Broncos Lose to KC in Snowy Arrowhead, Fall to 5-9

The Broncos went into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday and took on the AFC West Champion Chiefs in the snow to determine if the Broncos had bridged the gap on the Chiefs and if Drew Lock could continue his hot start to his career. Both situations came back in a negative way for the Broncos. Denver was smoked 23-3 by the Chiefs and the loss dropped the Broncos to 5-9 on the season, ensuring their third consecutive losing season. It was a tough day in the snow and it showed how far away Denver actually is from competing with the Chiefs for the divisional crown. Here are my thoughts and observations on the game.

1)    The snow affected the Broncos way more than the Chiefs. The Broncos defense could not adjust to the conditions. The Chiefs receivers were wide open all day long-especially Travis Kelce. I would have expected the Broncos to adjust to the conditions a lot better than they did.

2)    Pat Mahoney was awesome. He just diced up the Broncos defense. He is too good for us right now, and it appears that he will be the thorn in our side for many years to come. The Chiefs scored points on their first five possessions.

3)    Quite simply, the Broncos are just not good enough right now to go into KC and beat the Chiefs. They are not there yet. If we get back into playoff contention next season, it is going to have to be as a wild card. Denver’s not ready to take this division away from the Chiefs. KC has now won nine straight games against the Broncos. It reminds me of the dominance the Chargers had over Denver from 2005-2008.

4)    Drew Lock didn’t play well. I’m not going to kill him for this game. It was in a snowstorm against and clearly better team. I think there is high hopes for Lock, and I still think he can be the guy going forward for this franchise. It does look like a flaw in his game will be not stepping into some throws. He doesn’t have a strong enough arm to do that just yet. I am still looking forward to seeing him play the last two games.

5)    At 5-9, the Broncos are headed for a third straight losing season. There are young pieces there, but I would like them to win the last two and finish 7-9 and have some momentum heading into 2020. We aren’t that far off from make a 10-6 type turnaround next season, but challenging for the division will be a long shot in the near future with Mahomes and Chiefs in control.

Broncos-Chiefs and Week 15 Picks!

The Broncos are on a two-game winning streak and head to KC to take on the 9-4 and AFC West Champion Chiefs. This is a big test for Drew Lock, who has looked great in his first two starts. On the road in a hostile stadium against a division rival. The Broncos need to beat the Chiefs. They haven't beat KC since Week 2 of the 2015 season. It's time to knock off the big bully on the block. Do I think the Broncos will win? Probably not, but I like their chances with Lock and the way this team has responded around him the last two games. Maybe they will keep this one closer than everyone thinks.

Prediction: Denver (+11) over KANSAS CITY
Final Score: Chiefs-30 Broncos-23

Now, onto the picks for Week 15 in the National Football League.........


Last Week's Record: 7-7-2
Overall Record: 96-100-11
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Tampa Bay (-3) over DETROIT: At 6-7, the Bucs have played better and given their fans hope that Bruce Arians will turn this franchise around. They will get to 7-7 with a win over the fading 3-9-1 Lions.

Philly (-4) over WASHINGTON: I know Eagles are banged up in receiving corps, but after saving their season with a win over the Giants in overtime last Monday night, I think they might have found new life. A win over the 3-10 Redskins puts them at 7-7 and hosting the Cowboys next Sunday for a chance to take control of the NFC East.

Chicago (+5) over GREEN BAY: I think the Packers will win the game outright, but I look at this game and for some reason, I can see the Bears keeping it close. The Bears make the Packers sweat and lose a heartbreaker to fall to 7-7 and eliminate them from the playoffs, while GB wins and gets to 11-3.

New England (-9) over CINCY: The Pats have lost two in a row and now stand at 10-3, but they will rebound and take care of business on the road over the 1-12 Bengals.

Houston (+3) over TENNESSEE: I have a feeling that the Texans will play a good game after getting killed at home to the Broncos last week. The Titans are surging at 8-5 with Ryan Tannehill at QB, and their home crowd will be rocking this week. Look for a back and forth game, but I'm going with Houston.

