DENVER — Von Miller is in denial.
“We got real fans here,” he said when asked what he would say to fans who may be losing hope. “The fans are losing hope? I just can’t believe that. We still got a long season ahead of us. Broncos Country has been great for us.”
Unfortunately for Von, he’s wrong.
Many fans gave up hope today, as they headed for the exits in the third quarter, many fans have given up hope on this season, as almost 10,000 didn’t even show up for the game, and many, many more have given up hope that Case Keenum can be the answer for this team at quarterback.
On Sunday, the quarterback didn’t even make it out of the first quarter before being hit with the first barrage of boos, and they only got louder from there. Before the first half ended, those boos turned to chants, but they weren’t for Keenum, they were for his backup.
“Kelly! Kelly! Kelly!” They chanted, pleading with head coach Vance Joseph to bring in second-year signal-caller Chad Kelly.
After the game, Keenum admitted he wasn’t oblivious to the jeers.
“They should be pissed,” he said. “I’m pissed.”
And while his top wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders shred some of that sentiment, he wasn’t cool with the way they treated the team’s 36-million-dollar quarterback.
“They expect wins, and I would expect wins, too. I understand what they’re going through,” he began, before sending his message. “I don’t respect what they do in the stadium in terms of booing and stuff like that. Especially in the Case situation. I mean, Case is a quarterback who comes in every single day and busts his butt. He goes out and plays, and they’re supposed to provide momentum for us, give us that “let’s go” factor. We don’t want to hear the boos.”
Herein lies the challenge with being a quarterback in Denver. Mediocrity is not tolerated. After all, this town has played host to two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. These folks know winners when they see them.
For the second straight game, Keenum had a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio. For the second straight game, Keenum eclipsed 300 yards in the air. Heck, he threw a perfect ball to Emmanuel Sanders early in the game that looked to be a touchdown and, even though it was a few inches short, it would have put the Broncos in a position to score a touchdown. A touchdown there technically would have given them enough points to win on Sunday. Unfortunately, in celebrating the touchdown that wasn’t, Sanders—who took credit for the loss because of it—drew a 15-yard penalty for taunting and the Broncos couldn’t punch it in from 16 yards out.
Not good enough.
In Denver—and most places—win, and you’re the hero, lose and you’re the zero. Right now, the Broncos are 2-4, and Keenum’s offense is averaging 20 points per game, with a lot of those points, including most of today’s 20, coming in a comeback effort.
Until this team gets it going, especially at home, the boo birds will continue to fly.
0 Comments (11 conversations)
O'Doyle Rules
Funny thing is this smells just like last season and the boo’s are indicative of a fan base that hates mediocrity and even worse lengthy losing streaks. When was the last time Denver had back to back losing season? Boos are merited. Give us something to cheer about!
JustForbis
Last back to back losing seasons was pre-Bowlen ownership 😮
MrFreeze
I just don’t understand what has happened to this team since training camp and preseason when there was so much hype and optimism. Now we’re here, where watching them down 20-3 isn’t a big surprise and worse is expected. Today was the first time in a long time where I didn’t get mad while watching them get destroyed, I was just expecting it. When they stuffed a run or defended a pass I was pleasantly surprised. How did we get here? I’m sure the 8 game losing streak helped desensitize me, but hell, we’re half way there (woah oh, living on a prayer) again this season. Booing doesn’t help team morale at all, but I don’t know how else they expect fans to react. We’re not used to this and I don’t want to get used to this.
Hopecholo
Mediocrity not tolerated? Half the city is still in love with Tim Tebow…
timmytest
Atleist he won games and got us to playoffs 🙂
George in Limbo
Matt Prater won games. The defense won games. Tebow was the QB.
3 and Outstanding
I will post a section of what I wrote on Zac’s article that I think is relevant here.
If you look at the box score without having watched the game you would assume that it was a tight, hard-fought game. The truth is that Denver spent the better part of 3 full quarters trying to dig themselves out of a double-digit hole. It was not as close as the score would lead anyone to believe. I understand the point Von is making. The issue is that we have heard all of this before. Every week, the same thing. At what point does, “We will be better next week.” translate into something other than pillow talk?
Over 9,000 decided to stay home from last nights game. Countless others left before the 4th quarter. The team might still believe in themselves, but the fans don’t and you can see it in every empty seat in that stadium. What is it going to matter if Denver finally wins a game when no one is around to see it?
Denver Bronco fans are spoiled. To be sure. They only have 6 losing seasons in the last 3 decades. The fans demand more and expect better. You can blame them for being that way, but that didn’t happen by accident. Consequently, the fans are a product of that winning culture. No one in Broncos Country wants to endure another 5-11 season, but this team is talking the same song and dance they did last season and all signs point to them being the same team from last season. Heading to the same record.
What I will add to this is that the fans have already seen all this before. We went through it last season. All the promises. “Next week will be different.” It’s not like fans got this way after just 4 losses. After week 17 last season I sighed relief because it was finally over. The constant, unending disappointment of that season was behind me. I bought into the hype in the offseason. It will be a new team, a new season. We can finally put last season behind us.
Yet, here we are. 6 games in and 2 games out of .500 already in the middle of a 4 game skid. With no sign of anything changing. Its last season all over again. It’s easy to blame the fans for being upset. Booing. They don’t boo because they hate the players, hate the team. They boo because they want to see change. Change that they have wanted, needed to see since last season. It’s not as cut and dry as one player, one coach. The culture of the team needs to change. It’s that lack of change, those same empty promises at the post-game pressers that fans are fed up with. Fans don’t want to feel hopeless. Right now, that is the brand of football the Broncos are playing.
MrFreeze
This is just a section?!
3 and Outstanding
I really hate discussions these days. Everyone wants fast food conversations. Just bite-size, Twitter ready quips with no substance. Everyone needs a TLDR: which is the height of laziness. You cannot have a real conversation with anyone anymore because they all have ADHD and can’t be bothered to read anything longer than a sentence or two without apathy kicking in.
Dutches
Man it stinks at Dove Valley ?
EzPeezy12990
” they’re supposed to provide momentum for us, give us that “let’s go” factor. We don’t want to hear the boos.”
well, Emmanuel if the team gave us a reason to cheer then we wouldn’t boo. If there was any glimmer of hope for this team we wouldn’t boo. But we have seen nothing but the reasons to boo a franchise as a whole. Below average QB play, terrible O-Line play, Two stud RBs in the backfield that get barely used, swiss cheese defense, poor effort all around. I mean the list goes on and on my friends. Let’s just accept the fact that we are heading for another top 10 pick and pray that we can land Will Grier at QB.
Ron Mexico
Selfish player.
George in Limbo
Emmanuel Sanders is a good football player, but I don’t really care what he thinks.
Wrath of Jhan
I don’t boo players. But if Sanders comes out complaining of that, I have to wonder where his head is. Or where it was when he effectively took 4 points off the board because of a really stupid penalty.
JDC15
You know what I don’t respect? Dumb penalties on the one yard line. You know what I don’t respect? A team that appears to be failing not because of a lack of talent but a lack of effort especially against the run. You know what I don’t respect? Is an athlete/entertainer who’s livelyhood is dictated by the people that pay to see them saying they don’t respect their reactions.
Av65
Go Avs