Paul Klee: The haters were right, and Broncos' problems against good teams like the Ravens aren't only about the quarterback

Oct. 3—DENVER — The Broncos will lose like this again. They will lose against the Chiefs (duh), Chargers, Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, maybe a couple others. You know, the good teams.

Because this is what the Broncos are, and if you're willing to acknowledge the fact it's been a half-decade since the Broncos were one of the good teams, there's nothing surprising about it:

Ravens 23, Broncos 7. Denver was not exposed Sunday so much as it was served a reminder.

See, while we were busy whining and moaning about a dysfunctional quarterback situation (guilty), a bunch of Broncos who were big parts of the losing were paid like Big Pharma execs.

Justin Simmons was guaranteed $35 million, and CBS analyst James Lofton circled him on the telestrator as a defender who blew his assignment on another Ravens big play. They brought back Kareem Jackson and Shelby Harris and Bryce Callahan, and the Ravens messed around and racked up 406 yards on offense. Garett Bolles was guaranteed $38 million, and here's how the left tackle left Empower Field at Mile High after quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was knocked out of the game in the second quarter due to a concussion scare: "I'm really angry at myself."

"I love Teddy dearly," Bolles said. "I hope it's not too bad."

Samesies.

Vic Fangio said "we'll see" if Bridgewater returns next week against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, or if Drew Lock is the starter and we're all treated to a replay of the 2020 season all over again.

Locktober is not a month in which Broncos Country wants to live. Locktober is Avs and Nuggets season.

"We weren't getting it going with Teddy, either," Fangio admitted.

Thing is, this wasn't about losing Bridgewater (who passed for 65 yards in most of a half), or about Lock (put in a tough spot and sounds like he's still ticked at being demoted to backup), or Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (a cyborg designed by a mad scientist who should be the MVP frontrunner again). The Broncos crumpling like a Coors can against the first good team on the schedule was a reminder the veterans on the roster haven't been good enough, either. This wasn't about the quarterback. Ask Fangio.

"I think it's more of a collective thing offensively more than a quarterback thing," he said.

The Broncos still can win 10 games and be a playoff team. Absolutely, no doubt about it. The NFL still added an extra Wild Card slot to go along with its extra (17th) game, and the Broncos still have a last-place schedule on a silver platter.

But this right here is the most expensive defense in the NFL, and it didn't force a turnover Sunday. Blame the missing pieces on defense or offense — Bradley Chubb, Graham Glasgow, Dalton Risner, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, all the rest — but the Ravens have 16 players on injured reserve. No NFL team has more than 16 players on IR, and the Ravens cruised along.

The Broncos had more punts (10) than points (7). Not naming any names, but I know a fly fisherman who's had days when he stabbed more streamer hooks through his hand than trout landed. But fishing's still fun. Not being competitive against the Ravens wasn't fun. It was a reminder.

"Sometimes you're a product of your schedule," CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said at halftime.

Boomer's right. The haters were right. The Broncos feasted on the Giants, Jags, Jets and their combined record of 2-10, and when they were assigned to pick on somebody their own size, the game clock struck midnight. Ding, dong. That's the sound of the Broncos hitting their head on their ceiling, against good teams.

"They basically had their way today," Von Miller said of the Ravens.

I picked the Broncos to beat the Ravens.

No idea what I was thinking. Consider this an apology. I was also wrong about Teddy Bridgewater, who's been mostly awesome and gives the Broncos their only chance to make the playoffs. Hope he's back vs. the Steelers. These Broncos can win in Pittsburgh, but only with Teddy. I was also wrong about Von, who looks like Super Bowl 50 Von despite a leg cramp Sunday.

"I'm too old to be getting cramps," Miller said.

But why I picked the veteran Ravens to beat the veteran Broncos when the veteran Ravens are the veterans who win? No idea. The Ravens are a machine. John Harbaugh averaged nine wins and won a Super Bowl with Joe Flacco, now they've won 14 and 11 games (plus a current 3-1 record) with Superman, Lamar Jackson. Can't get enough of that guy. He makes a really hard game look like he's playing keepaway.

"It will be refreshing to play normal football again," Von said.

The silver lining so far has been the talent evaluation of new GM George Paton. These young fellas can go. Javonte Williams, the rookie, was hit by six Ravens defenders and carried two of them for a 39-yard charge. Caden Sterns, another rookie, had two sacks and deserved the postgame podium over Simmons. You know about Patrick Surtain II. Total stud.

Who among the highly paid vets earned their enormous paychecks in Ravens 23, Broncos 7? It wasn't the expensive safeties who got spun around by Marquise "Hollywood" Brown on a 49-yard touchdown catch. It wasn't the offense that gave up five sacks and 11 quarterback hits.

"We'll see them again," Miller said.

Possible, and I'll pick different. In Baltimore you get what you pay for. In Denver you haven't.