Seattle (-5) over CAROLINA: At 5-8, the Panthers are done for 2019. They have fired Ron Rivera and they are just playing out the string. Look for Seattle to bounce back from last week's terrible loss to the Rams and get to 11-3 with a solid performance on the road.

Miami (+4) over NY GIANTS: The Giants start Eli Manning for the second straight week as Daniel Jones still recovers from a high ankle sprain. It doesn't matter for the 2-11 Giants. Head coach Pat Shurmur might be out after this brutal season anyway. Look for the Dolphins to cover.

OAKLAND (-6) over Jacksonville: I think the Raiders, who are 6-7, will play well in a game that they desperately need. They can't lose this game at home to the 4-9 Jaguars. The Raiders will get to 7-7 with a big home win.

ARIZONA (+3) over Cleveland: At some point, the 3-9-1 Cardinals are going to win another game this season, and I could see it happening here. They will pull the upset as a home underdog and knock the 6-7 Browns officially out of playoff contention.

SAN FRANCISCO (-10) over Atlanta: The Niners will roll to a 12-2 record after burying the Falcons at home.

LA Rams (-1) over DALLAS: Huge, huge game in the NFC in Dallas. The Cowboys are 6-7, losers of three straight, and the Rams are 8-5 and still on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. I think the Rams are the better team, and I think they will knock off the Cowboys in this spot on Sunday.

LA CHARGERS (+3) over Minnesota: Philip Rivers and the Chargers got to 5-8 after a blowout win over the Jaguars on the road last week. Now, they come home and host the 9-4 Vikings, who need to win to keep pace with the Packers in the NFC North. I'm taking Rivers and the Chargers only because I would like to see Minnesota and the Rams tied for the final playoff spot in the NFC with only two weeks left in the season.

Buffalo (+3) over PITTSBURGH: The Bills are 9-4 and they have lost to the Pats, Eagles, Ravens, and the Browns. No one really thinks they are going to beat a quality team. I don't think you can count the Cowboys win on Thanksgiving as a big-time win. I think the Bills are due to go into Pittsburgh and win a game that a lot of people are not picking them to win.

NEW ORLEANS (-8) over Indy: The Saints will rebound from that home loss to the Niners last week, and get to 11-3 with a big home win over the 6-7 Colts on Monday Night Football.

Ravens-Jets TNF Pick

NY Jets (+15) over BALTIMORE 

Broncos Crush Texans, Drew Lock Wins 2nd Straight Start

Wow, that was fun. The Broncos went into Houston on Sunday and absolutely buried the 8-4 Texans 38-24. Drew Lock put on a show as he threw 3 TDs and the Broncos raced to a 31-3 halftime lead on their way to the 38-24 win. Denver improves to 5-8 on the season, and Drew Lock has given the team some life and the fanbase some hope. It was a great win and a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon for the Broncos Country. Here are my thoughts and observations on the game...

1) The story with this game is Drew Lock. He was unbelievable in his second career start. He finished 22-27 for 309 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. He made big-time throw after big-time throw and completely diced up the Texans. It started on the first drive of the game and never stopped. His TD throw to Noah Fant to give the Broncos an early 7-0 lead was a laser, and his throw to Tim Patrick down the sideline to set up a field goal in the second quarter was his best throw of the two games he has played so far. I love watching him play and displayed the talent, arm strength, and swagger that this franchise needs at the QB position.

2) Kareem Jackson was the player of the game on defense. He was all over the field. He made big tackles, broke up passes, and returned a fumble for a touchdown in the 1st quarter to give Denver the 14-0 lead. He was on a mission against his former team. His hit on DeAndre Hopkins over the middle was a tone setter.

3) The Broncos jumped out to the 14-0 lead on Fant TD and Kareem Jackson fumble return and never looked back. A Lock to Jeff Heuerman TD pass made it 21-3 and then after the Broncos stopped Houston on a 4th down deep in Texans territory before the half, they made them pay with Lock hitting Royce Freeman for a short TD to make it 31-3 at halftime. The Broncos jumped all over the Texans and Houston had no idea what hit them.

