Tension is rising in the Mile High city and understandably so. After starting the season 2-0, the Broncos continued a worrisome trend by dropping their third consecutive contest. The defense in particular lacked execution as rookie Sam Darnold torched the Broncos secondary for three touchdowns of 20+ yards. Denver’s run defense was equally as troubling, as they were mauled on the ground to the tune of 323 rush yards by the New York Jets
A key cog in past great Broncos’ defenses, defensive lineman Derek Wolfe has lost patience given the status of their recent play.
“And it’s sad because we got fans behind our bench talking s–t, talking about how we don’t play with heart and don’t play as hard as we can,” Wolfe said. “We’re playing a hard as we can every single snap. This is our livelihood. We’re playing for our life out there. Playing for my family, playing for my wife, Playing for my brothers beside me. So for someone to say we’re not playing with heart, it’s bulls–t.”
Things are trending poorly for Head Coach Vance Joseph, who has come under fire in what is only his second year on the job. Wolfe also appeared to have taken a veiled shot at the team’s coaching.
“Same s— every week. I’m tired of talking about the same s— the last two years,” Wolfe complained, according to The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. Jhabvala also reports Wolfe said “something deeper is going on here.”
It should not be lost on anyone the role General Manager John Elway has played in the demise of the Super 50 champs. A lackluster draft track record, combined with a less than stellar approach to filling the void left by Peyton Manning’s retirement, has led to Denver’s 3-year playoff drought. Next up for Denver is a home tilt with the undefeated Los Angeles Rams.