Daly Doses 10-26-21: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City

The Denver Broncos continued their trend of collapsing over the past four weeks, losing last Thursday night to the Cleveland Browns 17-14, in game that was every bit as ugly as that score would indicate.

The Browns were able to win the game with their junior varsity team, since starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, were out with injuries.

“The 2021 Denver Broncos: We’ll cure what ails you.”

Adding insult to injury, the Broncos defense allowed Cleveland’s third string running back D’Ernest Johnson to rush for 146 yards, while losing to the always average quarterbacking of former Bronco Case Keenum.

Remember that Keenum came to Denver in 2018, and went 6-10.

Notice a theme?

“The 2021 Denver Broncos: We can make Case Keenum look good. As long as he’s wearing a different uniform.”

Once again, the Broncos got inconsistent quarterback play, and once again their defense let them down.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater would finish the game 23/33 for 187 yards, and two touchdowns, with one interception. He was sacked twice.

Case Keenum would finish the game 21/33 for 199 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He was sacked once.

Those stat lines are frighteningly similar.

This tells me that if we swapped quarterbacks, the only difference would be the Browns would still win, and the Broncos would still lose.

I suppose we can place this blame on Bridgewater. He has a history of being average, much like Keenum.

However, backup quarterback Drew Lock has a history of not being average.

He has a history of being bad.

Head coach Vic Fangio may have lost this team.

The knock on Fangio was that while his team may not have played well, at least they played hard.

Against Cleveland last Thursday, I’m not sure we even saw that.

“The 2021 Denver Broncos: The may not be very good, but at least they don’t play hard either.”

So once again, it would seem that the Broncos are still on the market for their franchise quarterback and a head coach.

Here’s the catch: the problems for this team run much deeper than either of those jobs.

A lack of production from the Broncos front office has left this team woefully thin in a number of areas.

Yes, the Broncos have had injuries this year.

The Browns have too, but they found a way to get a win.

The Broncos’ lack of depth all over the roster is showing itself.

That’s not a problem that Bridgewater nor Fangio can fix.

That is due to a front office that has no accountability, due to the fragile state of the ownership.

The brain trust of Joe Ellis, Rich Slivka and Mary Kelly can’t make any real policy. They are fortunate to even have jobs.

Since 2011, the Broncos have made 81 picks in the annual NFL Draft.

Those 81 selections have produced exactly four Pro Bowl caliber players.

Go ahead and pull the plug on Teddy if you want. The Broncos have started 12 different quarterbacks since Peyton Manning retired.

They have all looked remarkably similar.

Go ahead and fire Fangio if you want. The Broncos have now had six head coaches since Mike Shanahan was fired in 2010.

They have all looked remarkably similar.

This franchise needs a true owner, and new general manager George Paton needs to be held accountable by that owner, going forward.

Until that happens, this will continue to be an under .500 team every year.

Here’s hoping that next year we are seeing: “The 2022 Denver Broncos: Rebuilding- starting at the top”.

Daly Doses 10-19-21: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City

The Denver Broncos lost their third game in a row on Sunday, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders 34-24.

While the Raiders may have a rich history of head coaches in Al Davis, John Madden, and Tom Flores, please keep in mind that this current team has no head coach.

These Raiders convinced head coach Jon Gruden to walk away from his 10 year $100 million dollar contract after his email controversy.

A team without a head coach, throttled the Broncos on Sunday, in a game that didn’t seem as close as the final score would indicate.

Now, we have a number of fans and so called “experts” offering some very simple solutions.

Yet, the answer to fixing the Broncoa isn’t so simple.

“Bench quarterback Teddy Bridgewater!”

After starting the season by showing he could take care of the football, Teddy turned it over four times on Sunday, throwing three interceptions and fumbling once.

And yet…what is the alternative? Drew Lock has proven that he is even more prone to turnovers. Lock’s 1.57 turnovers per game is significantly higher than Teddy’s 0.90. And for all of the talk of his big arm, Lock’s deep ball accuracy ranks among the league’s worst.

No question, the Broncos need a long-term answer at quarterback, but neither Bridgwater nor Lock seem to be that answer.

