Tag Archives: NFL

Is Case Keenum a One-Hit Wonder?

Posted on by

A lot has been made of the Broncos’ acquisition of quarterback Case Keenum. Does it represent a sizable upgrade over the three different starters that Denver trotted out last year? Or was it the offensive skill players and top-ranked defense that made the Vikings so successful in 2017, and Keenum was just along for the ride? The Broncos’ ability to rebound from their disastrous 5-11 season likely hinges on the answer.

The good news is that I’m not too concerned whether or not the Broncos will be better off with Keenum this season, and you shouldn’t be either. My cat would probably be an upgrade over Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch. The real question is did Case Keenum actually emerge in 2017 as a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL, or was his performance just an aberration? Will the real Case Keenum please stand up?

Alright, that was more than just one question, but you get it. I’d normally say that if your first good season as a professional quarterback doesn’t come until you’ve been doing it for six years, there should rightfully be some skepticism over whether or not it was a fluke. Of course, it isn’t always a one-off performance. Sometimes you have a case like Steve Young…

  • Started in the USFL
  • Had a failed stint as Tampa Bay’s starter
  • Was traded to the 49ers as Joe Montana’s backup, where he didn’t become the starter and post a quality season until his eighth year as a pro

…or like Kurt Warner…

  • Undrafted by the NFL and got a job bagging groceries
  • Moved on to the Arena League and made a name for himself
  • Was then signed by the Rams, but the Greatest Show on Turf didn’t arrive until Warner’s sixth year as a pro quarterback

…but those are few and far between. Then there’s a guy like Nick Foles, who everyone thought was a one-year wonder until he was hoisting the Lombardi Trophy just five months ago, and he was in the same draft class as Keenum.

All of that is fairly inconsequential, of course, because we’re talking about Keenum’s career and his current situation. I’m sure many English majors have gone on to be successful writers after not doing anything with their degree for a few years, but I can’t sit here and say, “Well, it worked out for those guys, so I’m just going to eat Pringles on my couch and wait for someone to recognize my talent.” The point is that just because Keenum hasn’t been a good quarterback since he first stepped onto an NFL field, that doesn’t mean that his accomplishments are fleeting and that there aren’t more on the way. It also doesn’t guarantee that he’s following in the footsteps of Young and Warner.

Which is why I’ve decided to take an in-depth look at Keenum’s football career. Not just his stats or performance, mind you, but also the quality of his team and the presence of any factors that might have hindered his opportunity to win games. That will hopefully shed some light on what we can expect from Keenum’s first season with the Broncos. There may even be more self-deprecation, as I continuously remind myself that I have a useless degree and that I need to write a whole hell of a lot more than I currently do if I ever want to make it my profession. See, we’re off to a rousing start!

Continue reading →

Pegboards’ Sixth Annual NFL Mock Draft

Posted on by

Hello and welcome to Pegboards’ Sixth Annual NFL Mock Draft where the rules are made up and the picks don’t matter because we will be wrong 95% of the time.

Just like last year, we have pulled our “friends” Eric and Ryan into the mix to help us throw darts at the mock draft dart board. Why would we do this again, you ask? Is it because our friends added some much needed expertise and accurate predictions last year? Hahaha, no, of course not, it’s mostly because we are lazy (which you can tell by our never-ending lack of updates).

So here’s how it’s going to go, the draft order begins with myself, Kevin, and then it goes Ryan, Jesse and Eric. We were allowed to make trades and, spoiler alert, one of us actually did! Jesse and I will be providing most of the commentary for each pick. We will most likely use our pick’s commentary to praise ourselves and use their pick’s taking some deep shots at their character, intelligence, and overall self-esteem. So just normal, healthy friend stuff.

Without further ado, the Browns of Cleveland are on the clock… again. Just like last year.

Continue reading →

Are the Broncos Stuck in the Pit of Misery? – Part 2

Posted on by

Welcome to part 2 of our offseason series for our beloved Broncos, and whether they are totally screwed moving towards the 2018 season. Can they escape from the pit like Bruce Wayne did in The Dark Knight Rises? Or are they stuck in there with a bunch of old guys and access to cable television? The consensus so far? Too early to tell.

But it’s not too early to continue speculating about the moves John Elway and co. will make to place the Broncos back among the contenders in the AFC. And that’s what we’re going to do.

Continue reading →

Are the Broncos Stuck in the Pit of Misery? – Part 1

Posted on by

Hello there, faithful readers. It’s been awhile since you’ve heard from us. It could be that there hasn’t been anything worth writing about over the past month in the world of sports or movies (partly true), or it’s possible that our real jobs keep us from writing on a more regular basis (mostly true). Regardless, we’ve missed you guys and we’re glad to be back. Not a moment too soon, either.

You see, things really start to heat up in the sporting world when the calendar turns to March, and I’m not just talking about the weather. Seeing as we are mostly a Broncos blog, it’s fitting that our favorite team is entering perhaps its most important offseason since John Elway took over the front office. With a glaring hole at quarterback, dire needs at multiple other positions and a coach that barely survived his first season on the job and will need to make huge strides if he wants to see the end of his second one, it’s safe to say that the moves the Broncos make over the next couple of months could make or break their 2018 campaign before it ever gets started.

And we’re back to see all those moves through with you. While we’re optimistic that everything that happens will put our team back on the path towards winning, we’ve been humbled way too much since Super Bowl 50 to feel that confident. Still, you should know up front that Pegboards still very much trusts John Elway to make things right, and we hope you do to.

So without further adieu, let’s get to it. Are the Broncos stuck in the Pit of Misery? And if not, how do they get out?

Continue reading →

An Open Letter to Broncos Country

Posted on by

Hello everyone,

How are you all holding up this season? I know it’s been tough. We aren’t used to seeing our team wallow among the dregs of the NFL, or being eliminated from the playoffs less than halfway through December. That’s on top of the eight-game losing streak the Broncos endured, the one time they were shutout by the Chargers and the fact that they are still winless on the road so far this year. Misery, misery, misery, everywhere we look this season.

Everyone has their own way of coping with this level of losing. Some take to Facebook to openly complain about how much they hate Vance Joseph and how John Elway is long overdue to be fired. Others simply tune the games out and find something better to do on Sunday afternoons, like go for a walk or tend to some household chores (or literally almost anything else). And there are evens “fans” who have stopped supporting the Broncos altogether and have jumped on another team’s bandwagon, such as the Eagles or Rams. To those people, I say good riddance. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out and don’t bother coming back when the Broncos turn things around.

But in case you didn’t notice, the Broncos actually won a game on Sunday, in dominant fashion I might add. This may have felt like sweet relief to you, if you’re tired of watching your team fall flat on their faces every week and want them to end the season on a high note. Or maybe you were completely frustrated because you have embraced the tank and the Broncos are so bad that they can’t even figure out how to get that right. Either line of thinking is alright by me, because it’s your team and your free to support them however you wish.

That being said, it got me thinking about how that was the kind of performance we’re used to seeing from the Broncos, and that one bad season doesn’t change the fact that we are lucky to be fans of a team that has enjoyed so much success over the years.

Continue reading →

Power Ranking Ramblings: Week 14

Posted on by

Hello and welcome back for another week of us critiquing everyone’s favorite sports channel to hate, ESPN! Every week ESPN posts NFL Power Rankings that are generally terrible but not as bad as the commentary they provide to the rankings. So Jesse and I decided it is our duty to endlessly mock the low effort that ESPN put forth (although this week, Jesse spends more time criticizing the Broncos and trying to get under Kevin’s skin, while Kevin drops some puns and attempts to avoid talking about a certain University.

This year we are doing things a bit different by providing ESPN’s commentary right here on the blog with our personal commentary right below so you don’t have to click between the two articles. But for those of you who want to see the actual rankings, feel free to check them out here:

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings: The most impactful rookies for every team

And thanks for tuning in. Enjoy!

