Here We Go Again!

New coach. New philosophy. New players. Same result for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos 27-17 loss to the Washington Redskins was discouraging and disheartening for many reasons on many levels. The main thing is that it reminds us that no matter what changes we went through, and no matter what we did the first six games of the this season, we are in the same predicament we were in just 11 months ago. It really is deja vu all over again. Let's first start with Sunday's game vs. the Redskins, and then we can get to the bigger picture. Here is my take on some of the details of Sunday's loss in D.C. First, if Kyle Orton doesn't get hurt, the Broncos win the game. He directed three scoring drives, and would have been able to put enough points on the board in the second half to secure the win. I know Chris Simms hasn't taken any meaningful snaps since 2006, but he was flat out awful. He didn't even look like an NFL backup quarterback. Second, there is absolutely no excuse to give up a fake field goal for a touchdown. Especially, SINCE THE REDSKINS LINED UP FOR THE FAKE AND THEN CALLED TIMEOUT TO SET IT UP!!!! That was one of the most embarrassing sequences of Broncos football I have ever seen. That can't happen, and it's on the coaching staff for that one. Third, our defense is crumbling and it is nowhere near what it was three or four weeks ago. For the third straight game, the defense got pushed around at the line of scrimmage. The defense got gashed by Ladell Betts. Really? Are you kidding me? Our defense couldn't stop Washington's run game, and they completely controlled the game down the stretch. This is shades of 2006 for our once heralded defensive unit. Finally, the Broncos have lost their confidence and their way. They just don't seem right, and I don't know if they will be able to get their swagger back.

As far as the rest of the season and this week's game, here is why I feel like it is 2008 all over again. Last year, we were 8-5 and the Chargers were 5-8. Of course, we remember how San Diego got hot and finished 8-8, and how we fell apart in losses to Carolina, Buffalo, and then the disaster in Week 17 at San Diego. Well, this year it is the same exact result, expect that Denver's decline started about a month early, and San Diego actually woke up as earlier in the season. Just like last year when we blew a critical game at home versus a 6-8 Buffalo team, and we had San Diego staring at us the next week. Well, we just blew a critical game at 2-6 Washington, and we have red hot San Diego rolling into Mile High this week. IT'S THE SAME SHIT-DIFFERENT YEAR!!!!! Frankly, I'm tired of it. I don't want to hear that this year is a rebuilding year, and that it is the first year of the Josh McDaniels era, and there are going to be some years like this. I don't want to hear it. When your team starts out 6-0 and beats teams like Dallas, New England, and San Diego (I'm not even counting Cincy), then you should be setting yourself up for a first round bye. Now, Denver is battling SD for the division, and if they are lucky they are fighting for a Wild Card and a 5th or 6th seed. This Bronco team is headed in the wrong direction, and there is nothing we can do about it. Just like 2006, just like 2008, we start fast and can't finish. The Broncos changed the script of the season when they started 6-0. They need to win the division or at least make the wild card comfortably. If they fade again this year, it will be just as worst as last year- I don't care who the coach is or who the quarterback is. On a final note, I am going to change my approach. I said last year the 2008 Broncos drove me to drink an enormous amount during their games. As their season crumbled, I also crumbled into a drunken nightmare. This season was not like that until Sunday's debacle. I drank myself into a stupor watching them blow this game, and I ended up passing out on my couch with my mouth wide open and droll sliding down my cheek. The 2009 Broncos may be collapsing, but I'm not going down like I did last year. I'm not going to drink a lot during Sunday's game. Even if San Diego wins 41-10, I'm not going to drown myself in beers. I'm going to watch the game and not get upset. Why should I put myself through this like I did last year? I'm going to simply watch the game, have a beer or two, have some Gatorade and Pepsi, make myself a nice meal, and observe what takes place. No jumping up and down, no bitching and complaining, no screaming and yelling and no expectations. Whatever will happen will happen, and there is nothing I can do about it. I expect the Broncos to lose and lose badly because this is what the most recent Broncos do. They can't finish and they can't collapse. It looks like the 2009 Broncos will pick up where the 2008 Broncos left off at the end of last season. I'm not going down the same road, and I'm not going out like that. Maybe the Broncos will actually follow my lead this time.