The answer isn’t so simple.

“Fire head coach Vic Fangio!”

The Broncos brought in Fangio in hopes that he would restore their defense to its 2015 prowess. On Sunday, Vic’s defense allowed the Raiders 426 total yards.

It would have taken a month to earn that many yards against the 2015 group.

Vic struggles with his timeouts, his replay challenges, and on Sunday there seemed to be a prevailing feeling that this team might have quit on him.

That might be the ultimate sin that dooms Fangio.

And yet…firing Vic would mean that the Broncos would be looking to hire their seventh coach in just 12 years.

You’re getting into Detroit Lions and New York Jets territory there.

If you are wondering why some of the top free agents no longer even consider coming to Denver, look no further than the fact that this franchise changes head coaches more often than smoke detector batteries.

Continuity is important.

The answer isn’t so simple.

“Fire offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur!”

Shurmur’s offensive play calling has been baffling at best, and closer to absolutely infuriatimg.

Through six games, the Broncos running game is averaging a solid 4.6 yards per carry.

So why is Shurmur calling 219 passing plays to just 153 rushes?

And yet…with the deficiencies and injuries on the offensive line, this offense isn’t winning many battles up front. It’s hard to have consistent success when you aren’t winning in the trenches.

The answer isn’t so simple.

“Fire everyone! Gut this team, sell off the valuable pieces, and just start over!”

And yet…this team doesn’t have that many pieces that carry all that much value.

Young players, like Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy are on rookie deals, and have injury history.

Veteran players like Von Miller, Melvin Gordon, and Justin Simmons are carrying big contracts, and therefore probably wouldn’t draw much interest.

The answer isn’t so simple.

The fact is, this franchise is still in the middle of a massive power vacuum left by the absence of owner Pat Bowlen.

Sure, Peyton Manning and that defense were the perfect band-aid for that vacuum in 2015, but this team has been poorly run for more than a few years now.

Poor drafting, inane free agent signings, foolish coach hiring, and high expectations have created the current mess that we are currently watching.

This team is more than just a single move from turning the corner to Super Bowl contention.

Upgrades are needed on both sides of the ball, in the coaching office, and more importantly…in team ownership.

Hoping that the benching of a quarterback, firing of a coach or coordinator would undo all of those previous mistakes is nothing more than wishful thinking.

The answer isn’t so simple.

Daly Doses 06-22-21: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City

• The Phoenix Suns jumped on the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on Sunday, beating them 120-114.

• Selfishly as a Denver Nuggets fan, I now have to cheer for Phoenix, with the way they broomed us right out of the postseason.

• Suns guard Devin Booker is playing at a freakishly high level, and remember that the Suns had to play Game 1 without Chris Paul, who was forced to sit out in covid protocols.

• The Suns are legitimately a title contender, getting hot at the right time, and playing their best basketball down the stretch.

• Something that we as Nuggets fans have very little familiarity with.

• We tend to save our best play for February….and maybe March.

• Playoff time? That is not usually Nuggets time.

• I’ve noticed that Nuggets head coach Mike Malone is getting a pass on wasting yet another season of prime Nikola Jokic.

• I mean, what can we expect? The Nuggets lost superstar guard Jamal Murray. Malone couldn’t possibly overcome that.

• Just don’t look at Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue winning games…big games… without Kawhi Leonard.

• The difference is that Lue knows he needs to win. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer wants to win….or he will move on. Compare that to the “just wait till next year” mentality of the Kroenke’s. There just isn’t the same pressure to win or else.

• Which is why the Nuggets will always be the bridesmaid, but never the bride.

• The Nuggets are one of just six teams that have never made the NBA Finals.

• When you think of abysmal franchises you think of those that have never even made their league’s title game.

• The Clippers, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Detroit Lions, the Winnipeg Jets….the Denver Nuggets.

• Even the Colorado Rockies managed to fall into a World Series one year!

• Speaking of franchises that don’t care if they win or lose.

• We can say this that giving away Nolan Arenado was just a bump in the road on their way to rebuilding….but it isn’t.

