When a team loses to a good Ravens squad after starting the season 6-0, nobody questions it.

When that same team drops a home game on national television to the physical Steelers, again, nobody questions it.

But when that very same team can’t beat the hapless Redskins (whether it’s on the road or not), then it’s only fair that the “O” word starts to rear its ugly head.

I actually don’t think the Broncos are overrated – I think they’re just sputtering. Had Kyle Orton not suffered an ankle injury right before half, there’s a good chance he and Brandon Marshall (who had an excellent game while catching five passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns) would have continued to torch Washington’s secondary on their way to a victory. Instead, the highly incapable Chris Simms came in and was incredibly inaccurate while missing open receivers and lacking composure in the pocket.

Denver also had to travel cross-country, which is tough for any team, nevertheless one that played on Monday night. The Broncos were worn out from their loss to the Steelers and it showed today.

That said, I don’t want to completely make excuses for this Broncos team because they were playing the Redskins – a team that gave up weeks ago. Their defense gave up 27 points to a Sherman Lewis-led offense, which is ridiculous – I don’t care if they played on Friday night and had to travel Washington from China. They also allowed Hunter freaking Smith to throw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mike freaking Sellers on a fake freaking field goal, which is ludicrous.

The bottom line is that Josh McDaniels and his coaching staff have their backs up against the wall and they need to figure out how to fight out of the situation. Teams have obviously figured out what the blueprint is to beat the Broncos and now it’s time for the rookie head coach to adjust. They’re still in a great position at 6-3, but the Chargers are breathing down their necks so a sense of urgency is a must.