With the Broncos off to a 2-5 start, they have left the fanbase of Denver feeling like the “ride” is broken. 

Coming into the season, the Broncos were projected by many media outlets to finish first in the AFC West and cruise into the playoffs in a comfortable situation. With the addition of Russell Wilson to an already strong supporting cast, the city of Denver was buzzing with confidence. Needless to say, the days of poor quarterback play and low-scoring offenses seemed to be over. Yet to start the 2022 season, the Broncos have been riddled with atrocious offensive play. 

With a tough one-point loss in Seattle to kick off the season, questions started to fly in, most were directed at Nathaniel Hackett, the Broncos’ new coach who was previously the offensive coordinator of a very successful Packers offense. The largest concern was about Hackett’s ability to manage the clock as he elected to not call a timeout with around a minute left in the fourth quarter. It was 4th and 5 from Seattle’s 49-yard line, where many would choose to call a timeout and go for it and make it an easier game-winning field goal attempt, Hackett chose to let the clock wind down and line up for a 64-yard kick, a hard kick regardless of the altitude factor. Personally, I manage a game of Madden better than Hackett manages his Broncos, at this point, I might as well coach the team. This showed distrust in his quarterback which resulted in a loss, the worst way to kick off the season for the new-look Broncos. And to add, the fact that the Broncos were still in the game after two goalline fumbles is a true testament to the strength of the defense.

While the Broncos were able to pick up two wins in the next two games, they scored a combined 27 points in those games, with only two touchdowns in total. And since their Sunday night game against the 49ers, the Broncos have lost four straight games, Scoring one touchdown in 3 of those 4 games. The offense currently ranks last in scoring, averaging a brutal 14.3 points per game, ranking below offenses led by quarterbacks such as Justin Fields, Marcus Mariota, and Jared Goff. They also rank last in red zone touchdown percentage, only scoring a touchdown on 23.5% of their red zone drives. 

However, the Broncos’ defense continues to keep the team in the game and leave hope in the fans. They currently rank 3rd in points and yards allowed. Led by young stars Patrick Surtain, Justin Simmons, and Bradley Chubb, the defense should be solid for the rest of the season as well as for years to come. And while those three players are easy to name as stars of this Denver defense, a player who has really stood out and made a name for himself is Alex Singleton. Filling in for an injured Josey Jewell, Singleton has been marvelous this season, ranking 15th in the NFL in tackles and 12th in the NFL in assists. A 28-year-old out of Montana State, Singleton will surely be receiving a contract extension from the Broncos, if there’s any money left over from Wilson’s large $245 million contract. 

The Broncos will head to London this week to take on the also 2-5 Jaguars as both teams battle it out for their third win. Currently, the Jaguars stand as 3.5-point favorites. It will surely be a slugfest as the Broncos desperately need to win this game to remain above water. If they lose, expect Hackett to be fired, making him the fourth coach in the last six years to depart from the Broncos. Plus with Wilson’s injury status still iffy, it will likely be an uphill battle for the Broncos. Can the offense finally get it together and score more than one touchdown?