ENGLEWOOD — Here in the land of fresh air, Rocky Mountains, cool streams and the occasional mid-October snowstorm, there is fear the Broncos are last year all over again.
The Broncos have lost three in a row and were embarrassed while getting trampled for 323 yards rushing while surrendering two long touchdown pass plays last week to the otherwise pedestrian New York Jets.
The Broncos lost eight in a row last year and finished 5-11. Why should Bronco Land believe this year’s team isn’t heading for a similar fate?
“I don’t think so,’’ Adam Gotsis, a Broncos starting defensive end, said with his strong Australian accent in a sit-down interview with 9News this week. “We’ve got such a dynamic offense. When they get rolling they can score points.
“Our special teams are way better. Our defense, we feel like we’re one of the best in the league when we’re playing to our potential. But it’s like any team, when you don’t execute what the play is, you’re going to get beat.
“I’ve got so much trust in our team that we can turn this thing around. It takes one big win and we’re hoping that it can be this week. We don’t want to go down the path of last year. We feel like that wasn’t us last year.’’
In the mighty, high-scoring Los Angeles Rams, the Broncos don’t exactly have the easiest of opponents today to change fortunes. The Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL’s only 5-0 teams through week 5. The Broncos were up 10 points in the fourth quarter before losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs two weeks ago.
Then came the hangover game last week against the Jets in East Rutherford, N.J. Gotsis made a sensational play that got the Broncos off to a quick start as he stripped running back Bilal Powell of the ball, then fell on the fumble at the Jets’ 20. From there, the Broncos scored to go up, 7-0.
“We thought we had them on the ropes if we score one more time,’’ Gotsis said. “They kind of settled down and got in the flow and it seemed like we lost our composure a bit. And they kind of blew us out in that middle term a bit and it was too late to claw back. It’s a tough one to swallow from last week but we know we have to.’’
After the Broncos were drubbed by the Jets, 34-16 – it was 34-10 with 4 minutes left in the game – there was a team meeting back at team headquarters Monday. Broncos coach Vance Joseph asked for his players to speak up.
“It was more to get everyone on the same page,’’ Gotsis said. “We don’t want people pointing the fingers and saying it’s this person’s fault, these guys’ call, they didn’t play well. It was more like where we think we can improve in certain situations. Whether when we start to lose our composure, we have people who can settle us down. We just need to catch our breath and say we’re going to get challenged. We need to compose ourselves and still execute the calls and play good football.
“I think it was more guys to take a look into themselves and see what they really want. They’ve given everything they can to the team. Look into the playbook every night and make sure that they’re the ones hanging back and doing extra treatment or watching practice five times. I think (coach Joseph) just wanted to reiterate the buy-in from everyone. Make sure everyone is doing the little things right because if you can’t do the little things, the big things ain’t going to happen. And then on Sunday you’re going to get a result like what happened in New York.’’
The Rams, led by running back Todd Gurley II, quarterback Jared Goff, and their talented receiver trio of Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, have scored at 33 points in each of their five games and are averaging a league-most 468.4 yards per game.
The Denver defense is ranked No. 26 in the league. On paper, it’s a mismatch. On the field, there is snow.
“No one in our locker room loves the taste in our mouths right now,’’ Gotsis said. “From our perspective, we’re ready to get back out there and play again. We’ve been ready since Monday to get back out there. No one wants to sit around all week and dwell on what happened and talk about what happened. So, we’re ready to go out there and play.
“As for these guys, they’re coming in hot. They’re one of the most explosive offenses out there but us as a defense, we feel like we can hold them. I have complete trust in our secondary. I trust that our front seven is one of the best in the game, if not the best in the game. We just have to play to our potential.
“We know they have great players. They’ve got a running back, Todd Gurley, who’s killing it. Their receivers are making plays, their quarterback is making plays. Good O-line. Everything. But when they come out to Mile High, the crowd is going to be there, we’ll be out there, full effect and we’re going to do what we do in home games and take control and dominate.’’
