Broncos, Russell Wilson Steering a 'Sinking Ship', per NFL.com

The Denver Broncos are on the brink of being a bottom-five NFL team.

Another week and another disappointing Denver Broncos loss. It's no longer heartbreaking but expected. 

This Broncos team has no identity other than incompetence, and that's usually the New York Jets’ trademark, but Nathaniel Hackett flipped that script. When it comes to NFL.com's Week 8 power rankings, Denver plummeted and has a clear view of the bottom. 

What verbal thrashing does Dan Hanzus have in store for the Orange and Blue this week? Let's review.

Denver Broncos Rank: 27

“Different quarterback, same results. The Broncos find their season slipping away because an elite defense is being let down every week by an unimaginative offense and subpar quarterback play. Brett Rypien -- making the start against the Jets after Russell Wilson was scratched with a partially torn hamstring -- averaged fewer than 5 yards per attempt on 46 throws and was unable to lead Denver on a touchdown drive despite New York's own sputtering attack providing numerous opportunities. If there’s any good news for the rest of us, Rypien’s pedestrian effort will spare everyone talk of a quarterback controversy in Denver. This is Wilson’s ship, sinking though it may be.”

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An elite defense, an unimaginative offense, and the season slipping away. It's the same broken record for seven long years. 

Rypien, just like Wilson, couldn’t spark this offense, but can you blame him when he's dropping back 46 times to pass? Hackett continues to make head-scratching — no, boneheaded — decisions, with questionable game-planning, and play-calling. 

After one touchdown drive, Hackett seemingly starts packing up to beat traffic. Leave the wide receiver screens in the dumpster from whence they came because it consistently leads to third-and-long yardage. Running the ball in short-yardage situations is a foreign concept to these Broncos. 

One yard to go, and you want to put it in your inexperienced backup quarterback's hands instead of just handing it off? Fans want Hackett to stop trying to big-brain everyone because he seems to be the only one getting schooled. 

Broncos Country has been put through the wringer this season from playoff dreams to bottom-five nightmares. Denver flies across the pond this week to take on the sputtering Jacksonville Jaguars squad that has created a second home in London over the years. 

Another loss could end the Hackett era in Denver, which would be for the best. Hanzus calls it a sinking ship, but it's more of a never-ending free fall. 

Remove the broken record from the player, put it back in the sleeve, and shelve it because Broncos Country doesn't want to hear Tom Petty anymore.

And I'm free... 

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