NEWS » These Five Things I Know Are True

These Five Things I Know Are True:#1. If Elway and Joseph had Patrick Mahomes on the roster Jared Veldheer Jersey , he’d still be on the bench behind Alex Smith/Case Keenum, because they’re too spineless to take a shot with a young and unproven signal caller.#2. If Vance Joseph and John Elway think it’s the right thing to do, odds are it’s the wrong thing to do. Bench the #3 guard in the NFL? Yeah, and our run game suffered. Keep trotting out Keenum? Yeah, and watch us keep sucking. Trade Talib? How’s that working out for you? Don’t want to pay Wade to be our DC? Our once proud defense is now a neutered puppy.#3. The fans are speaking, and the Broncos need to listen. 9,100+ no shows says something. Now do it again the next home game against Houston if VJ is still our coach and Keenum is still our QB. The fans are the customers. There is no TV revenue if the fans aren’t watching. Elway needs to be reminded of this. The fans pay their salary. If the fan base goes away, so too does football.#4. John Elway needs to do the unthinkable: He needs to mend fences with Mike Shanahan and bring him back as a head coach (not GM) but definitely have input with him. Elway needs to never meddle with the coaching and decision making again. He’s crossing into the Jerry Jones territory, and it’s a bad look. Shanahan is no “yes man” and he’s not really in a position to say “I want all GM duties as well” seeing he’s failed at that the last few time’s he’s been given it. People said Elway wouldn’t bring back Kubiak, but he did. People said Elway wouldn’t bring back Wade Phillips, but he did. People say he won’t bring Shanahan back... ball’s in your court John. Rumor has it, Mike still lives in Denver!#5. The tired people saying “If the Broncos really thought they had a player in Chad Kelly, wouldn’t they be playing him by now?” NO! Vance Joseph is incompetent and John Elway can’t evaluate QBs to save his damn life!Want to know why Kelly is the one? Look no further than because VJ and Elway aren’t playing him! The enemy of my enemy is my friend! So when the most incompetent HC in Broncos history, and the GM who thought Paxton F’ing Lynch, Brock Osweiller, and Case Keenum were the answers thinks that Kelly isn’t the truth, well, that should point to the fact that Chad Kelly is a true franchise guy. And the fans are now demanding a change. **BONUS #6** Lets curb this “Suck for the Duck” nonsense. Honest to God anyone who says that at this point has zero clue about football. You MUST find out what you have in Chad Kelly before you start tanking a season for a draft choice QB.This is Kelly’s 2nd year and he now has a chance to see what he can do. What would NFL history look like if after Drew Bledsoe went down, instead of “seeing what they have” in their “never gonna be anything late round QB” and just “sucked for David Carr”, the Patriots just trotted out their backup QB in Damon Huard? See where I’m going here? Give your damn potential star QB a freaking chance before you start “sucking for ANYBODY” in the upcoming draft. To already say such moronic things is a bad look! Don’t be the franchise who never gave Tom Brady a shot... Don’t be the franchise who never gave Chad Kelly a chance.Now onto the rankings. Remember, I’m ranking teams as they stand TODAY. Not a culmination of last year or the last decade. If they look like they are world beaters today, they’ll be ranked high regardless of what their record is. After-all, if we went by record alone, then Power Rankings wouldn’t exist!1. Los Angeles Rams:They are the last undefeated team in the NFL. They’re almost like Muhammad Ali; They’ll just keep beating on you and beating on you without landing the knockout blow until late in the fight. Almost a “lull you to sleep” tactic. They just do so many things right, even if it isn’t always the sexy 30 point blowout.2. Kansas City Chiefs:I predicted 42-43 Patriots victory, so this came as no surprise. I can’t knock the Chiefs down for losing on the last drive of the game in Foxboro. 30 seconds is too much time to leave Brady, much less 3 minutes. The Chiefs are for real, and honestly, they very well might be in the Super Bowl. They aren’t your dad’s Chiefs anymore.3. New England Patriots: I hesitantly expected this victory for them. I knew it would be close and high scoring. They didn’t disappoint, and Tom Brady once again proved that he’s one of the all time greats. 4. New Orleans Saints:The Saints improved on their standing via a bye week. It’s not a hard thing to do when the teams that were ahead of them (Jacksonville) laid an egg. If the offense stays nuclear hot and the defense can find its form, I can see this team in the NFC Championship game again.5. Los Angeles Chargers:The Chargers are looking really dangerous... really dangerous.6. Baltimore Ravens: Do you know what’s impressive? Shutting an NFL team out! It’s incredibly difficult to do, but they did it. For that, you’re ahead of the next few teams that all deserve this spot just as much.7. Minnesota Vikings:Should they be higher? Maybe, but I mean, the Cardinals were beating them at one point.8. Jacksonville Jaguars:Be lucky I still think you’re not as bad as the performance you just had against the Cowboys. I mean 40-7? Really?9. Philadelphia Eagles:The Eagles need consistency. I think by now we can all agree this team isn’t anywhere near the team they were last year, but they are still dangerous. They just don’t look like a hungry team anymore, and the more I see them, the more I am reminded of when they won the Super Bowl how they said (paraphrasing) “I’d rather win 1 super bowl than 5 like the Patriots because we had fun winning this one.” Meaning they don’t want to put in the hard work to win, and right now, it shows.10. Green Bay Packers: So Rodgers says his knee had a setback, yet he wasn’t on the injury report. Interesting. Letting the Niners take them to the edge is worrisome, especially at home. 11. Pittsburgh Steelers:This team can still be dangerous, but I still just don’t fully trust them yet. Illegal pick play to end the game that wasn’t called or not, they can still be dangerous!12. Cincinnati Bengals:Are we finished calling me out yet Bengal fans? You had your chance, and you blew it.13. Atlanta Falcons:FINALLY a victory! This team is loaded with talent but struggles to put it all together on the field at the same time for a full 60 minutes. Its time to build on this victory.14. Carolina Panthers:15. Seattle Seahawks:This is what the Broncos v Jets game should have looked like. You stomp your opponent when they’re down, you don’t roll over and get your asses handed to you.16. Miami Dolphins:Don’t get use the Brocktober magic Miami. He’s usually good for a game, maybe a game and a half before he reminds you of who he is. 17. Cleveland Browns:Once Baker Mayfield slipped on that first down marker, he was gimpy and never the same. I’m not saying they’d have beaten the Chargers had he not gotten hurt Adam Gotsis Jersey , but you never know. 18. Washington Redskins:I’m not all that impressed, but a win is a win is a win. 19. Dallas Cowboys:Was this the team and Jason Garrett responding and changing their course? Or was this a blip on the radar and they now go back to Suckville?20. Chicago Bears:This team isn’t built to play timid, so why were they coached to do so? Was this like those old Folgers commercials? “We secretly switched their normal coffee with Folgers” but this was changing their coaching staff with the Broncos coaching staff?21. Detroit Lions:Fresh off the Bye... lets see how they do. 22. Tennessee Titans:Seriously, no points? Be lucky you’re not 32 for that pathetic ass performance.23. Houston Texans:It wasn’t pretty, but they’ve won three in a row. The division is up for grabs, and they’re trending the right direction.24. New York Jets:From 1-3 to 3-3. Your welcome Jets fans for sparking their success.25. Indianapolis Colts:Looks like it’s the Pre-Manning Colts all over again. Andrew Luck is no Peyton Manning. Where is Irsay with his 1 championship ring to knock on the table and say 1 of those isn’t good enough for the star wars numbers? haha26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: You guys played some good ball on offense, but that defense...27. Buffalo Bills:This game was a bust from the word “pregame warmups” I mean “go” am I right Kelvin Benhamin? 