Don’t Take The Broncos For Granted
(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
The hottest team in football resides in Denver, Colorado.
The Broncos stole that crown from the Vikings on Sunday night, and now a team that was in the Caleb Williams Derby a month ago is officially in the hunt for the playoffs. Denver’s turnaround has gone from remarkable to miraculous, and at the moment, it sure feels like they’ll never lose again. Hell, if you ask around Broncos country, it’s time to start planning the super bowl parade. The hype is certainly warranted at this point. In the last few weeks, Denver has broken a 16-game losing streak to their fiercest rival, knocked off another AFC contender, and defeated the hottest team in the league. If nothing else, this is the most fun we’ve had around here since Drew Lock’s run in 2019. Broncos fans are hungry for playoff football, and there’s a good shot this team delivers.
(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
But I think now is a good time to take a step back and properly assess what this season means, and the importance of these last few weeks. I’ve watched sports for long enough now that I’ve seen plenty of teams gain an absurd amount of hype, only to fall short of the public’s expectations; Just look at my beloved Buffaloes. The Denver Broncos are, again, the hottest team in football. That comes with media hype, and expectations. As we find ourselves celebrating Thanksgiving and crossing into the homestretch of the NFL season, let’s reflect on just what this team has accomplished. They’ve snapped a historic losing streak to a division rival. They’ve gone into a super bowl favorite and knocked them off. They’ve beaten a team that looked like they couldn’t lose. But most impressive of all, the Broncos have turned themselves from a team that was one of the league’s worst to a team that seems impossible to beat. This isn’t to say fans should temper their expectations. The Broncos are playing like a team that can and will make a run at the wild card. But I do think that we, as fans, have a tendency to convince ourselves that a team will reach lofty heights, only to dub them as failures if they don’t achieve those goals. No matter what happens over the next few weeks, these Broncos are not failures. They’ve brought joy back to Denver football, and they’ve forced destiny to yield to their demands.
(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
I have no idea how this season ends. The Broncos could ride this thing to the super bowl or they could lose every game they have left to play. We just don’t know. But that’s part of the beauty of runs like this; The thrill of rooting for a team that’s fighting for their lives every week is a really unique experience. It’s gut wrenching and exhilarating at the same time, and every win just means more. Regardless of where these Broncos end up, it’s been a privilege to watch them play ball like this. We’ve seen glimpses of what they can be when they put it all together, but right now, they’re doing what’s necessary to win; and making us all happy in the process. And that’s more than enough.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Go Broncos.