• It is exactly what this franchise does every few years, while telling us they care about winning, and collecting all of their gate money.

• Currently the Rox sit at 13 games under .500…just a measly 17 games out of first in the NL West.

• It’s June.

• Oh, but the Rockies rank No 4 in attendance, with over 18K fans going to every home game.

• So don’t tell the Monforts they aren’t winning. They are winning every single year.

• Just not on the field.

Daly Doses 06-15-21: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City!

• 

The Denver Nuggets were swept out of the NBA Playoffs in four games by the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.

The Colorado Avalanche were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in four straight games after leading the Vegas Golden Knights in their series 2-0.

Which was more disappointing?

The Nuggets were truly starting to look like a contender back in March and April, until Jamal Murray was lost for the season.

The Avalanche were looking like a contender in their first two games against Vegas.

Based on the timing…I’m leaning toward the Avs being the bigger disappointment.

Not tough enough, too many empty possessions, ran into a hot team, and probably got outcoached.

Which team did I just describe?

Pick one.

Avs superstar Nathan MacKinnon was completely locked down in the final four games, managing just two assists…total.

Can you win a big time series when your superstar doesn’t lead the way?

Possible, but it’s going to be tough.

Then again, league MVP Nikola Jokic averaged 25 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in the Nuggets series against Phoenix, and look where that got him.

Side note: Jokic getting ejected in Game 4 was silly, and would not have happened to most of the big name stars in the NBA. Did he deserve the techinical? Fine. An ejection? Not even close, and there’s no way the league would have ever ejected Giannis, Harden, Westbrook, Steph, Durant, or Lebron in that situation.

Not all MVPs are created equal.

Jokic gets the least respect of any Most Valuable Player…ever.

Side note part #2: WWE referees are more credible than NBA referees.

I will die on this hill.

Bottom line: Both MacKinnon and Jokic probably need a little more help, and another year of seasoning to truly be in the hunt for a title.

Now both teams have decisions to make. The Avs will need to resign forward Gabe Landeskog, and goalie Philipp Grubauer, but that may cost big money. Matt Calvert and Tyson Jost would be nice.

And by earning MVP honors, Jokic has now qualified for a supermax extension, which would be the largest in NBA history. However, because Jokic has only six years of service, the center will need to wait until the 2022 offseason to sign the five-year, $241 million extension.

The Nuggets will also have to decide what to do with Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon very soon.

So we now have both Kroenke sports franchises possibly on the verge of doing something special. Will ownership spend the money to keep these teams together. Could they maybe even dig into the big money vault, and add another piece or two?

Based on Kroenke’s inability to get a deal done with a local cable TV provider to carry home games to their own local fans…don’t get your hopes up.

Daly Doses 06-08-21: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City!

• Our hometown Denver Nuggets lost their Game 1 conference semifinal game against the Phoenix Suns last night. The Nuggets actually showed some promise early on, but poor shot selection, missed layups, and their perimeter defense allowed the Suns to take over in the second half.

• Do the Nuggets actually have any hope of winning this series, and advancing?

• With a banged up Chris Paul, and Nikola Jokic playing the way he is right now? Yes, they at least have a chance, but they will have to make some adjustments.

• Paging Mike Malone. Mike, please pick up a courtesy phone.

• Especially when your team is allowing a 16-0 run in the second half.

• It’s one thing to allow players like Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges to drop 20 points on you, but allowing Suns big man Deandre Ayton to go for 20 and dominate the paint? He’s not a scorer. The Nugget can’t allow that.

• Having said that, everyone completely overreacts to Game 1’s in a seven game series. Let’s see how this series looks after Game 2 on Wednesday night.

• Sorry, I am still in a state of shock that the Nuggets even got by the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round. 

• If you told me that Michael Porter Jr would average just 18 points per game against Portland, I would have asked “And where will the Nuggets be vacationing this week?”

• Porter had three games in which he really struggled to make his presence felt. However the depth of this team, with players like Monte Morris and Austin Rivers stepping up their games, was very impressive. As great as Jokic was, the Nuggets actually outscored the Blazers with Jokic off the floor in that series.

