Otherwise, this is more or less the same team that went 6-10 last year. They've added some veteran help in the secondary, so the defense figures to continue to be solid. Most of the question marks are on the offensive side. Will the offensive line perform any better? Will any tight ends be able to stay on the field? Is Emmanuel Sanders healthy? How will RB Phillip Lindsay perform coming off a Pro Bowl rookie season? Will any of their young talent, such as Royce Freeman, Noah Fant, or Courtland Sutton, break through to stardom?
My guess is that we'll be disappointed in the answers to some of those questions. However, if Fangio's leadership and Flacco's experience make a difference, we could be in for a nice surprise. It's not out of the question that we could see their record flip to 10-6 in 2019.
And really, who are the insurmountable threats in the AFC, beyond the Chiefs and the Patriots? Are you really terrified of anyone else? The new-look Jets? The Titans or Texans? The Luck-less Colts? The Steelers and old man Roethlisberger? The
Sure, a couple of really good teams will emerge as the season goes along, but we don't know who those are just yet. So why wouldn't you give the Broncos a shot at a wildcard spot?
If they can get to Thanksgiving at 6-5, they're definitely in the mix with three home dates in December. But if Flacco gets off to a rough start, people are going to get impatient really quick and the Broncos could be drafting in the top 10 next year.
Honestly, I think it seems like this year will be a modest improvement to 8-8. They'll look really good at times but will also lose some that they shouldn't, and will likely fall short of the playoffs in what looks to be a tough AFC West.
