Woody Paige: A new year, and an old Broncos problem
Ring out the old, and the Broncos, too.
The Broncos won the game but lost the postseason on New Year’s Eve.
Ring in the new year and new Broncos, please.
If only the Broncos had not been beaten, bewildered, baffled, and bamboozled at home by four terrible teams that possess otherwise 6-9, 5-10, 3-12 and 3-12 records, they would be somebodies rather than nobodies. But the Broncos are behind the 8-8 ball and eliminated and eradicated for the eighth consecutive season.
Now what?
Well, the Broncos can start 2024 with a victory in Las Vegas and finish second in the AFC West.
Next season, they have to prevail in home games against the three other division teams, the Steelers, the Browns, the Falcons, the Panthers and some lousy outfit (TBD) from the AFC South. And maybe triumph in a few of their nine games on the road at Vegas, K.C. and L.A., Cincinnati, Baltimore, Tampa, New Orleans (Sean Payton goes home again) and two cities in the AFC East and the NFC West not scheduled yet.
Perhaps the Broncos will resolve that quirky, quicksand-like quarterback matter before the season begins — and that Russell Wilson $85 million murky dead-cap situation. And what to do — eee — about Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and the bunch of tight ends, including the curious case of oft-injured Greg Dulcich, who has been as ineffective as other Broncos’ drafted tight ends — Jake Butt, Troy Fumagalli, Jeff Heuerman, Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam. Oh, for just one Shannon Sharpe clone!
At 60, Payton (Sean) could consider undergoing an arrogance bypass operation, and Paton (George) could be fired for committing the worst act in franchise history — the trade for Wilson, then the contract extension — and Penner (Greg) could comprehend that his ownership role must be more like the late Pat Bowlen’s than like a Walmart shopper forced into a self-checkout lane.
But, back to the Broncos game Sunday, which ultimately achieved nothing more than fulfilling Payton’s wish that the team “win a game.’’
The Broncos defeated the deflated Chargers, who’ve had an ownership family forever that is worst than the Broncos’ short-term ownership, and a general manager and a coach (who briefly was a Broncos assistant) who were fired after the previous Broncos game for obvious reasons.
The Broncos’ defense stuck it to Easton Stick (whose name sounds like a baseball bat). However, Justin Herbert will return next season, and that’s more than Russell Wilson can claim. The Chargers, interlopers in a Los Angeles stadium and who have no fans, were supposed to be playoff contenders this season, but they were not even pretenders.
The Broncos’ crowd @Mile High (not counting the thousands of no-shows) left early. If the Broncos’ team had left early, the Chargers, by themselves on the field, could not have scored more than nine points.
Meanwhile, Jarrett Stidham made his Broncos’ debut as the 13th starting quarterback since a member of the Mannings, who have produced more stars than the Wilsons (Brian, Carl, Dennis and Russell), was the QB.
Payton said afterward that Stidham “played well.” Stidham never will make us forget Peyton. Stidham was the beneficiary of one touchdown pass because of the great run after the catch by Lil’Jordan Humphrey and an underthrown pass to Jeudy at the goal line that was rewarded with pass interference.
This football follower says Stidham “played OK.’’ He threw for 224 yards and wasn’t intercepted. The offense’s point production tied for second-lowest of the year — against a sad-sack defense.
If Stidham is the answer, the Broncos’ ThreeP leadership does not know what the question is.
Russell cheered on his teammates on the sideline and actually looked at his playlist wristband. He is not to be felt sorry for, because he has a future and a fortune coming in the NFL, but the Broncos haven’t treated him with respect on his ride out of Denver.
The Broncos are not any better than before his arrival. They’ve generally had a special defense since the Orange Crush and the No-Fly Zone, but the offensive players have acted like the characters in “The Usual Suspects.”
As a result of the Chiefs rallying and the Steelers winning, the Broncos are out.
Happy New Year! Anyway.
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (4) warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) walks the sidelines on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette)