Broncos vs. Patriots: Now the Broncos Have Their Measuring Stick

Sunday night, the whole Broncos organization was taught a lesson of how far it still has to go to become among the elite teams in the NFL.

The Patriots had to play one of their best games of the season and, according to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, played well for 60 minutes.

When the Broncos came out 'guns blazing', running through and over the Patriots for the first one and a half quarter, the Patriots adjusted, and when the Broncos made mistakes, the Patriots closed the game with three "knock outs" and the game was, in reality, over at halftime.

But the Broncos can take a lot of lessons from this game.

Tim Tebow Is Becoming a Ligitimate Dual Threat QB

Yeah, it will probably never be pretty, but Tebow is making strides as a passer from game to game.

Tebow's 11-for-22 outing still isn't stellar, but he is a consistent threat to beat defenses with his arm—and he is improving.

With a whole offseason to work on his footwork and timing, he shows promise of becoming a solid passer in the NFL. And if you combine that with his ability as the best running QB in the NFL, you come out with a truly dangerous QB that can beat you with the option offense or from the pocket.

Opposing defenses will be working overtime trying to prepare and game plan for the Broncos offense. 

But we also learned that ....

Tebow Needs Better Weapons Around Him

The Denver Broncos needs more, better and more consistent weapons on offense.

When Tebow and McGahee are firing on all cylinders they are a dynamic and dangerous duo to any defense, making each other better and more dangerous. But McGahee is way too injured to carry the running game, and the depth behind McGahee at RB is thin at best. With an elite running back the option offense could be more than a gimmick in the NFL.

The wide receivers are talented, but young. With a true go-to guy that could draw double coverage and make big plays in the clutch, Tebow's passing game could become really dangerous as we have seen that he is at his best passing making big plays downfield when the game is on the line.

The Broncos are asking too much from Thomas and Decker, as they need a veteran to lean on. With a motivated Brandon Lloyd and a veteran like Jabar Gaffney, the Broncos' receiving could have been a strength for the team.

The tight ends are solid and talented, but let's be honest, Tebow needs a reliable safety valve that can make plays when plays break down. 

The Defense Knows How to Get After the QB When They Are Rested

John Fox and his staff have done an admirable work patching a D-line together and building it around the formidable pass rush tandem of Doom and Gloom.

Starting with the costly turnovers, the Broncos defense had to spend way too much time on the field against the Patriots' hurry-up offense and was worn down, much the same way the Broncos had planned to do to the Patriots. However, I think they did a good job against one of the best O-lines in the NFL, and the Doomsday hit on Brady should make the highlight reels.

But a top-tier defensive tackle must be on the top of the Broncos wish list for 2012.

A Secondary with Rookies at Key Positions Is No Match for Tom Brady.

It's no shame for a secondary to get burned by Tom Brady. But it was evident that the Broncos need to address the secondary in 2012, and maybe more through free agency than through the draft, because the the youngsters need veterans in their prime to lean on.

The Broncos secondary is way too dependent on the aging Champ Bailey or Brian Dawkins to lead them and be the top performers. And that's not really a knock on the rookies, its more a testimony to what a a great QB with very good receivers will do to inexperienced defensive backs. 

When Special Teams Are Not so Special It Is Painfully Evident

The special teams have been a strength for the Broncos in the past games. But it is when the pressure is on against the big boys you need to be on top of your game—well, at least if you want to be great.

From a missed extra point to a muffed return to another almost muffed return, the Broncos special teams had a bad day.

Quan Cosby is doing an okay job, but the Broncos need to be looking for an elite return threat. Maybe Cosby can turn into a very good returner—and those elite returners are really hard to find.

Using the Loss to the Patriots as a Stepping Stone for Improvement

The good thing about the loss to the Patriots is that it was a measuring stick of where the team needs to improve to take it to the next level.

There are plenty of other teams who have looked far worse than the Broncos did against the Patriots, and this was a Patriots team that was fired up from the get go. Just check out the clips of Tom Brady. There was no way the Patriots were going to let the Broncos make them look foolish.

But for a quarter and a half, the Broncos had the Patriots on their heels, until the Patriots adjusted on defense and forced the infamous three turnovers.

So John Fox, use this game to build from, show the team all the things they did well and go hunt some buffalo.