28. New York Giants:I’m not gonna knock their drafting of Barkley, because that dude is a stud. But I am beginning to think they’ll keep playing Eli just to see if they can secure that #1 draft pick next year. They’re trying for that Aikman/Smith QB/RB combo in back to back years... just with the RB first. So like the Rams with Gurley/Goff I suppose.29. San Francisco 49ers:Good fight they showed against the Packers, that alone keeps them off the bottom of these rankings.30. Arizona Cardinals:They won in their defeat. Not really, but if Sunday was any indication, the Broncos are likely to lose to this team, which is why they’re ranked higher than Denver 31. Denver Broncos:So who gets canned first? Vance Joseph or Joe Woods when theywake up Friday after 5 straight losses? And will they use the “semi-bye” week to get Chad Kelly ready to go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes?32. Oakland Raiders:I mean, at least the Broncos aren’t the Raiders. Philip Rivers at Mile High is usually an intriguing affair. Yet when the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos play on Sunday to end the 2018 regular season, most of the excitement will come when the game ends. As I told Adam Malnati on the latest MHR Radio Podcast, Broncos Country will want to know how long it takes John Elway to move on from Vance Joseph. Hopefully not too long since it appears Joseph has already moved on to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos (6-9) will look to avoid more (awful) history under Joseph by not being the first team in Denver to have back-to-back double-digit losing seasons since 1966-67 against a Chargers (11-4) team that still has an outside shot at the AFC West title and No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. We had some fun with our keys to the game since the outcome doesn’t matter for the Broncos. Offensive RankingsLos Angeles Chargers: Tenth in overall offense (379.1 yards), 15th in rushing (117.1), 12th in passing (261.9) and fifth in points (27.0).Denver: Twentieth in overall offense (348.8 yards), 11th in rushing (121.7), 19th in passing (227.1) and 22nd in points (21.3).Defense RankingsLos Angeles Chargers: Eighth in overall defense (331.3 yards), ninth in rushing (107.4), seventh in passing (223.9) and tied for eighth in points (21.3).Denver: Twenty-third in overall defense (371.1 yards), 21st in rushing (119.8), 22nd in passing (251.3) and 12th in points (21.7).Here are our keys to the game.Lock Joseph in the hotel kitchen Since it’s all but certain Joseph is gone, he’ll want to conclude his two-year error in Denver with a win. So lock him in the kitchen to protect the draft position he will screw over. He’s made nothing but (horrible) history in his two seasons, why stop on Sunday? — Ian St. Clair Invest in time travel Elway and his staff need to invest in time travel technology, go back in time, and figure out a way to change the Joseph hire. One could assume that time travelers already walk among us, considering someone could have invented time travel already, and so maybe they can just find a random time machine laying around and go back and fix their mistake. — Adam Malnati Who knows? I’ve already moved on to April 2019, but a Broncos win would help them avoid their first back-to-back 10-loss season since 1966-67. Given that fact, this team probably loses merely to keep setting those unfortunate and embarrassing records. A loss will also give the Broncos a likely Top 10 pick, while a win could drop them back into the late teens. The key to the game for me is to just go lose and move on to 2019, but the fan inside of me is screaming “WIN”. At the end of the day, I’ll probably be happy either way — what a weird situation that is. — Tim Lynch Give us a reason to dream big Denver is a beat, bruised and embarrassed group and the best thing that could happen to end the season is for it to go out with a bang. The biggest and best bang would be a win but as that seems unlikely, they have to at least go out fighting. Bill Musgrave and Joe Woods should get so creative that Tony Romo would be left speechless in the press box and Wade Phillips would tweet something silly and golden about the coaches. The players are fighting for their next job, their teammates and coaches but most importantly they are playing for pride. This team as a whole needs to give their fans something, anything to cheer for and to have hope in, and if I see a group of men that care, I’ll be satisfied that there is at least one reason to dream big for 2019. — Kevin Gillikin Always make Rivers cry. Always! Pressure him. Sack him. Bury him in the grass. I don’t care if you take his head off. Make him pay for being the quarterback we wish we had right now. — Laurie Lattimore-VolkmannThe MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Acast, Stitcher, TuneIn and a few other podcast hosts. Please subscribe to the one that fits your fancy, and also rate and review what you hear.What are your keys to victory for the Broncos?