Upon Further Review: A new level of embarrassment for the Broncos

Nov. 28—The day after each Broncos game, digital sports editor Chris Schmaedeke gives his top observation from the game

In the last 15 years there have been plenty of embarrassing stretches for the Denver Broncos.

Of course, there were plenty of highs. Tim Tebow's run in 2011. And, of course, the Peyton Manning era was glorious and ended with a Super Bowl 50 win.

But the lows have been really low and right now is the lowest. It is flat-out embarrassing. The Nathaniel Hackett-Russell Wilson tenure has fallen flat on its face. Sunday's 23-10 loss to the Panthers dropped the Broncos to 3-8. The game was never even that close. Denver sits in last place in the AFC West.

In the past, Broncos Country was fed up with Josh McDaniels, done with Vance Joseph, couldn't stand gruff Vic Fangio. But the anger with Hackett has reached another level.

McDaniels had a hot start to his tenure by going 6-0 before bottoming out. He went 8-8 that first season before being fired the next year when the Broncos were 3-9. Everyone knows the McDaniels story. No need to rehash it.

The true comparision on the Hackett embarrassment scale is with Joseph and Fangio.

In Joseph's first season, the Broncos began 3-9 with an eight-game losing streak. That streak included a 21-0 shutout by the Chargers, blowout losses in back-to-back weeks by the Eagles and Patriots and a 35-9 loss to the Dolphins, where former Broncos coordinator Adam Gase called an onside kick up 20.

VJ's quaterbacks during that stretch? Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler.