Broncos leadership is failing them in their biggest moment of need

What the Hell’s going on out there?

It’s what Vince Lombardi would yell if he had a chance to witness the Denver Broncos’ debacle during their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday.

It’s what Broncos fans were yelling from their couches and the seats at New Mile High Stadium when they witnessed the putrid performance Peyton Manning put on for the world to see. Four interceptions – which is nowhere near his career-high of six in a game, but was the worst performance of the Denver portion of his career – and the “boo birds” were out in full force. As they should have been.

Of course, one of those interceptions wasn’t Manning’s fault. Sure, he under-threw Vernon Davis on the first one, he tossed it right to the linebacker who was just chillin’ in a zone on the third pick, and he floated the ball to the sideline; those three were all No. 18’s fault. The second interception, however, was Emmanuel Sanders‘ fault.

Sanders, who – like Manning – toughed it out through multiple injuries to play Sunday, fell down on a comeback route and the ball went to a Chiefs’ defender. Manning put that ball on the money but Sanders’ ankle couldn’t keep him upright.

While everyone knew Manning was banged up going into the game – with plantar fasciitis and sore ribs – his performance showed he shouldn’t have played. And then, he injured himself worse. Incredibly, Sanders was injured worse, too, when he was hit hard on the sideline in the chest. He underwent concussion protocol, was deemed OK but did not return to the game.

In the NFL, machismo is celebrated. Play through the pain, perform well through an injury and see yourself elevated to hero status. And, while coaches have some say in the matters, players are usually the ultimate deciders when it comes to determining if they are healthy enough to play. That difficult decision rests on their shoulders.
Will you help or hurt the team in your current state?

Manning and Sanders hurt the team by playing injured on Sunday, simple as that.

But it’s not just those ego-filled mistakes which have haunted the Broncos in their first two losses of the season, idiotic penalties have killed Denver, too.

In the loss against the Indianapolis Colts, Aqib Talib went Moe from the Three Stooges when he poked Dwayne Allen in the eye, giving the Colts a free first down and basically handing them the win.

Then, as the Broncos were being handily beaten by the Chiefs, T.J. Ward went Jon Jones from UFC on Jeremy Maclin, throwing a monkey punch as he fell to the ground due to a block. Ward was ejected from the game; captains can’t be getting thrown out because they’re frustrated.

What sets this Denver Broncos team apart from others, what makes it a legitimate Super Bowl contender, is leadership.

There are strong leaders throughout the organization, from John Elway down to the players themselves, but four of the on-field leaders are the reason the Broncos lost the last two weeks.

Kubiak asserted some of his leadership on Monday, deciding to sit Manning until the 39-year old quarterback is healthy, and play the youngster Brock Osweiler. Sanders, too, should likely be rested for a week or two with all his bumps and bruises. That shot he took was scary, and it seems defenders always try to light up the smallish wideout, finding much success.

For Talib and Ward, they simply have to keep their cool. Poking a guy in the eye? Throwing a punch during a play? What the Hell’s going on out there?!

Neither of those acts equate to quality football and neither have a place in the game. Neither of those stupid acts will win you a Super Bowl, either.

Winning a Super Bowl is difficult enough, but being the most penalized team, as Denver is currently, only compounds matters. Play hard, but play smart and play clean. Now, the NFL and their officials have an eye on the Denver D, looking for dirty play, reaching for the flag at a moment’s notice.

For the Broncos, this stretch is a tipping point. They can come apart at the the seams like a worn out football, or they can find a resolution and rally behind their leaders.

Kubiak was brought in to lead these Broncos back to the Super Bowl. John Fox wasn’t going to get it done again as an affable friend to his players; and ironically Kubiak has a chance to show Fox and his Chicago Bears how far Denver’s come in the last 10 months. Or, how far they haven’t come since Fox was running the show.

Win the game in Chicago the way they have all year – with tough-nosed defense and just enough offense – and right the ship. Lose again – especially with idiotic penalties or with too much ego – and watch this team continue to spiral out of control worse than a wobbly duck from Peyton Manning.