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For Denver Broncos, 0-2 starts have been deadly

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For Denver Broncos, 0-2 starts have been deadly


DENVER — Friday, I dove into the numbers behind 0-2 starts in which both defeats come at home.

Fifty-one teams in the Super Bowl era started their seasons that way. Just two rebounded to make the postseason.

So, if the Denver Broncos can’t rebound with a win over Washington on Sunday, they’re in a bad spot to achieve their goal of returning to the postseason for the first time since the 2015 season — independent of the quality of teams remaining on the slate, which appears to be substantial.

But in Broncos history, 0-2 — regardless of where the losses come — has been a spot from which they’ve struggled to recover. And that’s where this edition of Three Numbers begins.

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9

Number of times the Denver Broncos have started 0-2 … and in each of those seasons, they finished below .500.

Such starts were commonplace in the 1960s. Denver opened 0-2 in five of six seasons from 1963-68. After that, the Broncos didn’t start 0-2 until 1994, doing so again in 1999. The team didn’t open 0-2 again until 2019, then matched that in 2020.

The Broncos lost an average of 10 games per season — and in five of those previous nine years, the regular season lasted just 14 games.

Denver’s collective record in nine seasons with 0-2 starts was 42-90-2. That’s a .321 winning percentage which translates to 5.45 wins over a 17-game season. Twice — in 1994 and 2019 — the Broncos managed to rally to finish 7-9. In both of those seasons, the Broncos fell to 0-4 before putting the pieces back together. That, however, is the best they’ve done after 0-2.

But there is reason to believe the Broncos won’t start 0-2 … and it rests in the chance to discombobulate a young quarterback making the first road start of his carer.

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5-2

The Broncos’ record since 2017 when facing a team led by a quarterback making one of the first four starts of his career. That’s not extremely notable — except when contrasted with the club’s 30-62 ledger in all other games during that span.

Washington’s Sam Howell will make his third career start Sunday — but his first start away from home.

The Broncos have won four consecutive games against quarterbacks making one of their first six career starts. Their last defeat in that scenario came in Week 3 of the 2019 season, when Jacksonville’s Gardner Minshew led the Jaguars to a 26-24 win in Denver that dropped the Broncos to 0-4.

4-22

That is Washington’s record when trailing by at least four points at halftime during the Rivera era. Meanwhile, the Football Team/Commanders are 12-2 when leading by four or more points at intermission, with a 7-4-1 record when the halftime margin is three or fewer points in either direction.

Get ’em behind by more than a field goal at the break, and they’re unlikely to rally. That also dovetails with the historic performance of Sean Payton-led teams when leading at halftime by more than a field goal; his teams win 91.7 percent of the time in that scenario, with a 111-10 mark.

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Denver, CO

Denver area events for Nov. 25: Pop-up holiday lounge at Union Station and more

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Denver area events for Nov. 25: Pop-up holiday lounge at Union Station and more


If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Monday

Sipping N’ Painting Hampden — “Alaska Night,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sipping N’ Painting Hampden, 6461 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, $35. Registration required: sippingnpaintinghampden.com.

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Brazilian Zouk Classes and Social Dance — 7-11:30 p.m., Mercury Café, 2199 California St., Denver, $20 class and social, $15 social only; mercurycafe.com.

Cloud Nothings — With Armlock, Famers Wife, 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $25. Tickets: axs.com.

Mile High Holidays Drone Show — 7 p.m. through Dec. 31, Denver skies; denver.org/milehighholidays.

“American Dreams” Exhibit — Through Dec. 31, Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: mollybrown.org.

“Shadow and Light: Patrick Marold” — Through Jan. 5, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, go online for prices; botanicgardens.org.

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“Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco” — Through Jan. 12, Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St., Denver. Go online for prices. Tickets: kirklandmuseum.org.

“Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits” — Through May 11, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.

Monday-Dec. 28

Miracle at Union Station: Buddy’s Bar — Pop-up cocktail lounge featuring holiday décor, cocktails and a designated Hanukkah table, 4-p.m.-midnight, Galley Bar on lower level, Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver. Reservations: denverunionstation.com.

Monday-Dec. 30

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Free Downtown Trolley Rides — See the downtown Castle Rock decorations, 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, no rides Dec. 24, pickup/drop-off points Encore Garage Entrance on South Street between Wilcox and Perry Street and Douglas County School District Parking Lot Entrance on 6th Street Wilcox and Perry Street, Castle Rock; crgov.com/2622/season-of-the-star.

CARLOTTA OLSON, The Denver Gazette



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PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12

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PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12




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Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise

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Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise


On Sunday, fans will be treated to a head-to-head contest between two rapidly emerging offensive powerhouses, both of whom are bonafide Rookie of the Year contenders. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers found new homes with consecutive picks during last April’s NFL draft, and since then, they’ve performed exceptionally well in the pro ranks.

Nix is firmly on the radar of Raiders head coach Antonio Piece, but that’s even more true after yet another award-winning performance last week.

“He was a winner as a freshman. He was a winner as a six-year player,” Pierce noted of Nix. “All he does is win, come in the league. Won the quarterback battle there in Denver. Maybe they were keeping them tight on the leash early on, and now they’re not. He has full control that offense. You can see that Sean Payton gives him opportunities to audible and make some adjustments. He’s making throws, he’s running with his legs, he’s taking care of the football, and he’s winning. That’s all you can ask for from a rookie.”

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Nix presents a clear and present danger to the Raiders’ chances of squeezing out what would be only their third win of their massively disappointing season. Stopping the impressive rookie is proving to be another matter entirely for NFL defenses, especially one with a badly beaten-up roster like the Raiders.

“This is crazy,” Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo said via ESPN‘s Paul Gutierrez. “I’ve never seen this amount of injuries on any team I’ve been on.”

This week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has pumped the brakes a little on the burgeoning hype exploding around Nix. That being said, you get the distinct feeling that Payton is more than comfortable unleashing Nix’s full array of talents at his disposal. Confidence is growing in Nix, and that’s been reflected in how Payton has opened up the playbook for his first-year signal-caller.

The juices are flowing, and Payton may have found an answer in dynamic second-year receiver Marvin Mims Jr. The mystical “joker” role within the Broncos offense seems to have been filled.

“I think we always gotta be saying, ‘Hey, are we doing everything we can to highlight his strengths?’ And so, yeah, I don’t know if he’s got the ‘joker’ tattoo, but he might be invited to the club,” Payton said via Andrew Mason.

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When push comes to shove, if Nix plays lights out again, an easy win might come Denver’s way, but stopping Bowers would also ensure the victory and help in the race for Rookie of the Year honors. Payton is already on high alert, but it was also tinged with a bit of football envy when he illustrated Bowers’ “joker” abilities.

“Someone had a really good vision for him and you see all the ‘Joker’ traits, means and change of direction,” Payton said of Bowers. “It can’t be a little. It’s a high-end receiving trait and he can move, he can be outside and he can run a route tree maybe different than most tight ends.” 

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