2017 Broncos' Season, Week 12

In the "Shawshank Redemption," one of the best movies ever made, Red offers words of wisdom about the nature of Hope. He says, “Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” I think that's something Broncos have have had to internalize about this 2017 NFL Season.

Week 12: Oakland Raiders 21, Denver Broncos 14
Season Record: 3-8 (3-3 Home)
Key Play: In the fourth quarter, with just over two minutes remaining and the score 21-14, the Raiders faced a third and eight deep in their own territory. On an all out blitz, Derek Carr connected with Cordarelle Patterson on a 54-yard strike that salted the game away.

Recap: Boy, that was rough. It was a day filled with promise that quickly turned sour. Then the Broncos sparked some hope in the fourth quarter, only to dash it away in brutal fashion. As Red said above, "Hope can be a dangerous thing." And after Sunday, I think I might be all hoped out for the 2017 Broncos' season. It was a brutal game. We began the day excited to get a look at Paxton Lynch, to see if he was the future. And for one bright, shinning moment in the second quarter, it looked like he might be OK. He connected with Devontae Booker on a 20-yard wheel route for a touchdown that would have put the Broncos up 7-0. But a review declared that the play ended up just short, on the one-yard line, and the Broncos instead had first and goal. And two plays later, Lynch threw an interception in the end zone. It was all over from there. The Raiders went down and scored, then scored again to make it 14-0 at the half. It was 21-0 late in the third quarter when Lynch went down with an injury, again. He finished the day 9-for-14 for 41 yards and an interception, having been sacked four times. He also carried twice for 20 yards. Then Trevor Siemian came in. After a terrible opening series, he led the Broncos on two long TD drives to make it 21-14 with 2:39 left in the game. Hope returned. The Broncos had two time outs and the two minute warning, and seemed like they had a shot to try and tie it. Then, on a third and long with time running out, they allowed that Patterson grab for 54 yards and it was over. The game. Our season. Any sense of hope. Gone, just like that. Hope can be a dangerous thing. I had hope twice yesterday, and both times it was snatched away. Now it really is all about 2018. Whether it's Siemian, Brock Osweiler or Lynch starting in Miami (it should be Siemian if Lynch is really hurt, which he seems to be), it doesn't matter. Our chance of success this season is over. All we can hope for is a good draft pick and that we don't have to sacrifice many defensive stars as we start over.

Game Balls:
* Shaq Barrett. Barrett had a great sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery Sunday. It was nearly a turning point in the game. And, sadly, Barrett is likely one of those key players we'll lose this off-season.
* Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler. The receivers looked good with Siemian in the fourth quarter. Latimer caught three passes for 48 yards and a TD, while Fowler grabbed three for 33 yards and the other TD.

Lingering Questions:
* Who starts at QB. Assuming Lynch is injured, which seems likely, it comes down to Osweiler or Siemian. Siemian gives us the best chance to win. Is that what we want? Can we just start Jordan Taylor and call it a game?
* A look at the future. The worst part of Sunday was many of our young players were inactive. It's time to get a look at the future, and that means playing our rookies and young guys and seeing what we've got for the future.