11 things we learned after the Denver Broncos' 16-14 loss to the Bears

It is too easy to blame the referees for the defeat of the Broncos. In a game of thumbs, it would not be a lie. The smuggler's call to Bradley Chubb is perhaps the most horribly horrible call I've seen in a match that did not involve Tom Brady.

I refuse to linger too long.

Denver had several opportunities to stay away from a situation where it was the difference. There have been a lot of good things coming out today, as well as some issues that need to be resolved quickly if Fangio does not want to fall to 0-3.

Here is what we learned:

Both were injured and missed Week 1 against the Raiders, but both showed signs of returning to the game. Not today.

2. The second level of the Broncos is again a problem.

Coming from a defeat where he ran the ball only 15 times, it was obvious all week that Matt Nagy was going to play on the ground. Nelson was surprised and slow to take advantage of his gap more than once today. Josey Jewell seemed better than his counterpart, which does not mean that he looked great. Both seemed reluctant to take advantage of their differences on two or three critical tries, which allowed the Bears offensive to continue humming.

It's been a long time since Broncos Country started sending "Good Recovery" cards to Todd Davis.

3. Trubisky tried to attack Yiadom on the keys early.

It became really clear at the end of the first quarter, when the Bears faced 3rd place and the final. Mitch Trubisky found Adam Shaheen in the apartment with Isaac Yiadom on the cover. If the Broncos second-year corner tackles, it's a stop.

Unlike last week, Yiadom did not let the mistake haunt him and made a great cover in the far right. While this is a small consolation in light of the final score, if we are talking about the long match, this is a very good sign for the Broncos second year corner.

I've already answered the call that should not be named, so let's look elsewhere.

One of the biggest complaints about Chubb's rookie season was the way he played when he was not rushing. In two weeks, he sort of returned this script. Most criticize him for his lack of bags and misses growth. While Von Miller and he did not have much production of sleight of hand, it is clear that Chubb really became a top player and he became a stronger player.

5. Garett Holds is again.

With the time that stopped in the second quarter, Phillip Lindsay rose to the third level for a considerable gain. Only a catch of Garett Bolles on Roquan Smith cancels the game. Later, the same training was taken by Bolles, forcing the Broncos to register a first and 20 and eliminating all hope in points before the half.

After a great stop from Denver's D to bring the ball back to Flacco with about a minute, Bolles reached the goal again with his third catch of the day. His penalty pushed the ball into the shade from the post and the offense was lucky to be able to get the ball out without a catastrophe.

His problems continued in the second half and I will not lie: I do not think I have ever seen a tackle finish a match with four shots. Mark Schlereth thought that he should have been called for a fifth later in the game.

This shows how poor the Broncos' depth is in the position where he will continue to play the starting role for Lambeau.

6. The backs of the Broncos shine with flash.

Even Bolles could not stop Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman from running. Lindsay had a great run after a Flacco defeat, and Rich Scangarello opened the ball to Royce Freeman for a first in the craft. Both look really promising as receiving backs.

Freeman was not too bad on the ground either. Dalton Risner and the Broncos indoor offensive line have done a good job in creating holes. Freeman finished the game with an average of 4.9 yards per run and looked a lot like a zone runner.

The disappointing security situation of Simmons and Will Parks was lost in the midst of all the other calamities in Oakland. It will not be a problem this week.

Simmons was not perfect, he was almost beaten in the game above by taking a look in the backfield. He did not do it because he showed an impressive ability to recover and get closer (and had some help with Trubisky's timing).

This same range also contributed to the running of the Broncos. Simmons also looked tacky in the tight fourth period cover, which was essential to give Flacco and the offense the opportunity to reduce the Bears lead.

8. The Bears attack made some favors to the Broncos

Even though the Broncos defense has improved against the Bears, it has certainly been helpful for the Chicago head coach to be watched for not having run the ball enough. More than once, Nagy felt driven with the critics in mind. He ran in passing situations and did not do as good a job trying to pass the ball to Cohen in space as last week.

9 Joe Flacco do enough to win.

One of the dominant stories about Flacco after the Oakland match was how beautiful he looked. If you read GIF Horse last week, you already know how much the passing evaluation is a bad measure of quarterback performance.

After the selection, Joe Flacco launched an interception and made two sacks in the opponent's red zone in the third attempt. He had a completion. Denver had a touchdown in two games.

But then, the defense got him the ball and another opportunity to become the hero. All he's done is roll the ball over the field and score both a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to give the Broncos the advantage with 30 odd seconds.

Speaking of this touchdown race, it was great to see Sutton capture so many critical passes in tight moments for the Broncos. Sanders has been involved throughout. There are still questions about the Broncos receiving the body, but it's time to believe they have a dynamic duet again.

Last thoughts

One of the most painful aspects of the loss of these Broncos is the amount of promises and fights they have shown all along. The defense looked much better than last week's debacle and Flacco and the offensive moved the ball against one of the best defenses in the league.

We do not think this team should have a score of 0-2. Still, if the problems do not improve, it's easy to see how Aaron Rodgers and the Packers can extend their losing streak to Lambeau.

Hope they can handle things.