The Broncos have come into their end season with grit and determination. Since the last time the Broncos won the superbowl in 2015, they haven’t made it to the playoffs. It has been nine years since they have made it that far in the season. For the whole “Broncos Country” and the league this year has been full of surprises.
Supporters were filled with excitement after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sun., Jan. 5. The Denver Broncos won 38-0 and clinched the seventh seed in the playoffs.
There is a rumor that the Chiefs starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was out because of a mild ankle sprain, which allowed the Broncos to be a step ahead. Mahomes suffered an ankle injury in the game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 but continued to play for the next two games to help the Chiefs lock up the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
The coaches of the Chiefs also decided that they needed to sit their star players for a game that didn’t affect their seeding, to save them for the playoffs and future games. EHS student, Andrew Loyd (26) said, “The Chiefs didn’t play any of their starters, which pretty much handed the game over to the Broncos.”
After the huge game against the Chiefs the Broncos were set up to play the Buffalo Bills in the first round of playoffs. Sean Payton, the head coach for the Broncos said in an interview before the game, “We felt pretty confident coming into this game, relative to what we thought we could do, and yet, we weren’t able to do it.”
Whether it’s defending the run game or finding third-down success on offense, the Broncos came short during their biggest test. The Broncos lost 7-31. EHS student, Peyton Pettinger (28) said, “They didn’t have a sustainable run game on first and second down [against the Bills] and couldn’t convert on third downs, so they need to have a better run game for next season to not have to pass the ball so much.”
Although they lost, the Broncos have a bright future ahead of them if they can find a way to put all the pieces together. With the offseason being the Broncos’ next chapter, they have agreed to put in the extra work to accomplish more than they already have this past season. The Broncos making it to the playoffs gave the team the momentum they needed to light their fire for the next upcoming season.
