Broncos will not make the playoffs

[Messiah]

You guys want a Messiah bold prediction, I'm giving it to you.

I don't think the Broncos will make the playoffs. I don't think Manning is fixable. His arm is as shot as I have ever seen from an NFL quarterback and his decision making is terrible. I mean, he has always had a gunslinger mentality to him but it is even more evident now. Manning is legit a bottom 10/5 starting quarterback in the NFL right now. And as cold weather hits, it won't get any better for him. The Broncos way of winning simply isn't sustainable. As good as their defense is, at some point those big plays aren't going to be as frequent. They were fortunate to win the 6 games they have won.

vs Packers
@ Colts
vs Chiefs
@ Bears
vs Patriots
@ Chargers
vs Raiders
@ Steelers
vs Bengals
vs Chargers

I think they beat the Colts and Chiefs and then lose every other game, finishing 8-8. Chargers and/or Raiders will win at 9-7. Manning will play 2 of the worst games of his career when he travels to Chicago and Pittsburgh.

[The Legend]

My bold prediction to counter yours would be the Broncos will win more than 8 games by Thanksgiving. They probably lose to Green Bay on Sunday, but then have a gift wrapped three game winning streak waiting for them. As for everything else, Raiders and Chargers are trash this year. They won't sniff a winning record. Even if the Broncos go 8-8 they would have a better than decent chance of still winning that division or being the second wild card team.

[DBSoT]

My bold prediction to counter yours would be the Broncos will win more than 8 games by Thanksgiving. They probably lose to Green Bay on Sunday, but then have a gift wrapped three game winning streak waiting for them. As for everything else, Raiders and Chargers are trash this year. They won't sniff a winning record. Even if the Broncos go 8-8 they would have a better than decent chance of still winning that division or being the second wild card team.

Are you trying to make the case that no team besides Denver will be .500 at the end of the year? Because KC is worst then San Diego and Oakland. With that said, I think Oakland gets over .500 and at least challenges for a playoff spot. San Diego may even right the ship considering their next 4 opponents have a combined 7 wins. In terms of Denver, I don't think they lose until they get to New England in late November. Worst case scenario would be Denver losing to Green Bay and New England, but still being 9-2. They will make the playoffs and probably get a first round bye.

[Messiah]

How are the Raiders trash? Broncos got lucky to beat them earlier in the season and Oakland is 3-3 with one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.

[The Legend]

How are the Raiders trash? Broncos got lucky to beat them earlier in the season and Oakland is 3-3 with one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.

The Raiders three wins so far this year are to Baltimore, Cleveland and San Diego, not an impressive win in the bunch and they lost to Chicago this year. How are they trash? Any team that manages to lose Da Stinking Bears this year is the definition of trash. Oakland will be lucky to finish 6-10 looking at the rest of their schedule.

Are you trying to make the case that no team besides Denver will be .500 at the end of the year? Because KC is worst then San Diego and Oakland. With that said, I think Oakland gets over .500 and at least challenges for a playoff spot. San Diego may even right the ship considering their next 4 opponents have a combined 7 wins. In terms of Denver, I don't think they lose until they get to New England in late November. Worst case scenario would be Denver losing to Green Bay and New England, but still being 9-2. They will make the playoffs and probably get a first round bye.

In the AFC West, absolutely none of the teams in the division will be better than 8-8 at the end of the year. San Diego might manage to be 8-8, but even if they tie the Broncos at 8-8 odds are the tiebreaker will go to Denver to make the playoffs. Denver is already 2-0 in the division, San Diego is already 0-1.

[Messiah]

The Raiders three wins so far this year are to Baltimore, Cleveland and San Diego, not an impressive win in the bunch and they lost to Chicago this year. How are they trash? Any team that manages to lose Da Stinking Bears this year is the definition of trash. Oakland will be lucky to finish 6-10 looking at the rest of their schedule.

So when the Broncos lose in Chicago this year, are they the definition of trash? Because they aren't beating the Bears in Chicago, not with Peyton. I guarantee it.

Teams lose games they shouldn't all the time and the Raiders were on the road and lost by 2 points to a team with a solid offense. Bears aren't even that bad - very good coaching staff. The Raiders might not be great, but they aren't trash either. They are an average, young team.

