 10Eagles45%5 12Chargers60%6 13Chiefs64%7

Fourth Quarter Outlook

WeekTeamWinning %Win(s) 14Lions00 15Bengals60%6 16Raiders55%6 17Chargers60%6 18Chiefs64%7

Hawk Valley

Quick Review

The Broncos lost to the Chiefs 43-16. The game was not as close as the score might suggest.

A longer review

Kansas City started the scoring off, it was a run to the left side, on first down with 9:08 left in the first quarter. On Denver's next drive, the offense stalled. They punted the ball back to Kansas City with 8:15 left in the quarter. On first down, the Chiefs fumbled and the Broncos recovered. Lock then connected with Patrick for a 26 yard gain. On third and goal, Lock scrambled to the right for a Denver touchdown. McManus missed the point after touchdown. After the miss, the announcers had a ref in New York review the catch by Patrick and he said the catch would have been ruled incomplete had Kansas City challenged the play.

With the ball back in the hands of Mahomes, the Chiefs wasted no time on offense moving down the field. On first down they picked up 17 yards on the ground. On second down, Mahomes completed a pass for a thirty-eight yard gain. At this point in the game, the Denver defense toughened up and held Kansas City to a field goal on that drive. At this point, the score was 10-6 Kansas City, with two minutes left in the first quarter.

The Broncos started their new drive by handing the ball off to Lindsay on first down. He picked up a first down, on first down. Drew Lock followed that up with an incomplete pass. On second down, Gordon picked up 7 yards, but someone on the Broncos was flagged for holding, wiping out the run. On second and twenty, the Broncos tossed the ball to Gordon for a gain of two yards. On third and 18, Lock completed a pass to Gordon, but he fumbled and Kansas City recovered. Mahomes then threw an incomplete pass to end the first quarter.

Two plays into the second quarter, the Broncos sacked Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City punted the ball and downed it on the two yard line. Gordon rushed for 8 yards on the first two plays of this drive. Lock then found Jeudy for a 7 yard gain and a first down. Lock then threw a deep pass to nobody at the 12:12 mark. Lindsay bailed him out by picking up 20 yards on the very next play. Lindsay picked up another 9 yards on first down. Fangio then rotated Gordon into the game and he picked up a first down. Lock lost three yards on first down. On the very next play, Lock threw a pick six. Kansas City now lead the Denver Broncos by 11 points with 9:18 left in the second quarter.

Over the next two downs, Lindsay picked up 25 yards. Then Vannett caught a pass from Lock for a 19 yard gain. At that point, the Denver drive stalled and the Broncos ended up kicking a 43 yard field goal. Kansas City returned that kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown, increasing their lead to fifteen points. The Broncos drive that followed the Chief's kickoff return, failed to get a first down and they punted with 4:15 left in the half.

Kansas City earned one first down on their next drive before they had to punt. The Broncos returned to Lindsay on the next drive and he picked up five yards but he was injured on the play. Gordon came in and picked up 10 yards. Then Lock was sacked for an eight yard loss with 1:37 left in the half. Lock shrugged that off and hit Okwuegbunam for a gain of 17 yards. On first down, Lock completed a pass to Hamilton for a 13 yard gain. Kansas City was flagged for defensive holding on that play. Lock was then sacked for a nine yard loss. On second and nineteen, Lock threw the ball away as he was being sacked. He was flagged for intentional grounding. As the first half ended, Lock completed a pass for a 21 yard gain.

The Chiefs started the second half off with the ball, but thanks to a sack on that drive, Kansas City ended up punting. The punt was 44 yards and the Bronco fielding the punt dropped it. He ended up recovering the ball. Gordon ran for a one yard loss on first down. Patrick then caught a pass for a twelve yard gain. On first down, the Broncos tried a reverse and gained eleven yards. Then the Broncos tried a flea flicker which was intercepted.

On third down, what looked to be another Kansas City touchdown pass, ended up falling incomplete when their wide receiver dropped the ball as the Denver defense arrived. Kansas City then kicked another field goal. The score was now 27-9 Chiefs. The next Broncos drive gained four first downs before it stalled. On fourth and five, the Broncos tried to get a first down, but don't make it. Kansas City responded with a gain of 16 yards on first down and then another gain of 17 yards. The Denver defense then forced the Chiefs into their "short game" offense and with 2:03 left in the third, Kansas City kicked another field goal. Kansas City lead 30-9 at this point.

Back on offense, Denver quarterback Drew Lock scrambled and looked to have injured his knee on the play. It turns out that his knee brace got stuck in the turf. The Broncos made Lock remove his knee brace that he had been wearing since high school. Rypien came in and handed off to Gordon. Kansas City was flagged for a personal foul on the play. Lock came back in and ran out the clock in the third quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Lock threw an interception. In less than two minutes, the Kansas City offense gained about fifty yards. With about 11:21 left in the game, Mahomes threw a touchdown pass. Kansas City extended their lead to 28 points.

