Most weeks, the best result for a Broncos fan would be if every other team from the AFC West were to lose and Denver to grab a win. In Week 11, almost the opposite was true in one of the weirdest weeks to be a football fan from the Mile High City.

As the Broncos lined up to face their most competitive division rival in the San Diego Chargers, both teams were tied atop the West and the contest was set up as the biggest game of the season for either squad.

What resulted though, was a dysfunctional and distraught Denver team getting drubbed by the new leader of the division—the Chargers.

 

Chris Simms started at QB but was completely ineffective in the game. He went 2-4 for 10 yards and fumbled momentum away on the first drive of the game after seven straight successful running plays in a row.

After Simms’s third unsuccessful drive in a row, he was benched in favor of the injured Kyle Orton. Apparently Orton felt good enough to go in the second quarter, but not to start the game. Regardless, Orton did not hear a boo today, as New Mile High Stadium erupted in a cheer of excitement for the quarterback that was unwanted until he was injured last week.

Orton marched down the field, 60 yards with three passes, but the Broncos were again halted by a turnover, this time by Knowshon Moreno on the six-inch line. And although Denver was down, they were not out at 13-0 going into the half.

The Broncos finally came up with some momentum to start the third quarter but were held to a field goal. Then, something completely unexpected happened—Josh McDaniels had a momentary lapse in reason.

He decided a surprise onside kick was in order, and it even almost worked until Josh Barrett alligator armed the ball and let it slip through his mitts. The Chargers jumped on the loose pigskin and had less than half the field to go to score the touchdown that put them up three scores with less than 22 minutes left in the game.

It turned out it didn’t matter, because the Broncos couldn’t even score again, and the Chargers poured it on for 12 more points to win 32-3.

 

In all, the Broncos offense lacked balance, made the switch to Orton too late and left him in too late, and McDaniels took way too many risks too early.

Denver ran only 17 times all day, compared to 33 pass attempts, meaning they ran only 10 times after Simms fumble in the first drive of the game. While Orton can pass decently enough, constant passing gives the defense a better chance at stopping throws. And the Broncos averaged over 6.8 yards per rush, showing they should have stayed with a more balanced attack.

Even though Kyle Orton gave the Denver team and crowd a shot in the arm, he was put in too late in the contest to really make a difference. If you’re going to put an injured quarterback in, let him start and give him the chance to win the game. McDaniels must have felt the Broncos needed to abandon the game plan completely, even though they were only down two scores, and Orton passed over and over again.

And if Orton was really too injured to start, he should not have been behind center to finish the game—especially with the Broncos next game in four days against the Giants on Thanksgiving.

To go along with McDaniels mistakes in play-calling, he further looked like a rookie head coach by gambling too early and too often on Sunday. First, McDaniels missed on the onside attempt, then, on the Broncos’ next drive, he went for a 4th-and-5, which came up incomplete.

Sure, the field goal would have been from 57 yards, but kicker Matt Prater has a big enough leg and Denver needed points not more disappointment.

In the end, teams are 29-0 this season when they are on the positive side of a 3-0 turnover differential and coughing the ball up took away Denver’s chance of winning Sunday. But besides those miscues, the Broncos also committed nine penalties and the coaching staff was a complete no-show against the Chargers in a midseason playoff game.

 

And now, as Denver was sitting atop the AFC five weeks ago, the Broncos have slipped to seventh and out of the playoffs if they were to begin today.

Luckily for Denver, both the Chiefs and Raiders won Sunday against current AFC playoff teams. Oakland beat Cincinnati, meaning the Bengals are only one game ahead of the Broncos and Denver would have the head-to-head tiebreaker. And since Kansas City defeated Pittsburgh in overtime 27-24, the Broncos are tied with the Jaguars and Steelers at 6-4.

Denver would have to leap-frog Pittsburgh in the standings though, since the Steelers beat the Broncos two weeks ago.

So, things could be worse for Denver heading into a very short week in which they face the also 6-4 New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day.

Let’s face it; Kyle Orton must play on Thursday for two reasons. First, he has to save face with the fans and gut out a performance despite being hurt. And second, the Broncos have seemingly no chance if Simms has to go the whole game.

At some point, the struggling Broncos have to catch a break, or they will be broken.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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