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Broncos overlooking lesser opponents
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Let's face it, the Denver Broncos are a complete enigma. Nobody can figure them out. One week, they lose at home to the lowly Oakland Raiders, a defeat that causes everyone in Broncos Nation to head for the exits of the team's bandwagon, and then seven days later, they go to New York and beat the first-place Jets. It makes absolutely no sense.
This is a team that has an impressive 4-2 road record, but is a disappointing 3-3 at Invesco Field. Denver's seven wins have come against teams that are a combined 42-42, while their five losses have come at the hands of clubs posting a paltry 23-37 mark. There's no reasonable explanation for these patterns.
Trying to answer the question that is on the minds of Broncos' fans everywhere has become the topic of the week. Thus, I asked linebacker/fullback Spencer Larsen about the subject that has everyone in the Mile High City scratching their heads during Tuesday's edition of "Drivetime Sports." His response was surprisingly candid.
"It's hard in the NFL to have success without getting complacent or relaxed," the rookie admitted. "It takes a ton of work during the week to prepare yourself to play at your highest level. It could be that we don't put the same emphasis on our preparation and we don't get as prepared to play."
In his opinion, that's how teams like Oakland and Kansas City, two AFC West foes who have combined to win five games so far during the 2008 season, have knocked off the Broncos.
"In the NFL, everybody is so good and so talented, even teams that haven't been winning," Larsen continued. "When we lost when we were expected to win, to teams like the Chiefs and Raiders, they played their best game and we didn't execute the game plan like we should have."
As is often the case in life, the most logical explanation is usually the simplest one. Everyone felt like the Broncos were overlooking inferior opponents, while getting geared up for tougher competition. Now, even the players are admitting that's probably the case.
Here's hoping Denver puts this behind them, otherwise two troubling patterns -- losing at home and falling to bad teams -- will continue on Sunday when the 2-10 Chiefs come to the Mile High City.
