The first thing I thought of when Case Keenum missed Demaryius Thomas on that pass to the right side was Kirk Cousins. He hit Stefon Diggs for a TD on the identical play in the first preseason game. He walked off the field with a big smile. Case? Not so much.
To paraphrase Bill Parcells, Case Keenum has been a backup all these years for a reason.
A clear case of getting what you pay for …
-- Dennis DeJulio
Dennis – It may have looked similar, but it wasn’t nearly an identical play. In the preseason game, Diggs ran a go-route against man-covering Bradley Roby. Diggs got a step and Cousins did loft a leading beauty for the long completion.
In the Keenum misfire to Thomas, it was a spot throw against a Cover 2 zone. Keenum did a nice job drawing in the safeties to the middle of the field, then spotted Thomas wide open in a spot down the right sideline and a couple yards from the end zone.
I heard it suggested Thomas wasn’t running full speed but again, it was a spot throw. He was so wide open, Keenum seemingly became a tad excitable on the throw.
Keenum missed him. He overthrew. He’s human. Maybe the next time a guy is that wide open his heart rate won’t jump a beat. Problem is, the Broncos needed him to make the throw that very time.
And by the way, with the Vikings off to a 1-2-1 start, there are people in Minnesota who are saying the Vikings would have been better off keeping Keenum. Cousins continues to put up glittering stats, but he has to figure out how to avoid the strip sack.
It's really disheartening when the MNF announcers are constantly asking why you're coaching staff is doing the things they're doing. It just adds to the feeling that not only do we have to beat the other team, but we also have to overcome subpar coaching decisions that are being made. I feel like we're a very talented team that will be held back all year by a below average coaching staff.
On a positive note, how about Courtland Sutton? The rookie is a pro bowler in the making.
--Art Mensing, San Antonio, TX
Art – I didn’t hear the telecast. Were they talking about the use of timeouts near the end of the first half? I was wondering about that also but it all worked out in the end as Broncos kicker Brandon McManus hit a go-ahead field goal as time expired.
Sutton does look good so far as he averaged 2 catches a game, with roughly one, deep impactful reception. He is averaging a robust 17.8 yards per catch.
But he still has a ways to go. I think he’d tell you that. He had a huge drop that would have converted a third-and-10 against Baltimore and allowed the Ravens to kick a field goal at first half’s end. And he must work on his line of scrimmage get-off – which all rookie receivers do -- and route running.
But Sutton does have No. 1-receiver potential. He is big with a large catch radius, he can jump, and he has good timing on his 50-50 balls.
Any chance they trade Shane Ray to the Vikings for a corner?
- Dan Birk
Dan – As of now, no. The trade deadline is four weeks away. The Broncos can be anywhere from 6-2 to 2-6 at that point. Buyer or seller.
With Adam Jones playing solid on Monday night against the pass-happy Kansas City Chiefs and Tramaine Brock healed up enough to practice this week, the cornerback position is in less crisis mode than it appeared last week.
As for Ray, I can see the Vikings having an interest because one, they are all in on winning it all this year; two, they need a quality pass rusher in light of the Everson Griffen situation; and three, Ray is in the final year of his contract which makes him more susceptible to trade.
I don’t think the Broncos will want to trade Ray, though. That could change if the Broncos are, say, 3-5 and the Vikings or another team want to give up a third-round draft pick. Then I think the Broncos might consider it.
But this is nothing more than premature, educated conjecture.
Vance (is not a good) coach. He needs to be replaced and everyone knows it.
-- Carey Barnes
Carey – Is it possible last year’s coach Joseph has leaked into your opinion about this year’s coach Joseph?
Because I think Joseph has substantially improved in year two. The Broncos have been ready to play in each of their first four games – in their two losses, they were up 14-7 at Baltimore and 23-13 against Kansas City.
That’s been encouraging. Yes, the Broncos easily could be 4-0 but they didn’t finish well against the Ravens and Chiefs. A pessimist might say they also easily could have been 0-4 but they pulled out same late magic to edge Seattle and Oakland in the first two games.
I don’t think Joseph should be replaced. Once John Elway decided to retain his coach, Joseph should have a fresh, full and fair shot to redeem himself in year two.
But a coach, like a quarterback, is always on a week-to-week trial. Your concern comes off back-to-back losses. Let’s see if the Broncos can beat the Jets on the road.
Thanks for mailbag! The word from the Broncos is that they keep expecting Bradley Roby to mature into his role. He's now in his fifth year, though. If he was going to be an elite corner worth 9 million a year, wouldn't we know it by now?
To me this isn't a matter of hindsight, the Broncos would have been better off keeping a hungry Talib until the wheels fall off and using Roby's salary to do so. When that bill comes due, Elway has been pretty good at finding free agent talent to fill back up the tank.
--Dave Mullen
Dave – The wheel blew out on Talib. He’s down for at least two months with a surgically repaired ankle.
Among the 110 cornerbacks the scouting website Pro Football Focus ranked through week 4, Chris Harris Jr. is No. 17 with a 74.1 score, Adam Jones is No. 77 with a 58.5 grade, and Roby is No. 81 at 58.1.
I think all three are better than those rankings, but there’s no question the Broncos will be confronting a decision with Roby at season’s end.
He is making $8.526 million this year, tied for the 19th-highest paid cornerback in the league. As a free agent this offseason, it’s not unreasonable to expect he can command a $10 million-a-year contract, which would put him in the top 15.
Given the lack of depth behind Harris and Roby, I would think the Broncos would try to bring Roby back.
