ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) – The commemorative T-shirts and caps proclaiming the Denver Broncos 2011 AFC West champions sat mostly untouched in the team’s locker room Monday.
After watching replays of their 7-3 loss to Kansas City, the Broncos still weren’t in any mood to celebrate their return to the playoffs after a six-year absence.
Tim Tebow walked through the quiet locker room with a big ice pack on his right shoulder and guard Chris Kuper hobbled in on a broken left leg that landed him on injured reserve.
The Broncos (8-8) have plenty of flaws that need fixing as they get ready to host the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) in the first round of the playoffs.
They include a stagnant offense led by turnover-prone Tebow and a stalled pass rush stymied by Von Miller’s injured thumb.