• Rivers shot 48% from three point range against the Blazers, and Morris forced them to go over those ball screens that Jokic kept setting, instead of cheating underneath and clogging the paint. 

• Aaron Gordon can be key against Phoenix. He couldn’t throw it in the ocean last night, but he played well against Portland and actually shot 60% from three point range. Gordon has some skills that the Nuggets definitely need, and it seems he is enjoying playing in games that actually matter.

• The change of scenery has served Gordon well, at least so far. 

• Could Blazers star Damian Lillard be looking for a change of scenery after this latest playoff disappointment?

• Lillard has been toiling in a small market, and making very little headway, as far as actually contending for an NBA title. 

• In this NBA era of chasing championships, Portland should be very worried about losing their superstar. Unfortunately, Nuggets fans should be watching this closely, because they have some good players that they are going to want to keep in this small market too. 

• As exciting as it was to see the Nuggets advance in the first round, there was a small part of me that truly felt bad for Dame coming up short yet again. 

• Having said that, I couldn’t have been more happy for Carmelo Anthony. 

• I know the national and even some of the local media, were bashing Nuggets fans for booing Melo, when he played in Denver during that series. 

• He left a very good team here in Denver for a much worse situation basketball-wise in New York to “promote his brand”.

• Show me a fan base that wouldn’t be angry at a former player doing that. 

• You think the Green Bay Packer faithful won’t boo Aaron Rodgers, if he leaves, every single chance that they get?

• Yeah right. 

• After such a promising start to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, our Colorado Avalanche are in deep trouble against a very tough, very fast, very experienced Vegas squad.

• Since the Game 1 rout, Vegas has thoroughly outplayed the Avs in seven of the past nine periods.

• Barring a major change, that series is over, but I am really hoping that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar still has a few tricks up his sleeve. 

• At least it will be football season soon. 

• Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater on the same team?

• And the hits just keep on coming…

Daly Doses: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City!

• The Colorado Avalanche are a true contender for the Stanley Cup, the Denver Nuggets will waste another prime year of Nikola Jokic, the Colorado Rockies are battling for the worst record in Major League Baseball, and the Denver Broncos still don’t have a bona fide quarterback. 

• After the past year of dealing with a global pandemic, sports in Colorado are beginning to return to form. Things are getting back to normal. 

• As soon as the Air Force Academy proves that they are once again the best college football program in the state over both CU and CSU, we are right back to the way things were. 

• The Avalanche are the most talented team in the NHL. There are no glaring weaknesses here. Nathan McKinnon is a top-three player in the NHL, there is significant depth, and Philipp Grubauer is capable of being a very good goalie with that defense in front of him. 

• Having said that, Game 1 notwithstanding, the Vegas Golden Knights may prove to be a very tough test for this young talented team in the second round. 

• Physical play, and a goalie that is capable of carrying a series, could prove to be a very revealing test for the Avs. 

• Knight’s coach Peter DeBoer’s decision to sit starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for Game 1 could haunt Vegas. The Avs jumped on backup Robin Lehner early and often in a 7-1 rout. 

• But I mean, at least Fleury is all rested up. 

• I truly feel bad for the Denver Nuggets. They were starting to look like a true title contender before the loss of Jamal Murray to that season ending knee injury. 

• Plus, they have to play for head coach Mike Malone, which would be enough to drive any player completely bonkers. 

• Malone’s substitution rotation and in-game adjustments are confusing enough to fans, I can’t imagine what his players think. 

• “I played great in Game 1 vs. Portland, why am I only getting 32 minutes per game since then?” -Michael Porter Jr.

• “I am the Most Valuable Player of the league, why am I sitting on the bench in crunch time?” -Nikola Jokic

• “Those Game 3 shots actually went in?” -Austin Rivers

• The Colorado Rockies front office paid $50 million dollars to the St Louis Cardinals to take 3rd baseman Nolan Arrenado off of their hands, so that they can rebuild this roster from the ground up. 

• Do you see the irony here?

• The same front office of the Rockies that paid the Cardinals to take their best player is going to be in charge of building up this roster. 

