Week 5: Denver Broncos

[Edman]

This game could potentially speak volumes regarding the rest of the season. The Broncos are 3-1, but may be without Teddy Bridgewater and are forced to start the underwhelming Drew Lock.

If the Steelers can't hang with Drew Lock, well, its not like the season can get any worse.

Steelers 21
Broncos 16

[vasteeler]

Ugh... This may be the most winable game we have left. This one Detroit and maybe Chicago.

[DesertSteel]

Broncos 16
Steelers 9

[silver & black]

You need to win this game. Denver is a paper tiger.

I'm rooting for, and betting on a Steelers win.

[Crow-Magnon]

You need to win this game. Denver is a paper tiger.

I'm rooting for, and betting on a Steelers win.

lol. We helped you guys three times so far this year! You’re welcome!

If TBW is out (and I am hoping he’s ok) and Lock is behind center, the Steelers defense should be able to make Denver pay.

[Fire Goodell]

Broncos 24-10. Until this team can do anything with any consistency on offense other than suck, I'll continue to pick against them. The defense isn't the same since Alualu went down.

[that1guy]

Broncos 24-10. Until this team can do anything with any consistency on offense other than suck, I'll continue to pick against them. The defense isn't the same since Alualu went down.

Absolutely!! What gives anyone here the impression that the Steelers will have any traction on Offense? 10 points is generous, if anything against the Packers the Offensive line played better (only slightly) and Ben played worse. The Steelers need a spark on Offense in the worst way.

[DesertSteel]

lol. We helped you guys three times so far this year! You’re welcome!

If TBW is out (and I am hoping he’s ok) and Lock is behind center, the Steelers defense should be able to make Denver pay.

Or Lock will look like Brett Favre and throw for 400/4.

[Fire Goodell]

You need to win this game. Denver is a paper tiger.

I'm rooting for, and betting on a Steelers win.

Unless this offense improves somehow, I don't see us winning any games without the aid of a defensive / ST score

[DesertSteel]

I’m feeling real strong that this is gonna be a 3+ INT game for Ben. Real ugly. Pressure to bench him is gonna get real hot.

[Fire Goodell]

We'd have a better chance if this was played at Mile High. The home crowd would lose their voices shouting IN-COM-PLETE by the end of the 1st quarter

[86WARD]

This will be one of those games that gets the fan base excited with a nice win only to be crushed in subsequent weeks.

Steelers 34
Broncos 13

[fansince'76]

Or Lock will look like Brett Favre and throw for 400/4.

Not happening. Lock sucks. Roethlisberger might be a washed-up has-been, but Lock is most definitely a never-will-be. Another "brilliant" move by Elway, only eclipsed by his burning of a first round pick on Paxton Lynch.

On a side note, people who are so eager to push Roethlisberger out the door should view the Broncos' struggles at QB since Manning retired (not to mention the 15-or-so years between Elway's retirement and Manning's arrival in Denver) as a cautionary tale. IOW, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it...

[pczach]

Not happening. Lock sucks. Roethlisberger might be a washed-up has-been, but Lock is most definitely a never-will-be. Another "brilliant" move by Elway, only eclipsed by his burning of a first round pick on Paxton Lynch.

On a side note, people who are so eager to push Roethlisberger out the door should view the Broncos' struggles at QB since Manning retired (not to mention the 15-or-so years between Elway's retirement and Manning's arrival in Denver) as a cautionary tale. IOW, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it...

They'll eventually get what they wish for, then bitch about the quarterback situation for the foreseeable future.

They'll get exactly what they say they want and then blame everyone and demand the whole thing gets burned to the ground while heads roll. It's what fans do.

[fansince'76]

They'll eventually get what they wish for, then bitch about the quarterback situation for the foreseeable future.

They'll get exactly what they say they want and then blame everyone and demand the whole thing gets burned to the ground while heads roll. It's what fans do.