Denver got the ball back and had their most successful drive of the game, it lasted a little over four minutes. The Broncos ran the ball three times out of four, for a gain of 7 yards. The one non-running play was a pass was to Hamilton for a 13 yard gain. On third and five, Lock connected with Fant for an eleven yard gain. Lock went right back to Fant for a gain of 24 yards. On second down, Lock hit number 85, the big O, for a gain of 14 yards. At the 7 minute mark, Gordon ran into the end zone. The score was now 37-16, Kansas City.

Denver tried an onside kick, but Kansas City recovered. Andy Reid pulled Mahomes at this point and put in their backup quarterback. He moved the ball into the red zone. On first down, they ran up the middle for a two yard gain. On second and goal, a quarterback scramble lost three yards. On third down, they ran the ball for a two yard gain, but there was a flag on the play. First down Kansas City, with 3:48 left in the game. On second down, the backup quarterback scrambled into the end zone. Their kicker ended up missing the PAT. The score was now 43-16 Chiefs, which ended up being the final score. On the next Bronco drive, Lock threw four consecutive incomplete passes. Kansas City took over on downs and entered victory formation with 1:36 left on the clock.

The Game Stats

Denver

Time of Possession

33:24

Passing Attempts

40

Passing Yards

254

Rushes

33

Rushing Yards

177

Chiefs

Time of Possession

26:36

Passing Attempts

25

Passing Yards

213

Rushes

22

Yards

101

Player Stats

The Running Game

* AYPC is average yards per carry

PlayerCarriesAYPCLongTD(s) Fumble(s) Gordon1741112 Lindsay992000 Freeman34600 Lock33410 Hamler1101002

The Passing Attack

* He was targeted once

PlayerReceptions%LongTD(s)Fumble(s) Okwuegbunam7100%1700 Patrick375%2700 Fant343%2400 Hamler267%2102 Jeudy250%1300 Hamilton267%1300 Gordon250%1002 Vannett267%1900 Freeman150%500 Cleveland*00%000

The Quarterbacks

Lock

Passing

compypaTD(s)INT(s)LongRating 60%6022758

Rushing

AttYardsLongTD(s) 3841

Sacked

TimesYards LostFumble(s) 3200

Mahomes

Passing

compypaTD(s)INT(s)LongRating 65%91038107

Rushing

AttYardsLongTD(s) 0000

Sacked

Time(s)Yard(s) LostFumble(s) 3250

Henne

Passing

compypaTD(s)INT(s)LongRating 100%7001194

Rushing

AttYardsLongTD(s) 4-211

Sacked

Time(s)Yard(s) LostFumble(s) 130

During the week

There was a full press by the media to promote Drew Lock. They even suggested that the Broncos draft better receivers, hire a new offensive coordinator and only use offensive sets with three tide ends and two running backs so that Lock would look better. The problem with this approach is, those people that the media wants to replace, looked great when Rypien was behind center.

Once again, people blamed the front office. During this discussion, a point was made that John Elway doesn't have much time left on his contract. So maybe, change will be coming soon? *soon, as in the next two years.

Both the Broncos and Chargers tested positive for Covid this week. The Broncos offensive line coach has been quarantined and on Sunday, it was announced that the Broncos defensive coordinator tested positive. An offensive linemen for the Broncos will not play today due to a positive Covid test. The game is still scheduled for today.

Afc West Standings

Vs the Division

TeamGame(s) PlayedWinning %Net Las Vegas1100%+8 Kansas City367%+22 Los Angeles10%-3 Denver10%-27

Vs the Conference

TeamGames PlayedWinning %Net Kansas City4100%+53 Los Angeles2100%+13 Denver450%+8 Las Vegas20%-23

vs the NFC

TeamGames PlayedWinning %Net Las Vegas367%-11 Los Angeles30%-15 Denver10%-18 Kansas City00%0

Today's teams ranked by stats

Broncos (2-4)

28th

28th

26th

16th

6

5

13

93%

0

18

0

0

0

0

-8

Lost 1

Chargers (2-4)

21st

4th

5th

13th

12

5

9

69%

0

12

0

0

0

1

-2

Won 1

Outlook

For this game, lets look at how each team played against common opponents. Both teams have played the Bucs and the Chiefs. The Chargers lost to Tampa Bay by 7, the Broncos lost by 18. Both teams have played against the Chiefs, the sole divisional opponent for both teams. The Chiefs beat the Chargers by 3 points, but they beat the Broncos by 27. Both teams are 2-4, in their four loses the Chargers have been outscored by 18 points or close to 5 points per game. In the games the Broncos have lost, they have been outscored by 52 points or almost two touchdowns per game.

Game Time