• They’re obviously very trustworthy. 

• What could possibly go wrong?

• Besides everything.

• I am just as excited as the next Denver Broncos fan that somehow they could make a run at Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 

• Today is June 1st, Rodgers is still unhappy, and the Packers soon get significant salary-cap relief if they trade (or release) Rodgers. If the Packers were to trade Rodgers after today, they would save $16.050 million in salary-cap space in 2021.

• Yet in times like these, I go back to this very important trivia question: Name the team that traded away a future Hall of Fame lock quarterback in their prime. 

•  We have seen quarterback swaps like Pastorini for Stabler, or even Stafford for Goff, and we have seen guys past their prime traded away like Joe Montana, Earl Morrall, or even Warren Moon. 

• Teams just don’t trade away Hall of Fame quarterbacks in their prime, but I guess we can still keep hoping. 

• I guess we can also keep hoping to see Nuggets and Avalanche games on Comcast too, but that ain’t happening either. 

Daly Doses: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City!

• Another week and another crazy finish for those cardiac kids, the Denver Broncos.

• The Broncos overcame a fourteen point deficit not once, but twice, defeating the defending Super Bowl champion and undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday night 30-24 in overtime.

• The story after the game by many fans and “experts” in the media was how valiantly the Patriots had battled despite being without five to six starters, including Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Rob Gronkowski who was carted off in the fourth quarter.

• The Broncos celebrated like they had won something important but they had basically just  beaten a junior varsity team.

• Nevermind the fact the Broncos are playing with out All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady, starting quarterback and future hall of famer Peyton Manning, and All-Pro outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Plus starting defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, starting strong safety TJ Ward, and All Pro right guard Louis Vasquez all left early in the game with injuries and would not return.

• But it was just the Patriots that were battling the injuries, right?

• As usual, the poor Patriots just can’t catch a break.

• And then there were the bad calls that went against New England.

• The offensive pass interference call against Gronkowski and the defensive holding call against Patrick Chung were both very questionable. Surely these were the reasons for the Patriots loss.

• Turn on any major sports network and they will tell you how it was the referees, not the Broncos, who actually won the game.

• “The Patriots did everything right, but the referees just stole the game from them!”

• The Pats blaming the refs reeks of a parent who refuses to believe that their daughter is pregnant due to anything other than immaculate conception.

• First off, New England pointing out that NFL referees miss some calls is like Kobe Bryant telling us that his skills are fading.

• It might be new to you…but trust me, the rest of us already knew.

• But in order to believe the Patriots were in fact robbed, you will need to look the other way on the 179 yards rushing that the Patriots defense allowed to a team that has been averaging just 94 yards on the ground per game.

• You will need to overlook the punt fumbled by wide receiver Chris Harper that breathed some life into a Denver team that was gasping for air.

• You will also need to ignore the poor play calling by Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, and the two incomplete passes by (gasp) the Golden Boy Tom Brady on the late game drive, in which the Patriot offense stopped the clock twice and gave the Denver offense plenty of time to score late.

• So maybe the injuries and the referees are what cost the Patriots.

• Or maybe they made some mistakes and were beaten by a scrappy Bronco team that executed a little better down the stretch.

• Either way, for the Patriots, this loss had to be very… deflating.

Daly Doses: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City!

• The Denver Broncos ended their two game losing streak on Sunday by knocking off the Chicago Bears 17-15.

• Denver won the game off of two turnovers from former Bronco quarterback Jay Cutler.

• They also got some assistance from former head coach John Fox.

• Fox chose not to take a chip shot field goal early in the fourth quarter, opting instead to go for it, and show Bronco fans that he lives by the seat of his conservative fuddy-duddy pants.

• And then on what would have been the game tying two point conversion he decided to attempt a run up the middle despite the success Cutler was having in the passing game.

• Cutler committing turnovers and Fox making questionable coaching moves?

• That, my friends, is the definition of a sweet win.

• I’m no John Fox hater, he’s a very good coach who has won everywhere he has been. He has this Bears team contending for a playoff spot in the NFC which might be the most impressive accomplishment in his career.

