Updated Nov. 24
You are who we thought you were.
That's you, Denver Broncos.
That 6-0 start, which had every media pundit apologizing to Broncos coach Josh McDaniels for being so wrong about the moves he made (see: Jay Cutler trade) and his coaching prowess, now seems like decades ago.
Wasn't John Elway the quarterback for that team?
The Broncos have lost four consecutive games to go from talking about home-field advantage to trying to figure out ways to avoid staying home for the playoffs.
Their 32-3 blowout loss to the San Diego Chargers puts them in second place in the AFC West, one game behind the Chargers, and miles behind them in the way they're both playing.
That loss also drops the Broncos out of the top 10 of the CBSSports.com Power Rankings for the first time in weeks.
When I saw the Broncos live in Baltimore a month ago, their first loss of the season, I thought they were flawed. The offense didn't challenge vertically. That would catch up with them.
It has. That style can keep you around in games if everything else goes exactly right. The margin for error, though, is razorblade slim.
In the first six weeks, they got away with it.
Now it's killing them.
Their inability to make plays in the passing game cost them four games, and it was really bad against the Chargers. With starting quarterback Kyle Orton hobbled by an ankle injury, Chris Simms started and reminded us why he's destined to be a career backup. Orton didn't fare much better when he entered in a desperation move.
You also had Brandon Marshall jumping Knowshon Moreno for his fumble inside the 20 when the Broncos had a chance to cut a 13-0 lead to 13-7. Brandon Marshall, of all people?
Now the Broncos must get ready for the New York Giants on a short week since they play Thursday night in Denver.
That's a tough one, and there are other tough ones coming up. They have games at Indianapolis and at Philadelphia. That trip to Kansas City in two weeks, which has won two consecutive games, won't be easy either.
The fawning over McDaniels has stopped. He isn't the Boy Genius after all.
And his Broncos are who we thought they'd be; a solid team that might squeeze into the playoffs -- if everything goes right.
Super Bowl contender? It's not happening with that style of offense.
They look more burnt than your overcooked Thanksgiving bird.
| Power Rankings | |||
| Current | Team | Previous | |
 | 1 | Saints · Trends | 4 |
| What is hidden about the Saints is that there are a lot of good, young players on their roster. I can't imagine them taking a big step back. | |||
 | 2 | Colts · Trends | 1 |
| Let's not forget they get Anthony Gonzalez back next year, which will make the offense better. They are the team to beat in the AFC again. | |||
 | 3 | Vikings · Trends | 5 |
| After blowing a chance to win the NFC title game in regulation, it must have killed the Vikings to see the Saints win the Super Bowl. Now Minnesota has to play the waiting game with Brett Favre. | |||
 | 4 | Chargers · Trends | 2 |
| They have a lot of contracts that come up, and they will have to make some tough decisions. There is still a lot of talent on this team, but they have to get over the hump at some point. Losing to the Jets was a big upset. | |||
 | 5 | Cowboys · Trends | 3 |
| Wade Phillips comes back for another year, and he has to get this team past the first round of the playoffs again. Tony Romo is in the same situation. | |||
 | 6 | Eagles · Trends | 6 |
| Can we stop the Donovan McNabb trade talk? He will be back, and he should be back. Will Brian Westbrook? | |||
 | 7 | Jets · Trends | 11 |
| The next step will be letting Mark Sanchez do more. They have to throw it better in 2010. And they will. | |||
 | 8 | Packers · Trends | 7 |
| Aaron Rodgers showed he's a star in the making this season. That will make Green Bay a Super threat in 2010. | |||
 | 9 | Bengals · Trends | 8 |
| They made big strides to win the division, but they have to improve the passing game. That means getting speed help outside. | |||
 | 10 | Ravens · Trends | 12 |
| It's time for Joe Flacco and that passing game to take a big step forward. You have to get big chunks of yardage to win in this league. | |||
 | 11 | Patriots · Trends | 10 |
| Tom Brady will be a year removed from his knee injury, which means he will be better. The key for the Patriots will be improving their pass rush. | |||
 | 12 | Cardinals · Trends | 9 |
| Matt Leinart takes over for the retired Kurt Warner. There are a lot of questions about the former Heisman winner, but the Cardinals staff believes in him. Do his teammates? | |||
 | 13 | Broncos · Trends | 13 |
| What do they do with Brandon Marshall? Is he back? Is he traded? They need him, that's for sure. | |||
 | 14 | Steelers · Trends | 14 |
| The concerns with this team are on both lines. They have to play better there. Isn't that the Steelers way? | |||
 | 15 | Texans · Trends | 15 |
| They had a winning season, but it's time to make the playoffs. They do have an explosive passing game, which gives them a good chance. | |||
 | 16 | Falcons · Trends | 16 |
| They played the Saints tough twice with a lot of injuries. That has to give them hope heading into next season. They have to work on fixing that defense. | |||
 | 17 | Giants · Trends | 20 |
| There is some talk that Tom Coughlin could be in trouble if he doesn't win next season. I don't buy it. But they do have to improve the defense. | |||
 | 18 | Titans · Trends | 17 |
| Vince Young played well when he took over. Now he has to show he can do it again. | |||
 | 19 | Dolphins · Trends | 18 |
| I think this is a team to watch in 2010. Chad Henne will give the Dolphins a better chance to get to a Super Bowl. He does need a receiver. | |||
 | 20 | 49ers · Trends | 19 |
| The Niners have talent, but they have to throw it better to be a playoff team. I think Alex Smith just might be the answer. The offensive line needs fixing. | |||
 | 21 | Jaguars · Trends | 21 |
| Jack Del Rio got another year, which some question. Does his quarterback get the same? | |||
 | 22 | Panthers · Trends | 22 |
| They have to decide who plays quarterback. Is it Matt Moore or Jake Delhomme? It should be Moore. What to do with Julius Peppers? | |||
 | 23 | Redskins · Trends | 23 |
| Mike Shanahan has to decide if Jason Campbell is his quarterback of choice. I bet he decides that he is. Hiring Jim Haslett was a good move for the defense. | |||
 | 24 | Bears · Trends | 24 |
| Lovie Smith has one year to show that he can turn this team around. Hiring Mike Martz as offensive coordinator is a great move. | |||
 | 25 | Seahawks · Trends | 25 |
| Pete Carroll has a long way to go to turn this team around. First decision is if Matt Hasselbeck is the right guy at quarterback. | |||
 | 26 | Bills · Trends | 26 |
| Is Chan Gailey the right choice? Let's put it this way: His hiring was a surprise. He does know offense. | |||
 | 27 | Chiefs · Trends | 28 |
| You can bet the first priority is trying to improve that offensive line. Matt Cassel took a beating. | |||
 | 28 | Browns · Trends | 27 |
| Eric Mangini gets another year, and he probably earned it late. Can Mike Holmgren turn this team around? He has a lot of work to do. | |||
 | 29 | Buccaneers · Trends | 30 |
| Raheem Morris gets another year and his team should be better just because Josh Freeman will be better. Hey, they did beat the Saints late in the season. | |||
 | 30 | Raiders · Trends | 29 |
| Tom Cable is back. Is that a good thing? Who knows? If they don't fix the quarterback position, does it matter? | |||
 | 31 | Lions · Trends | 31 |
| It's all about improving the defense. They need pass-rush help in the worst way. They are another year away from competing -- at least. | |||
 | 32 | Rams · Trends | 32 |
| They have a huge decision at the top of the draft: Do they take a quarterback or do they solve that by acquiring Michael Vick? We'll see. | |||