Continue reading →

An Open Letter to John Elway

Posted on by

Dear John Elway,

As we march toward the end of what has been a most trying season, I hope you are in good health these days c, especially considering you are probably not in good spirits. I know it must be hard to watch your team lose week after week, often in embarrassing fashion. It sure has been for me and the rest of Broncos Country. And while I’m confident that you are already thinking of all the ways that you can clean up this mess in the offseason, I thought I’d take the time this morning to offer you some advice.

This is not so much about specific moves or changes. I already covered things that I’d like to see happen last week, and I’m not going to spend time regurgitating those here. No, this is more about an important component that lies at the heart of leading any successful team or organization, particularly one that experiences any sort of regression.

Self-reflection.

Continue reading →

Broncos Outbungle Bengals in Sixth Straight Loss

Posted on by

It’s official. Pick up your Bud Light and cheers. The 2017 Broncos are getting an extended tour of the Pit of Misery. Dilly dilly!

Was it not that long ago when Peyton Manning told the world that, “I’m going to drink a lot of Bud Light tonight,” to celebrate his team’s victory in Super Bowl 50? Now we’re reduced to making jokes involving Bud’s most recent advertising campaign because it helps distract us from how miserable this season has been. What else can you do to mask the pain of your team losing to the lowly Bengals? I guess you could join me in embracing the tank, but if you’re not down for that then I don’t know what else to tell you.

This week’s poor excuse for a game was preceded by John Elway, the architect of this disaster, calling his team “soft” in public. Some players took that comment as constructive criticism while others took it personally, but regardless of whether or not such a comment was warranted, Elway isn’t wrong.

When you drop six games in a row, that’s the reputation that you earn as a team and everyone is to blame. The coaches, the players, John Elway, everyone.

Continue reading →

NFL Power Ranking Rumblings: Week 10

Posted on by

Hello and welcome back for another week of us critiquing everyone’s favorite sports channel to hate, ESPN! Every week ESPN posts NFL Power Rankings that are generally terrible but not as bad as the commentary they provide to the rankings. So Jesse and I decided it is our duty to endlessly mock the low effort that ESPN put forth.

This year we are doing things a bit different by providing ESPN’s commentary right here on the blog with our personal commentary right below so you don’t have to click between the two articles. But for those of you who want to see the actual rankings, feel free to check them out here:

Week 10 NFL Power Rankings: Biggest risers, fallers since preseason

And thanks for tuning in. Enjoy!

Continue reading →

Broncos at a Crossroads After Offense Stumbles Once More

Posted on by

You may not know this about Kevin, but he studied economics and is something of an expert on the subject. He recently introduced me to this concept called the Sunk Cost Fallacy, which is essentially a person’s refusal to abandon a resource because they don’t want to waste it, even though they are never going to get a full return on its value. I’m probably paraphrasing just a tad, but basically if I have tickets to a concert and can’t sell them or find someone else to go, I’ll still go to it myself to avoid having to eat the tickets.

And that’s where the Broncos currently find themselves with their quarterback situation, particularly as it relates to Trevor Siemian. Sure, it may not have cost them a whole lot to acquire the seventh rounder out of Northwestern, but they have certainly devoted a lot of time and energy into making him the starter for this team. He’s started 21 games for two different coaching staffs and seems to be regressing more with each one.

Moreover, the Broncos displayed a disconcerting amount of support for a player who didn’t deserve it based on his performance, and that’s where the Sunk Cost Fallacy kicks in. Saying things like “he’s our starter” or “he’s a young player and could get better” are highly irrelevant compared to what is actually happening, especially when everyone outside of Dove Valley could tell that Siemian is not the answer at quarterback.

And when you find yourself at a crossroad, the choice that you make could very well define the rest of your season. That choice for now is going with Brock Osweiler to try and salvage these last nine games. The Broncos may not fare any better with Brock at the helm, but they were going nowhere with Siemian. Kudos to the team for finally abandoning their sunk cost, even if it’s a bit overdue.

Continue reading →