NFL Standings: 5 Reasons The Denver Broncos Are in Trouble

After a 4-0 start, the defending Super Bowl champions are in a little slump. The Denver Broncos have lost three of their last five games, and a loss on Monday Night Football places them in third in the AFC West.

Here are five reasons why the Broncos may be in some trouble going forward.

1. Tough Division

The AFC West has been an extremely competitive division this year. The Kansas City Chiefs are 6-2 and 4-0 at home this season. Andy Reid’s squad has also won 16 of their last 18 regular season games. The Oakland Raiders are finally playing good football as they sit atop the division. The bottom line is the Broncos aren’t going to have it easy this year. That’s not to say the Broncos can’t win it all again, but they’ve got tough competition.

2. Trevor Siemian Looking Human

For the record, Trevor Siemian has played very well considering this is his very first year as a starter. Unfortunately, he’s starting to fall back down to Earth. Siemian’s passer rating in the first four games was a 99.6 with six touchdowns and three interceptions. In his last four games his passer rating is a modest 77.2 with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Part of the reason for this is because the Broncos are getting such little production from their tight ends. It’s also worth noting that his completion percentage has dropped 13 percent over the last four games.

3. Can’t Stop the Run

When you think of the Broncos, defense is the first thing that comes to mind. The Broncos have the No. 1 ranked pass defense and the No. 4 ranked overall defensive unit, but for some reason this year they can’t stop the run. Last season Von Miller’s defense ranked third overall. This year? A stunning 29th. What happened? The Oakland Raiders ran for 218 yards last game against the Broncos, and as we all know, that eats up the time of possession battle.

4. The Schedule

There’s still plenty of time left for the Broncos to right the wrong, but it won’t be easy. They have four road games and three home games remaining. Of those three home games, the Broncos have to play the New England Patriots, Chiefs and Raiders. The Broncos three home opponents left have a combined record of 20-5. The only easy game remaining for the Broncos appears to be against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13.

5. Lack of Running Game

This is a recipe for disaster. Not only are the Broncos failing to stop the run, but they haven’t been able to establish a ground game either. So far this season, the Broncos rank 23^rd in rushing yards as a team. C.J. Anderson is on injured reserve, and the Broncos clearly don’t have a No. 1 back to hand the ball off to with much confidence. The Broncos have failed to hit the 100-yard rushing mark in six of their last seven games including just 90 total rushing yards in their last two games combined.