4) The final was 38-24 but make no mistake-this game was not close. Drew Lock's only mistake was an interception deep in Houston territory and the Broncos up 38-10, and Houston scored on the ensuing drive, but this game was never in doubt. This reminded me of a classic 2012-2014 Peyton Manning era Broncos type of win.

5) The Broncos are now 5-8 and are headed to KC to take on the Chiefs next week. This season is fun again, and with Lock at the controls, I can't wait to watch them take on Pat Mahomes in Arrowhead next Sunday. I want the Broncos to finish 8-8, so this game means a lot to me. I hope this is the start of the Drew Lock-Pat Mahomes rivalry for years to come.

Broncos-Texans and Week 14 Picks

The Broncos head to Houston this week to take on the 8-4 Texans. Drew Lock will be making his second career start for the Broncos after last week's win over the Chargers. It is going to be fun every week to watch Lock, and I would really love to see Denver get the upset here. They have been close at times this year on the road against good teams (Indy and Minnesota), and maybe they break through here and pull it off. It might be too tall of an order, but I can see them keeping it close for a bit.

Prediction: Denver (+9) over HOUSTON
Finals Score: Texans-26 Broncos-18

Last Week's Record: 10-5-1
Overall Record: 89-93-9
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Now, onto the picks for Week 14.....

Baltimore (-5) over BUFFALO

GREEN BAY (-10) over Washington

San Francisco (+3) over NEW ORLEANS

Cincy (+8) over CLEVELAND

ATLANTA (-2) over Carolina

MINNESOTA (-12) over Detroit

Miami (+6) over NY JETS
Indy (+3) over TAMPA BAY

JACKSONVILLE (+3) over LA CHARGERS

NEW ENGLAND (-3) over Kansas City

ARIZONA (+3) over Pittsburgh

OAKLAND (+3) over Tennessee

LA RAMS (PICK) over Seattle

PHILLY (-8) over NY Giants

Cowboys-Bears TNF Pick

Dallas(-2) over CHICAGO 

Broncos Defeat Chargers 23-20, Drew Lock Wins His Debut

The Broncos defeated the Chargers in Denver on Sunday 23-20 to improve their record to 4-8. It was the debut of rookie QB Drew Lock, and he was a winner in his first game. It was a game that the Broncos almost blew once again late in the game, but they pulled it out and won on a last second field goal by Brandon McManus. Here are my thoughts and observations on the game….

1)    Lock was solid in his first game. He finished 18-28 for 134 yards 2 TDs and 1 INT. It was encouraging and his first touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton was a great throw. I like the other aspects of Lock as the starter. He has moxie and the “It” factor. It is going to be fun to watch him play the rest of the season. I’m looking forward to it.

2)    This game played out like a lot of the losses the Broncos had this season. They were up 14-0 on the heels of two Lock TD passes to Sutton. They were up 17-3, and then of course the Chargers got back into the game. A late score right before the half made it 17-10. The offense got too conservative after the first quarter. It almost cost them the game.

3)    The ending of this game was wild. After Keenan Allen scored to tie it up at 17 early the 4^th quarter, the Broncos took the lead with a Brandon McManus field goal with over four minutes to go in the game. The Chargers tied it up when they hit a 4^th and 11 prayer from Philip Rivers to Mike Williams into Denver territory. They kicked a field goal to tie it at 20 with only 14 seconds left in the game. It looked like the Broncos were going to blow another one.

4)    Vic Fangio decided to not just take a knee, but he wanted to throw it deep and take a shot with Courtland Sutton. The strategy worked because they drew a 37 yard pass interference call and gave Denver a shot at a game-winning field goal. It definitely was a legitimate pass interference. McManus nailed the 53 yard field goal and the Broncos won the game 23-20.

a5) The Broncos are now 4-4 in their last eight games and 4-8 overall after that terrible 0-4 start. Denver heads to Houston on Sunday to take on the Texans, and although they are steep underdog, it will be fun to watch how Drew Lock plays in his first road game. Finally, it is Drew Lock's time in Denver, and it has made this final stretch a must watch.