Denver Post: The Broncos broke Mahomes

[Hammock Parties]

I'm sure this will age well.

Keeler: Broncos DC Vance Joseph didn’t just beat Patrick Mahomes. He didn’t just beat the Chiefs. He broke them.

Vance Joseph didn’t just beat the Chiefs. He broke them like plates at a Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Before the Broncos turned Patrick Mahomes upside down in Week 8 and shook him like a snow globe, No. 15 was Showtime.

He’s been Redbox ever since.

Mea culpa, VJ. I was wrong. We were wrong. Broncos Country wanted a scapegoat for that 70-burger in Miami. Your office was the closest to the sacrificial altar.

And if the wonks who vote on NFL Assistant Coach of the Year are paying attention, that baby oughta be your to lose, Vance. You got it right. Sean Payton got it right. George Paton got it right. Greg Penner got it right.

Instead of shedding blood, the Broncos shed disgruntled veterans. Instead of blowing up the bathroom, they retiled the shower. Every little tweak hit like a sledgehammer.

They identified a new boundary corner (Fabian Moreau) who could handle the traffic from QBs avoiding Pat Surtain II. They found a star in nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian, a college free agent out of East Carolina whose quiet case for a Pro Bowl nod — seven TFLs, two interceptions and two fumbles forced over his last eight games — gets louder by the week.

They handed the keys to Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto, then watched them drive tackles batty. No team in the NFL has more sacks over the past three weeks than the Broncos’ 18.

Explosion plays vanished. Missed tackles felt like unhappy accidents. In his 13 games as defensive coordinator, Joseph’s defense somehow transformed from a rusty, flaming dumpster into Optimus Prime. Welcome to The Vance Vance Revolution.

If the buddy-cop tandem of Payton & Paton are half as smart as they think they are, they’ll get in Penner’s ear, rip up whatever’s left of VJ’s contract and let Joseph name his price.

It’s been so long — too long — since Broncos Country found something they could trust falling in love with again. You don’t let that feeling walk away easy.

Now that you mention it, the last seven weeks have been so much fun, the only thing missing for Joseph’s cadre is a clever nickname, right? Some proper shorthand, along the lines of “Orange Crush” and “No-Fly Zone”, for one of the most remarkable defensive units in the history of a franchise that’s been defined by them.

Open to suggestions, of course. “Team Takeaway?” “The Turnover Train?”

Here’s another stab, take it or leave it: The Mahomes-Wreckers.

The NFL is an unabashed cut-and-paste, copycat league. Other great defensive minds have proffered theories toward an antidote for the logic-bending, gravity-defying, generational genius of Mahomes, the Chiefs’ QB1.

Joseph might’ve just written the definitive book on the subject.

Before Kansas City visited Empower Field on Oct. 29, the Chiefs were 6-1. The Broncos were roadkill.

On a cold day in Hades, VJ’s defense forced five turnovers, picking off The Grim Reaper twice and sacking him three times.

“Well, you know, Mahomes was sick”, they sniffed.

“Yeah, it was the snow,” they scoffed.

Was it?

In Kansas City’s six games that followed, the Chiefs are 2-4. The defending Super Bowl champs have scored a Shurmuresque 19 points per game during that stretch, while surrendering 1.83 sacks per tussle.

Context: In the seven games before Broncos 24, Mahomes 9, Andy Reid’s finest averaged 25.4 points per game and allowed just one sack per tilt.

During that 6-1 start, Mahomes threw for at least 280 yards four different times. During the 2-4 run since, one that includes the Chiefs’ first loss to the Broncos in forever, No. 15’s only managed to hit that mark once.

So much for sick.

So much for snow.

“Vance and these guys have done a really good job of bringing combinations, if you will, which makes it a little harder,” Payton reflected Monday.

“I think it’s a little bit contagious. I think there (are) certain plans you have for certain styles and certain quarterbacks. Some of these guys are too good to sit in the pocket and they’re too talented. Somehow, you have to disrupt the passing game. And it’s either at the line of scrimmage and re-routing receivers, or it’s with the quarterback. (VJ’s defense has) done a good job.”

When the recovery becomes even more impressive than the failure, it’s not just good, coach. It’s historic.

And when the stuff this league is cutting and pasting is yours, it’s not just flattery. It’s gospel. The AFC West is a race again, and Hallelujah.

[mnchiefsguy]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Elway's stats are frickin horrible

Elway also never won a championship without a HOF running back and a HOF TE...and an offensive line covered in vasoline.

[Reerun_KC]

2-4 since.

Twice had a chance to end their season.

Played cute ball game one. Gave them tons of hope that they can line up and beat us man to man. Game 2. Got taken to the woodshed and haven’t been right since.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by SD15

16th time’s a charm……..

17th actually.

They lost to us the 16th game lol

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Elway's stats are frickin horrible

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

Elway also never won a championship without a HOF running back and a HOF TE...and an offensive line covered in vasoline.

Yeah. The broncos only won some stuff because they cheated and because they built the offense around someone other than elway. We have exactly the opposite situation with Patrick Mahomes II.