The Broncos' (not to mention a raft of other teams) recent and ongoing QB struggles also illustrate that a team won't necessarily fix its QB ills by simply throwing high round draft picks at the position.

If Bridgewater does indeed beat out an incumbent starter (edit: Lock) who the Broncos spent a second-round pick on in 2019 (edit: he did), this will be the latest in a long line of mistakes Denver made at quarterback. All those mistakes can be tied back to Elway.

Since Manning retired in 2016, the Broncos have featured a revolving door at quarterback highlighted by wasted draft picks on the position, bad trades and head-scratching free agent moves -- basically the trifecta of quarterback failures. Nothing will hold a candle to Elway selecting Paxton Lynch, a player who is not even in the league anymore, in the first round of the 2016 draft, but the list of quarterbacks Elway handed the reigns of the team to is a who's who of bad players.

It's not Trevor Siemian's fault that he earned the starting job over Lynch in 2016, but Elway did draft Siemian and he was about as good as you'd expect any seventh rounder to be. That Elway didn't have a better quarterback on a team coming off a Super Bowl win is pretty baffling in general. But that's who he rolled out there to replace Manning.

After that, Siemian, Lynch and none other than another Elway second-round pick, Brock Osweiler, battled it out for the starting job in 2017. All got a chance. All sucked. Especially Lynch. And again, the Broncos failed to win.

(Also just want to point out here Elway picked Brock Osweiler in 2012 to be Manning's successor. Let's not forget that.)

Read more: Drew Lock Appears to Be John Elway's Final Failure

[DesertSteel]

On a side note, people who are so eager to push Roethlisberger out the door should view the Broncos' struggles at QB since Manning retired (not to mention the 15-or-so years between Elway's retirement and Manning's arrival in Denver) as a cautionary tale. IOW, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it...

Colbert is a better GM than Elway so it's apples to oranges. If you think Ben still has it, you're wearing some special glasses. We aren't eager, but realists. And as far as getting what we wish for, 90% of us lived through the post-Bradshaw era. All of it wasn't as bad as it's made out. The 90s were more successful than the past decade with Ben. Maybe we get lucky with another franchise QB, or maybe we struggle for a few years. If I had to guess, Colbert will hook us up with a bridge QB and we'll keep competing for a playoff spot. Remember, there was no free agency when Bradshaw retired. Either way, whether it's Canada, Ben or both, the product on offense right now is putrid and some action needs taken.

[tube517]

Washington, Sutton, Coward, Davis all Out.

[DesertSteel]

It's all just groin pains. Everyone goes through them.

[Rotorhead]

Washington, Sutton, Coward, Davis all Out.

Well the only significant one is Sutton at least

[tube517]

Ugh... This may be the most winable game we have left. This one Detroit and maybe Chicago.

Geno Smith!

[Mojouw]

Geno Smith!

Unfortunately, Geno looked good last night. The turnover was arguably not on him...he certainly looked more than capable of out dueling whatever the Steelers call an offense.

[tube517]

Unfortunately, Geno looked good last night. The turnover was arguably not on him...he certainly looked more than capable of out dueling whatever the Steelers call an offense.

We have a better "chance" against Geno than Russell Wilson. Steelers have never beaten Russell Wilson ever.

I mean, we will still probably lose anyways as we tend to do against also ran QBs even with younger Ben.

[fansince'76]

Colbert is a better GM than Elway so it's apples to oranges. If you think Ben still has it, you're wearing some special glasses. We aren't eager, but realists. And as far as getting what we wish for, 90% of us lived through the post-Bradshaw era. All of it wasn't as bad as it's made out. The 90s were more successful than the past decade with Ben. Maybe we get lucky with another franchise QB, or maybe we struggle for a few years. If I had to guess, Colbert will hook us up with a bridge QB and we'll keep competing for a playoff spot. Remember, there was no free agency when Bradshaw retired. Either way, whether it's Canada, Ben or both, the product on offense right now is putrid and some action needs taken.

