Reid Fischer's World of Rants

The Broncos defense has obviously struggled this season, and their struggles will certainly continue with the news that Champ Bailey could be out at least a month with a torn groin.  Bailey is nothing short of the best cornerback in the game, and even though he has only one pick so far this season, keep in mind that teams refuse to throw at him because he’s so good.  Case in point, Bailey completely shut down Randy Moss for a quarter and a half last night, but as soon as Champ left the game, the Patriots were able to get Moss the ball and he was able to score two touchdowns.  Make so mistake about it, the Broncos’ biggest defensive weakness may still be an inability to stop the run, but Bailey’s absence will not do anyone on that side of the ball any favors.  

The Broncos really find themselves at a crossroads in more ways than one during this bye week.  Yes, they will get their injured players back on offense, including tailback Ryan Torain, who is expected to make a big impact after he dominated camp.  That being said, the Broncos will not be able to replace Bailey in the secondary easily, if at all.  If we’re going off a 4-6 week timeline, Bailey will at minimum not return until Nov. 23 against the Raiders, and could well be out until Dec. 7 against the Chiefs and maybe even beyond.  The Broncos in many ways find themselves fortunate they aren’t going against many of the top passing attacks in the league during that stretch, but defending Braylon Edwards in Cleveland week 10 is a big concern now, as is facing the Falcons and their surprising rookie quarterback Matt Ryan in the Georgia Dome the next week.  Injuries are definitely part of the game, but the Broncos are now facing a challenge in the coming weeks that they weren’t counting on in any way.  None of this seemed possible when the Broncos raced out to a 3-0 start, but now Denver has lost three of its past four games and the prevailing feeling within the organization and the fan base is disappointment, not of excitement for what lies beyond.  One thing is for sure, if the Broncos do manage to return to the playoffs this year, they will have definitely earned it.