Why the Broncos won't Win the AFC West

By Djack

Photo Via Denver Post

If you're a Broncos fan, you have to be pissed. A few months removed from being at the sports pinnacle, you're now starting to face the reality of the season. Well, at least you should be realizing that there is no hope to repeat what you did last season. I'll be shocked if Denver even makes it back to the playoffs this year. The obvious reason being that they have no quarterback. I understand they have an outstanding defense that carried them to the Super Bowl last season, but they have lost a couple key components of that championship defense as well. Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan have signed with different teams this off season, you'd have to imagine this will impact a defensive that was so fundamentally sound. Those aren't the type players you can just take out, plug someone else in, and expect for it to be just as effective. Regardless of the defense, the offense is not capable of putting their team in position to win games. The quarterback position has not been decide yet but it seems that it will be either Mark Sanchez or Trevor Siemian. Both horrible options to have at quarterback if you're in a division with really good defenses. Now, I know everyone is going to say Peyton Manning was awful last season and this is true. Peyton only played 8 1/2 games, they weren't pretty, but he went 7-2 and had 4 fourth quarter comebacks. Now how many fourth quarter comebacks do Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian have in their careers? Simeon has none and Sanchez has 10 in 6 years, Peyton had 4 in 8 1/2 games. That speaks volumes, even in the worst year of  his career Peyton Manning, is still able to shit on Mark Sanchez. Brock Osweiler stepped in for Peyton and proved he could be a legitimate NFL quarterback. His stat line was 1,967 yards, 10 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and he completed 61% of his passes. Oh yeah, he also beat Tom Brady and went 5-2 on the year. Everyone keeps saying "they'll be fine, it doesn't matter who they have at quarterback they won with an awful Peyton Manning last year." The thing is while Peyton might've been awful in the regular season, he was exactly what the Broncos needed him to be in the post season. Besides Aaron Rodgers, Peyton had the best playoff statistics of any other quarterback that played at least two games. Peyton was the only one of those quarterbacks who didn't have multiple interceptions. He was game manager that had a running game that was firing all cylinders and a defense that was filled with rabid dogs. It was the perfect formula and the professor knew exactly what he had to do to get the job done. Peyton is a football genius, just because his numbers aren't the flashiest doesn't mean he isn't still a much more capable QB than Sanchez or Simeon could ever be, even if he can barely throw a football. Maybe they'll end up playing Paxton Lynch, in that case I don't know what to expect besides maybe a few learning curves. One thing i do know, the AFC West has the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs, both are teams with wayyyyyy better quarterbacks, and savage defenses. Sorry Denver, Sanchez and Siemian will not be able to come close to getting the Broncos 12 wins like Peyton and Brock did.