On Sept. 27, the Broncos suffered a tough loss to the Buccaneers. The team had a challenging start to the season but on Oct. 1, Denver had their first victory against the New York Jets.
Tim Patrick, a third-year wide receiver for the Broncos who scored the team’s only touchdown against the Buccaneers, made it clear that the team was having cohesion issues. Whether it is the various injuries keeping key players from the field or lack of hype around the stadium, this year’s NFL conditions are not what anyone could have expected. Despite these unusual circumstances, no excuses can be made for the Broncos’ performance on the field last Sunday.
During a Broncos’ kick in the first quarter of their game against the Buccaneers, defensive end Pat O’Connor had a free run to block the punt. Broncos’ safety Justin Simmons missed a block against Mike Evans, who ran through the inside tunnel to score a Buccaneer’s touchdown.
Although Shelby Harris sacked Tom Brady two times in Sunday’s game and both Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien had two interceptions against the Buccaneers, the Broncos’ defense needed to intensify. Going into halftime, the score was 23-10 after Patrick scored the Broncos’ only touchdown of the game. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers scored yet another touchdown in the second half, bringing the final score to 28-10.
A loss is a loss and after losing to the Buccaneers, Steelers and Titans, it was redemption time. However, with some of the biggest names like Von Miller, Jurrell Casey, Drew Lock and Phillip Lindsay unable to play, the Broncos struggled to look forward and create a plan for success for Thursday’s game.
Last Thursday, the Broncos took on the Jets, another winless team. Drew Lock, Denver’s starting quarterback, was out due to a shoulder injury and after their loss against the Buccaneers, Denver’s head coach Vic Fangio announced that Brett Rypien would sub as the starting quarterback.
The Jets came out with a bang, as Sam Darnold scored the first touchdown of the game in the beginning of the first quarter. The Broncos followed the Jets’ touchdown with a field goal and Jerry Juery pulled the Broncos ahead at the end of the second quarter with a 48-yard touchdown, his first of his NFL career.
Fortunately, Bronco’s outside linebacker, Bradley Chubb, was back on the field after an extensive knee injury for Thursday’s game. He had two and half sacks, five quarterback hits and two tackles. Chubb was a key player in Thursday’s victory and Broncos fans were happy to have him back on the field.
Although Rypien threw three interceptions during Thursday night’s game, he still managed two touchdown passes and the Broncos earned their first win of the season against the New York Jets. After the sour taste of loss from the first three games of the season, the Broncos stepped up their game and regained momentum.
