Is the Broncos’ 20 start the stuff that championships are made of or merely fool’s gold?
Kiz: A football team cannot be better than undefeated. And there’s no reason to ever apologize for being 20. But, after two games, what have we learned about these Broncos? Have they established themselves as a serious contender in the AFC? Or should we slow our roll after two victories by a total of four points? It might be better to be lucky than good, but good fortune is tough to sustain over the course of a 16game schedule. Will the real Broncos please stand up? O’Halloran: All the Broncos have done so far is what they were supposed to do — win twice at home as the betting favorite. That is still reason for optimism, though. Teams who end up being good hold serve at home (62 or 71) and then steal a few road games to make the playoffs. A serious contender in the AFC? Not yet. A serious contender in the AFC West? Absolutely. Kiz: Let’s start with stuff that makes me smile. Almost every season, nearly half the 32 NFL teams can finish 106 if everything goes right, or 610 if everything goes wrong. By winning twice on late comebacks, the Broncos have quickly put two tossup games in the W column. They’ve bought in on the neversurrender attitude of Case Keenum and established a little swagger. Phillip Lindsay? It’s no longer a question if he’s the best back on team but when he will get elected mayor.
O’Halloran: Lindsay woke up Monday morning with 178 rushing yards, thirdmost in the NFL. He is developing into one of the league’s best stories, not just Denver’s top story. Building on some of the positives, this appears to be a team that will win games on special teams (a novel concept, I know), and their front seven should continue to produce third down situations because they can stop the run.
Kiz: The secondary formerly known as the No Fly Zone is a hot mess. Denver has made Russell Wilson and Derek Carr look like Tom Brady. Adam Jones looks like a 35yearold cornerback that needs to find a seat on the porch. Bradley Roby is getting picked on. Unless linebacker Von Miller dominates, this defense is extremely vulnerable. Keenum has been gutsy, but inconsistent. I predicted an 88 record for Broncos and will stick with that, though early trends suggest something worse, despite the 20 start.
O’Halloran: Is it too early to call it the Frequent Fly Zone? The Broncos aren’t getting much from No. 2 cornerback Bradley Roby and Jones and Tramaine Brock allowed multiple completions Sunday. Coming out of the win over Oakland, this is developing into a major concern. Teams will throw quick to keep Miller at bay and knowing the receivers can get open. I had the Broncos starting 20 on their way to 97. Not changing that now.