• But those two plays completely encapsulate Fox’s coaching career.

• On the other side, the Broncos were playing without Peyton Manning for the first time since 2012, when Tim Tebow was starting a playoff game.

• Brock Osweiler filled in admirably for Manning going 20 for 27 for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

• That’s the good news.

• Or is it?

• If Osweiler continues to play well are the Broncos going to bench the future Hall of Famer?

• The undefeated New England Patriots come to town next Sunday night for a prime time matchup.

• And head coach Gary Kubiak has already named Osweiler the starter as Manning is still nursing his injured foot.

• That is what is wrong with Manning, right?

• I mean, we have heard a number of ailments from the Broncos coaching staff this season.

• Training camp: “We feel like Peyton played pretty well, but he doesn’t have any feeling his fingers, so that makes it tough.”

• Preseason: “We feel like Peyton played pretty well, but his is nursing a sore shoulder, so he didnt have much velocity.”

• Raiders game: “We feel like Peyton played pretty well, but he has a rib injury, that was bothering him on the deep ball.”

• Colts game: “We feel like Peyton played pretty well, but he has a partially torn plantar fascia, that is limiting his throwing motion.”

• Chiefs game: “We feel like Peyton played pretty well, but his enormous head just fell off onto the ground, which caused him to throw a couple of errant balls.”

• I hope Manning comes back and I do still believe that he should be the starter for this team if he is healthy.

• But it is clear that his body is giving out on him.

• And no amount of rest can fix old.

Check out Episode 46 of the Daly Dose Sports Podcast!

Today on the Daly Dose Sports Podcast, John from the Inland Empire in California joins Clint to talk MLB postseason, college football news, and they break down the undefeated teams that remain in the NFL. Plus the Top 5 Steve Spurrier quotes of all time! Don’t miss Episode 46!

Episode 46

Daly Doses: Thoughts, reflections, and derision from the Mile High City!

• There is s_mething missing with the Denver Br_nc_s. I can’t quite my finger _n it but they l__k a little _ff.

• Which quarterback has more interceptions this season?

• A. Peyton Manning? Or B. Sam Bradford?

• A. Peyton Manning? Or B. Colin Kaepernick?

• A. Peyton Manning? Or B. Branden Weeden?

• A. Peyton Manning? Or B. Jay Cutler?

• I hope you picked A.

• Every time.

• After Week 5 Manning has now thrown seven picks. More than each Bradford and Kaepernick (5). And more than Cutler (3) and Weeden (2) combined.

• I know that Manning’s physical skills have diminished, but what is more disturbing to me is the fact that the interceptions aren’t always a physical mistake.

• We are also seeing poor decisions and bad reads.

• A number of these interceptions are mental mistakes.

• Which is odd for a guy who wears a size 11 5/8 hat.

• Is this simply a product of a new Gary Kubiak system? Or are we watching a future Hall-of-Famer completely collapse before our eyes?

• I know the offensive line is a mess. And that definitely hasn’t helped.

• The Broncos completely rebuilt their offensive front- starting four new players including two players with no true NFL experience.

• In fact, they traded away experienced offensive tackle Chris Clark to Houston during the preseason.

• And now they have some injuries too.

• I give John Elway a ton of credit for rebuilding this team to be a tougher, more physical team, that should be more dangerous in January.

• But this OL mess is also his fault.

• Orlando Franklin is now in San Diego. Philip Blake was a complete bust. Vinston Painter can’t make a team.

• Those were Elway’s draft picks.

• Yet for all of the flaws of Peyton Manning and the offense, this team is still finding a way to win every week. And both he and the offensive line should improve.

• And by the way, the aforementioned quarterbacks have just seven wins combined between all four of them.

• Manning has five wins on his own.

• I know there are those screaming for the Broncos to bench Manning.

• But it isn’t time to throw Brock Osweiler to the wolves just yet.

• Can you imagine how deflating that would be to this defense to completely rebuild the offense right now? Manning is a leader and a veteran. They do trust him.

• And the word “deflating” is a negative term here.

• This isn’t New England.