[MagicHef]

Originally Posted by synthesis2

its funny watching the broncos, I mean I hate them yes but its like watching sports in general. You watch the team you love and you watch the team you hate.

I know the numbers may say this or that but one thing I feel very good about is this.

Russell wilson for the "eye test" only looks awful, I mean he looks like a good QB in the 90's or early 2000's but in todays QB play he looks like he is out of his league.

There is a 0% chance these guys win a Superbowl this year, next year or the year after, in fact I'm put 100 to 1 odds against anyone on this board that the broncos will not win a Superbowl again until he is gone and they are stuck with the guy for a long time.

Does the Chiefs slump and the Broncos winning against mostly awful teams make things exciting? Sure but does any of this mean they have a shot at winning the superbowl? zero, I mean zero, like the odds of them winning if Vegas was honest with themselves would be i million to one. They are just not good with him, he is like a poor mans alex smitih, just shorter with shorter arms and legs.

So its fun to have them in the mix again, its been a long time but they are still a horrible team, we all know it , and people are worried but the only way it "truly" cuts at me is if they win a superbowl and thats a zero chance.... but hey, makes things fun huh? LOL

Mostly awful teams?

Like the Bills, who beat the Chiefs?
Or the Packers, who beat the Chiefs?
Or the Chiefs?
Or the Browns, who have the same record as the Chiefs?

The only team that Denver beat in their current run that does not have a winning record is the Chargers.

[New World Order]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Mostly awful teams?

Like the Bills, who beat the Chiefs?
Or the Packers, who beat the Chiefs?
Or the Chiefs?
Or the Browns, who have the same record as the Chiefs?

The only team that Denver beat in their current run that does not have a winning record is the Chargers.

We do our talking in the playoffs thank you very much

[Rainbarrel]

The snake skin condom is being cured. The going in is the easy part

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Mostly awful teams?

Like the Bills, who beat the Chiefs?
Or the Packers, who beat the Chiefs?
Or the Chiefs?
Or the Browns, who have the same record as the Chiefs?

The only team that Denver beat in their current run that does not have a winning record is the Chargers.

You're frauds and the fact you and your friends disappeared proves that

[Wallcrawler]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

... They have the Bronco fans on their side now...

What a strong rebuttal that does nothing to refute your tragi-comic level of stupidity and self importance, believing anyone would rather tell IowaHawkeyereerun I told you so rather than seeing Mahomes lift a 3rd Lombardi.

Given that expecting you to refute your idiocy is like challenging the quadriplegic to a dunk contest, I'm not really sure why I expected any response at all.

Nobody here would rather see them not win a title than have Andy finally get this shit straightened out and put together a run right at the end when it counts to win it all.

It wouldn't matter in the slightest to me, that all of you that believe in fairies and clapping your hands and squeezing your eyes tight while you wish upon a star for this shitshow to be fixed would then be able to come onto this board afterward, screeching about who deserves to be a fan and who doesn't with your homer or hater reerunation.

It's not how you start, it's how you finish, but to this point there has been zero indication that this offense is anywhere near improving. To call this offense bad, and to hold the head coach accountable for the absolute lack of focus and slop that we've seen on the field this season, well only a hater that wants the team to fail would do that, right?

I'd love to see them do it. I just doubt that it's going to happen given what I've seen in 13 games against some pretty bad football teams.

It doesn't mean I hope they don't win.

I doubt I'm going to win the powerball. I still bought the ticket. It doesn't mean I hope my ticket misses every last number.

[Bob Dole]

Wow. Who new a perennial loser could get so cocky this quick.

[Hammock Parties]

Ryan Clark calls Mahomes broken again

Ryan Clark calls Mahomes broken...AGAIN?!? �� pic.twitter.com/mj0Q0gkXti

— ��️ Red Tribe Cinema (@ClayWendler) December 13, 2023

[DomCasual]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brother

Piss off troll. You were nowhere to be found at 1-5

Not me. I was here all the way through 1-5 - at least at the level I am ever here. If anything, I’ve disappeared while they have been winning, because I haven’t wanted to be that guy. But I am a Broncos fan when they win the Lombardi Trophy, and I am a Broncos fan when they go 5-12.

[Rainbarrel]

Steeler embarrassment needs a outlet

[DomCasual]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Elway's stats are frickin horrible

1) You can’t compare 80s stats against today’s stats, when it comes to QBs. Totally different game. But 2) you sort of make my point for me. Elway had a run-first coach who only turned him loose when they desperately needed him. Elway’s numbers show up better starting in 93, when Wade Phillips was the coach (and Jim Fassel was the OC). It was the first year he had an offensive coach who said, “You know, we have a HOF QB. We should maybe try to take advantage of that.”

[el borracho]

Mahomes threw the winning pass against the Eagles- MVS dropped it.
Mahomes threw the winning pass against the Packers- the Packers raped the receiver.
Mahomes threw the winning pass against the Bills- Toney was offsides.

How exactly is Mahomes "broken?" He is doing enough to win. It is also up to others to contribute.