Grading the Week: Thank you, NFL, for giving us one more week of this mediocre Broncos mess

The aphorist who coined the operation “misery loves company” apt ne'er conceived of the 2021 Broncos.

As each the bare seats that accompanied games astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High this autumn tin attest, it’s champion that immoderate miserable things conscionable spell away.

While shot purists mightiness find poesy successful a 17-play thrust to nowhere, each the Grading the Week unit recovered were yawns. And unluckily for us, the NFL gave america 1 much week to portion successful the mediocrity.

Broncos’ 17th crippled — D-

Generally speaking, you won’t get a batch of complaints from america astir getting to ticker much football. But of each the years for a Broncos play to beryllium extended an other week, did the NFL truly person to prime this one?

Even worse, did they person to flex this agony into a nationally televised model for each to see? Against the Kansas City Chiefs, of each teams?

Call america crazy, but it definite feels similar this could’ve each been wrapped up successful 16 games.

Sure, determination are inactive much than a twelve teams competing for playoff berths oregon seeding going into this weekend. But that has much to bash with the other playoff spot the NFL introduced past play than the information a 17th crippled was added to the schedule.

If increasing tv gross is the crushed for this nonsense — and here’s guessing it is — couldn’t the NFL person simply extended the regular play by giving each squad a 2nd bye?

That would’ve killed 2 birds with 1 stone: 1.) The league’s tv partners get the other play of games to merchantability to advertisers, and 2.) Already-taxed rosters get an further week to recuperate amid the regular-season grind portion besides avoiding the accrued wounded hazard that comes with a 17th game.

One request lone look astatine the Broncos’ existent starting roster to recognize however existent the second occupation is.

Among the players missing: Week 1 starters astatine backmost (Teddy Bridgewater), near defender (Dalton Risner), close defender (Graham Glasgow), receiver (KJ Hamler), some wrong linebacker spots (Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell), beardown information (Kareem Jackson) and cornerback (Ronald Darby).

And that doesn’t adjacent see rookie cornerback Pat Surtain II, who started each week but the archetypal for Denver but volition besides beryllium retired Saturday’s finale owed to injury.

A squad whose astir vociferous statement centered astir whether Teddy Bridgewater oregon Drew Lock was the amended enactment astatine backmost is hobbling into 1 past meaningless game.

If Broncos Country couldn’t muster capable vigor to attraction erstwhile their squad was battling for a playoff spot, we tin lone ideate what the turnout volition beryllium similar Saturday afternoon.

Nathan MacKinnon — A

Only a fewer weeks ago, the Grading the Week unit wondered whether the Avalanche superstar guardant was a luxury point for a squad loaded with violative punch.

Fast guardant to this week, and MacK is inactive struggling to people goals (three truthful acold this season), but is dealing retired assists similar he’s Nikola Jokic connected skates.

On Thursday night, helium notched 4 assists and 1 extremity successful a 7-1 shellacking of the Winnipeg Jets. He present has 29 assists for the play (tied for 5th successful the NHL), contempt appearing successful conscionable 20 games.

Now we’re near to wonderment conscionable however unsafe this Colorado discourtesy — already averaging a league-best 4.30 goals per crippled — mightiness beryllium erstwhile helium starts uncovering the backmost of the net.