The Denver Broncos finished last in the AFC West during the 2020 NFL season with a 5-11 record.
They won just one division game, a 31-30 nail-biter against the Los Angeles Chargers.
But the low point in their campaign has to be the time when they had no quarterbacks left in the roster.
Kendall Hinton, a practice squad receiver, was forced to play when all four Broncos quarterbacks were ruled out due to COVID-19 protocols.
It turned out to be a disaster as the New Orleans Saints dominated the contest, 31-3.
Hinton completed just one pass for nine yards and threw two interceptions.
With that challenging season over, the Broncos are hoping for better days.
Unfortunately, all indications lead that they will be at the cellar once more in 2021.
Miles Away At Quarterback
The Broncos do play at Mile High, but their talent level at quarterback is miles away from their division rivals.
Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to another Super Bowl run and threw for 38 touchdowns the entire season.
Meanwhile, Justin Herbert became the Offensive Rookie of the Year after tallying 4,336 passing yards and 31 touchdowns.
Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders had an impressive campaign as well with 4,103 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Compare those numbers to that of Broncos starter Drew Lock.
Drew Lock with a 💣 to Court
(📹 via @Broncos)
pic.twitter.com/c0MEbiCzzO— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) August 8, 2021
The former Missouri Tiger threw for 2,933 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
He was tied with Carson Wentz for most picks last season despite playing just 13 games.
His 57.3 completion percentage is also dead last among quarterbacks with at least 150 passing attempts.
It already sounds like a cliché, but the quarterback is the most important position in football.
Tough to compete in the NFL without a solid one, and it shows how Lock lags behind his contemporaries in the AFC West.
They brought in Teddy Bridgewater during the off-season, but he isn’t a clear-cut upgrade either.
Will Lock be at par with Mahomes, Herbert, and Carr in his third year in the NFL?
That is more myth than reality.
He might not even be the starter, depending on how training camp unfolds.
Limited Upgrade On Offense
That the Denver Broncos had a defense-heavy 2021 NFL Draft makes sense.
After all, they gave up 367.9 yards per game last season which is the 12th most in the league.
Having the likes of Patrick Surtain II, Caden Sterns, and Jamar Johnson in the fold gives them a fortified secondary that already has Pro Bowler Justin Simmons.
The Denver Broncos currently have the best secondary headed into the NFL season – per @PFF pic.twitter.com/JePv0qnaIL
— Denver Broncos 365 (@DailyBroncos) August 9, 2021
As for the other side of the ball, the Broncos are staying put with what they have.
For starters, they do have a solid receiving corps with Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and tight end Noah Fant.
Melvin Gordon III has been a potent option at running back, too.
But are they enough to carry them over the hump, at least against the other AFC West teams?
The Broncos did draft center Quinn Meinerz and wide receiver Seth Williams in the third and sixth rounds, respectively.
Yet both of them are not highly-touted prospects and may end up as reserves, at best.
Therefore, Broncos fans are in for another long season.
But if the franchise uses their early pick in the 2022 NFL Draft wisely, better days are on the horizon.
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