Broncos Already Slim Super Bowl Odds All But Gone After Loss to 49ers

• Broncos Super Bowl odds collapse after Week 14 loss
• In wide-open AFC, Denver might not have enough roster talent
• Are they still worthy as a long shot wager?

After 13 weeks of NFL play, the Broncos were tabbed by many pundits as the dark horse of the AFC.

In a muddled AFC playoff picture, Denver was 6-6, with a reasonably light slate of opponents heading into Week 14.

The excitement at dropping a friendly wager at +7300 (average odds) was the Broncos’ recipe to succeed deep in the postseason: a stout running game, and a defense that could pressure the QB.

GEORGE KITTLE JUST WENT 85 YARDS! ?

?: CBS #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/C2FhgyOi5W

— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2018

Now pack all that into a cannon, and shoot it into orbit, because George Kittle and the lowly 49ers, with just two wins all season, turned those aspirations into dust.

You’re going to need one of those outer space telescopes to find the Broncos’ Super Bowl odds now.

Super Bowl 53 Odds for AFC Teams

*Follow the link in the table to see odds for all teams

Denver’s injury woes too much to overcome

Red flags abounded everywhere heading into this week, as the Broncos were decimated in less than seven days. It started last week in their 24-10 win over the Bengals.

Chris Harris, Jr. Carted Off Field With Leg Injury https://t.co/opXoN3Voun pic.twitter.com/TRtWl3PkfS

— CBSColorado (@CBSNewsColorado) December 2, 2018

Losing the anchor of your defensive backfield, and a legitimate Pro Bowl cover guy is bad enough, but then, in preparation for the 49ers, news came out of Denver and things were just about to get worse.

From @NFLTotalAccess: The #Broncos lost their top WR Emmanuel Sanders to a torn Achilles and claimed Andre Holmes during a difficult day. pic.twitter.com/YFBgTl3316

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2018

To say that Denver was paper thin at receiver would be an insult to thin paper.

After dealing longtime starter Demaryius Thomas to the Texans, Sanders assumed the go-to receiver duties, while young pups like Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, and Tim Patrick would follow under his guidance.

Now? Sutton is the active leader in receptions on the team, with 30. With Hamilton and Patrick’s breakout games last week (seven receptions each), the trio is still 18 receptions shy of Sanders’ 71 on the year.

The #Broncos are still alive after DaeSean Hamilton comes through on the biggest drive of his young career. pic.twitter.com/XpWwOW1TY6

— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) December 10, 2018

It’s no wonder they were only able to muster 14 points on offense in the loss to San Francisco.

With no playmaker outside to loosen up the defense, rookies Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman were held to just 66 yards on 20 totes combined. Quarterback Case Keenum was also limited to just 186 yards passing.

Bradley Chubb is scary good pic.twitter.com/a3npv6wDpG

— Denver Broncos 365 (@DailyBroncos) December 9, 2018

Defensively, the ripple effect of losing Harris was that the Broncos’ secondary would be susceptible to attack if the pass rush didn’t get home.

And even with three sacks combined from Bradley Chubb and Von Miller, it still wasn’t enough to curb the onslaught.

Denver has been blessed with a tremendous rookie draft class, but even with the breakout performances of Lindsay and Chubb, with Sutton and Freeman making positive contributions, there is a clear talent deficiency on the roster.

Are the Broncos Worth a Long Shot Bet?

At this point, it’s going to take a myriad of factors for the Broncos to even make it to the playoffs. At 6-7, they are chasing a batch of four 7-6 teams (Colts, Ravens, Dolphins and Titans).

Running the table is a must, though we’ve already mentioned why it won’t be a cake walk, even if it includes the Browns, Raiders and the Chargers – in a game that might not even mean anything for LA.

There are better long shot bets to be made than this one. The Broncos are done.