Denver Broncos: High Hopes & Potential Challenges for 2024

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00:00There was optimism at Mile High, even following the disaster of Nathaniel Hackett, who was

00:09fired before the end of his very first year because the defense was still very good.

00:14In the year before Hackett, it was under Vic Fangio, the defense was elite, second best

00:19scoring defense in all of the National Football League.

00:23And then last year, it was thought Sean Payton, the offensive mastermind, he would work out

00:28the relationship with Russ, they would be on the same page, a lot of talent defensively

00:33and offensively for the Broncos, they might be able to contend right away.

00:39And that was the expectation, eight and a half, the win total for Denver entering last

00:43season.

00:44And there's not this grace period with all that has been invested in this Broncos team

00:49to turn over the franchise.

00:50First Russ, big swing and a miss, maybe the worst trade in the history of the NFL as we

00:55will look back at it.

00:57And if things don't work out for Sean Payton, the draft assets, capital that was given up

01:02to Sean Payton, and the $10 million contract per year reported for Sean Payton as well.

01:08That could be a disaster in Denver, and five and a half is that win total, so maybe it

01:13doesn't work out this year.

01:15But then what's your expectation for 2025?

01:19There's not a lot of wiggle room left for this Broncos organization, at least in my

01:24estimation.

01:25And Rustin put up gaudy stats last year.

01:27He wasn't thrown for 275 or 300 continuously, but he wasn't really bad.

01:33He was very efficient with the football.

01:35Now it's Bo Nix, the rookie quarterback, of course, coming over from Oregon.

01:39A plethora of experience at Auburn first, and then in Eugene, the most starts we have

01:44ever seen from an FBS quarterback in college football history.

01:50He's a rookie, but he's got experience.

01:52There's some talent on the offensive side.

01:55The defense took a big step back last year, gave up more than 24 points per game, bottom

01:5910 in terms of scoring defense in the NFL.

02:03If it's even over the win total, I'm not sure it's more than six or seven, which makes 2025

02:10a very warm seat at Mile High, in my estimation.

02:14And also, when you're betting win totals, Ben, you have to have the proper perspective.

02:18When you're betting a win total for the Kansas City Chiefs, at no point in the season is

02:21it going to be like, you know what, might not make the playoffs, might make the playoffs.

02:25Let's be sellers at the deadline and just tank this season.

02:28When you're betting a win total that's that low, oh, they can actually get that.

02:31But in the final six to seven games of the season, when you need two wins, and Sean Payton

02:35goes, well, if we pick up these two wins, I'm not going to have a top 10 draft pick.

02:40You know what?

02:41We're going to go into evaluation mode.

02:42We'll play good football, but at the end of the games, we're going to make sure we don't

02:45win.

02:46Remember the Philadelphia Eagles in that final game of the season against the Washington

02:48Commanders who basically said, you know what, we're pulling the plug in the fourth quarter

02:52to make sure we lose.

02:53Got them Devonta Smith, which really helped them out.

02:55There's no business winning games late in December as momentum when you're going to

02:58cost yourself a future draft pick, which might be the quarterback that you need over the

03:02next decade.

03:03That's something to be wary of.

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