Not really my point at all. My point is that for every Peyton Manning that is drafted, there are about 100 Ryan Leafs and for every Mahomes, there are about 100 Mitch Trubiskys that come down the pike.

IOW, at the end of the day, the draft is still largely a crapshoot, especially when it comes to QBs. If I had a nickel for every "can't miss blue chip" QB prospect that either completely flamed out in the NFL or wound up bouncing around from team to team for 7-10 years as an overpaid clipboard holder over the last 20 years or thereabouts, I'd have been retired years ago. The one positive development in the last decade or so was the rookie salary cap, so that misfiring on a QB in the draft no longer cripples a team for the better part of a decade salary cap-wise (see: JaMarcus Russell).

I just very strongly disagree with the notion that many around here seem to have (not you specifically) that bona fide franchise QBs grow on trees.

[Edman]

Not really my point at all. My point is that for every Peyton Manning that is drafted, there are about 100 Ryan Leafs and for every Mahomes, there are about 100 Mitch Trubiskys that come down the pike.

IOW, at the end of the day, the draft is still largely a crapshoot, especially when it comes to QBs. If I had a nickel for every "can't miss blue chip" QB prospect that either completely flamed out in the NFL or wound up bouncing around from team to team for 7-10 years as an overpaid clipboard holder over the last 20 years or thereabouts, I'd have been retired years ago. The one positive development in the last decade or so was the rookie salary cap, so that misfiring on a QB in the draft no longer cripples a team for the better part of a decade salary cap-wise (see: JaMarcus Russell).

I just very strongly disagree with the notion that many around here seem to have (not you specifically) that bona fide franchise QBs grow on trees.

Terry Bradshaw didn't have a positive TD-INT ratio until his sixth year in the league (1975). If this was today, Bradshaw would've been hammered on this board for not having "it" to be a bonafide NFL QB.

I think we have been so spoiled by Ben 2004 that it completely skewed our outlook on the QB position.

[86WARD]

Unfortunately, Geno looked good last night. The turnover was arguably not on him...he certainly looked more than capable of out dueling whatever the Steelers call an offense.

If you’re talking about the interception, 100% Geno’s fault. The receiver fell down way before Smith threw the ball. He should not have thrown that ball where he did.

[Mojouw]

If you’re talking about the interception, 100% Geno’s fault. The receiver fell down way before Smith threw the ball. He should not have thrown that ball where he did.

Fair enough. I was only able to watch it while doing about 5 other things.

Geno still looked better than Ben did.

[DesertSteel]

Not really my point at all. My point is that for every Peyton Manning that is drafted, there are about 100 Ryan Leafs and for every Mahomes, there are about 100 Mitch Trubiskys that come down the pike.

IOW, at the end of the day, the draft is still largely a crapshoot, especially when it comes to QBs. If I had a nickel for every "can't miss blue chip" QB prospect that either completely flamed out in the NFL or wound up bouncing around from team to team for 7-10 years as an overpaid clipboard holder over the last 20 years or thereabouts, I'd have been retired years ago. The one positive development in the last decade or so was the rookie salary cap, so that misfiring on a QB in the draft no longer cripples a team for the better part of a decade salary cap-wise (see: JaMarcus Russell).

I just very strongly disagree with the notion that many around here seem to have (not you specifically) that bona fide franchise QBs grow on trees.

Really never any guarantees with drafting QBs. I’ve always been a fan of stockpiling QBs from the middle to late rounds and developing them. But we’re past that point. Let’s hope a fluke scenario happens where a top level QB becomes available via trade or otherwise.

[st33lersguy]

Steelers defense may be able to slow down Denver's offense but Ben and this O-line against Denver's defense is a mismatch

[Rotorhead]

Steelers defense may be able to slow down Denver's offense but Ben and this O-line against Denver's defense is a mismatch

The Steelers OL against a HS defense is a mismatch

[DesertSteel]

This might be the game where Ben gets his YPA under 5.