Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season. Submit questions to Ryan here.
I assume you’ll get this question a lot in similar forms: Why was the Broncos-Patriots game earlier in the season postponed and the Steelers game on Thanksgiving postponed (twice) causing a domino effect in the coming weeks, yet the Broncos — with literally no quarterback — were still required to play against the Saints? What is the matrix that is used by the NFL to postpone or not to postpone? I am very much against the “sour grapes,” “poor me,” “no fair,” attitude, but in this case it does seem very random and arbitrary.
— Michael Hert, Durango
Here’s what I’ve been able to gather: The Broncos-Patriots game was postponed because the league felt the New England situation was not contained; they deemed the Broncos clear of having any outbreak so they kept the game on Sunday and benched the quarterbacks. The same reason was stated for moving Ravens-Steelers and not Saints-Broncos. I disagree, but that’s the information I was presented.
My consistent comment on the quarterbacks being benched is the punishment didn’t fit the crime and because the league office hasn’t commented, we don’t know the specifics other than the quarterbacks were lax in wearing their masks last week.
How can the NFL justify putting such a dreadful product on the field on Sunday? I don’t blame the Broncos. They tried under impossible circumstances. But why wasn’t this game postponed like the Patriots game earlier in the season? Or the Ravens/Steelers? Seems like the NFL brings those guys slippers and crumpets until full strength but the Broncos have to find emergency players. A simply dreadful product on Sunday and the NFL should worry about that.
— Matthew, Colorado Springs
The NFL office should be embarrassed by what happened on Sunday. But it won’t show regret because the Broncos’ organization in their current state is way down on the list of teams the league wants to please. That tends to happen with no owner.
I had low expectations for Sunday’s game … and they weren’t met. At least the game was completed in only two hours, 40 minutes.
We all see the weekly calls from fans wanting to send the coaches, specifically offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, packing. However, it remains likely Vic Fangio will get another year and Drew Lock still has a chance to be the frontrunner to be the starter going into next year. If those two things hold true do you think it better serves the Broncos to give Shurmur another season as well, despite the struggles? None of our homegrown players on offense have played with the same offensive coordinator in consecutive seasons since joining the league and Lock has played for five coordinators in six years dating back to Missouri.
— Steve, Forks, Wash.
The Broncos are 4-7 and have three of their next four on the road. If they lose all three and aren’t competitive in the process, does the heat on Vic’s seat get turned up? It might. Same with Shurmur and Lock.
I get the call for continuity but what if general manager John Elway feels the Fangio/Shurmur/Lock combination won’t work? Including Sunday’s game, the Broncos have lost four games this year by at least 18 points.
That said, the Broncos’ young offensive players would benefit from being in the same system … if the system is the right fit to fuel their development and performance.
Hi Ryan, was that botched snap to Philip Lindsay scored as Lindsay’s first NFL fumble lost? If so, I think that’s the worst thing to come out of the no-QB debacle. Any way we can put an asterisk next to that one?
— Patrick, Denver
The worst thing out of the no-quarterback debacle was Lindsay sustaining a knee injury while serving as the wildcat quarterback.
Good news, Patrick, the fumble was credited to center Lloyd Cushenberry.
Ryan, any word on what the plan is for this week? Let’s say it’s the worst-case scenario and all of Denver’s quarterbacks test positive. Who do we get? Does anyone fit this offense? Get a former Pat Shurmur quarterback like Sam Bradford? Sign his son, Kyle? How about, dare I say, Colin Kaepernick? What would you do in that situation?
— Mike S., Fort Collins
On Monday, Fangio said Drew Lock/Brett Rypien/Blake Bortles would be allowed back in the facility if they test negative on Tuesday.
What I would do in this situation is get the players cleared to return, tell Bortles he will need to stay in isolation, take part in all of the virtual meetings and work out on his own.
Are the Broncos horrible at setting up screen passes? It seems to be a nice wrinkle that lots of other teams throw in, but every time the Broncos try it, it gets blown up!
— Will, Centennial
I’ve been pounding the figurative drum all year for the Broncos to run more screens. Tight end Noah Fant gained 13 yards on Sunday, one of the few positive offensive plays and the only pass completion.
The screen game should suit Lindsay, Gordon, Fant and, before he was injured, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.
More screens, Pat Shurmur, more screens please!
Hi Ryan. For most of the year the Broncos’ offense has been as stagnant as the cow pond behind my implement shed (probably smells like it, too). How much of this ineptitude is play-calling and how much is poor quarterback play? It’s hard to tell on TV if receivers are open and an inexperienced quarterback just doesn’t see them. Would this be a high-powered offense with more skill behind center? Thanks, and happy Thanksgiving from the highest point in Kansas!
— Matt, Mt. Sunflower, Kan.
Hey Matt, I had to Google Mt. Sunflower, Kan., to see a) if it existed (it does) and b) where it was located (along the Kansas-Colorado border). I graduated from Kansas State and had never heard of it.
Dividing the blame for the Broncos’ year-long offensive struggles is not easy. Shurmur didn’t have a preseason to learn his players and that may still be ongoing. Receiver Courtland Sutton tore his ACL in Week 2. Phillip Lindsay/Melvin Gordon have rarely been healthy at the same time. And Lock has 11 interceptions.
I don’t think this offense would be lighting up the scoreboard if they had an experienced quarterback.
I was not expecting the Broncos to win Sunday, but they certainly could have come up with a better offensive game plan. Shurmur seems like a coach who cannot adapt his scheme to fit the talent of his personnel. His play-calling does not show very much imagination for a coach that came from the Andy Reid coaching tree. Did he think that the Saints were going to honor the threat of a pass with four receivers and Phillip Lindsay or Royce Freeman in the shotgun? Why was he having Kendall Hinton throw 15- or 20-yard throws instead of screen passes? His only completed pass was a screen in the second half, and he only attempted one screen pass. Why didn’t he try a heavy package with an extra offensive lineman and Lindsay, Freeman and Melvin Gordon in a wishbone? Do you think that Shurmur is an upgrade over Rich Scangarello?
— Chris, Cedaredge
Shurmur an upgrade over Scangarello? No idea. The Broncos are 4-7 this year and struggling to score points, just like last year when they struggled to win and score.
No way should Hinton been asked to throw the long pass down the right sideline to DaeSean Hamilton that was underthrown and intercepted. As previously noted, the screen game should have been used more.
What was surprising is the Broncos didn’t really get wild with their play-calling.
Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season. Submit questions to Ryan here.
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