[The Legend]

The Raiders three wins so far this year are to Baltimore, Cleveland and San Diego, not an impressive win in the bunch and they lost to Chicago this year. How are they trash? Any team that manages to lose Da Stinking Bears this year is the definition of trash. Oakland will be lucky to finish 6-10 looking at the rest of their schedule.

So when the Broncos lose in Chicago this year, are they the definition of trash? Because they aren't beating the Bears in Chicago, not with Peyton. I guarantee it.

Teams lose games they shouldn't all the time and the Raiders were on the road and lost by 2 points to a team with a solid offense. Bears aren't even that bad - very good coaching staff. The Raiders might not be great, but they aren't trash either. They are an average, young team.

If the Broncos lose to Chicago I'll believe that, but until then I don't see nearly the losses you see for Denver. Chicago's "solid" offense with Jay Cutler might not even score a point against Denver's defense. And an average young team doesn't break .500 until they become an experienced average team. Like I said, Oakland will be 5-11 or 6-10 by the end of the year.

[Messiah]

Peyton's arm in Chicago weather LOL.

[Everlong]

The Raiders are 100 percent not trash at all. They're very close to being a 5-1 football team. And I get sick of hearing how teams "haven't beat anyone." Every win in the NFL is a quality win, when you consider how often we see upsets all the time. They're 3-3 and better than at least a dozen other teams. Nowhere near "trash."

I also think there's no way the Broncos miss the playoffs, although it wouldn't be the first time they've started 6-0 and missed out. That defense is just way too good, and we've seen defenses of similar quality carry worse offenses to the playoffs, even in cases where the team DIDN'T start 6-0.

I do think the Broncos go one and done this year, but I'd say the chances are less than five percent that they miss out on the playoffs entirely.

Oakland will be 5-11 or 6-10 by the end of the year.

I'd take that bet.

[The Legend]

The Raiders are 100 percent not trash at all. They're very close to being a 5-1 football team. And I get sick of hearing how teams "haven't beat anyone." Every win in the NFL is a quality win, when you consider how often we see upsets all the time. They're 3-3 and better than at least a dozen other teams. Nowhere near "trash."

I also think there's no way the Broncos miss the playoffs, although it wouldn't be the first time they've started 6-0 and missed out. That defense is just way too good, and we've seen defenses of similar quality carry worse offenses to the playoffs, even in cases where the team DIDN'T start 6-0.

I do think the Broncos go one and done this year, but I'd say the chances are less than five percent that they miss out on the playoffs entirely.

Oakland will be 5-11 or 6-10 by the end of the year.

I'd take that bet.

I'll acknowledge that my use of the term trash was hyperbole, I was just trying to find a word to describe the separation I still see between where the Broncos are now and where the Raiders as a developing team are at now, despite where they hope to be and may actually be in a couple years as they develop. Teams that rely almost solely on rookies and second year players like the Raiders are doing right now eventually will slip up as those players learn how to win in the NFL. Oakland could be a future playoff team in the NFL and could own the AFC West in a couple years, but that's still a couple years away.

[Everlong]

Teams that rely almost solely on rookies and second year players like the Raiders are doing right now eventually will slip up as those players learn how to win in the NFL. Oakland could be a future playoff team in the NFL and could own the AFC West in a couple years, but that's still a couple years away.

Ok yeah, I can agree with this mostly. I think they're probably a year out from being a wild card, two years from being division champs (although who knows what happens with Denver next year). The Raiders probably don't have quite enough to compete with the big boys, but they're certainly a team on the rise right now.

Which is good because honestly football is better when the Raiders are good. Such a fun franchise.

[Messiah]

Damn.

I shouldn't have went away from my, "the most physical, big boy teams have the most success long-term," ideology. If Peyton can continue to play reasonably well and not turn the ball over like he's done in the games prior, then this Broncos team might make me look smart with my Super Bowl prediction for them before the season. They flat-out bodied and embarrassed the Packers last night. Packers offense continues to struggle this year against defenses that get after them hard, they seem to rely too much on the downfield passing game which isn't the same without Jordy Nelson.

[Messiah]

Yea... Peyton is trash.