PHILADELPHIA — Can we skip the hot seat and go straight to the pink slip? Sooner or later, Vance Joseph must go. John Elway hired the wrong coach for the Broncos.

There are 51 reasons Joseph should be fired immediately, and only one reason to keep him: There’s nobody on the current Denver staff that can fix this hot mess.

“I’m the head coach here, so it starts with me. I’ve got to fix this,” Joseph said Sunday, after a 51-23 defeat that ripped the heart out of the Broncos and eliminated what little hope remained for the remainder of this NFL season.

OK, let’s start with the uncomfortable fact the Broncos quit on their rookie coach during a blowout loss to Philadelphia that felt like a bad flashback to our worst Josh McDaniels nightmares.

“I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep going through losses like this, man. It’s breaking my heart,” said defensive end Derek Wolfe, a sixth-year pro who owns a Super Bowl 50 ring. “The whole time I’ve been here, we’ve been winning. We’ve always found a way to win. And this kills me.”

So maybe returning Brock Osweiler to the job as starting quarterback wasn’t such a great idea. His performance against the Eagles — two interceptions and a 53.4 quarterback rating — was more groan-worth than all those recent Brock-to-the-future puns. If the Broncos are really that desperate to recapture lost glory, does anybody have a phone number for Tim Tebow?

As it turns out, Gary Kubiak was ahead of the curve. Kubiak quit before this dysfunctional team made everyone in Broncos Country sick to watch. Sunday afternoons in Colorado are now better spent taking the dog for a long walk. What’s the next time fans need to check in? And with the eighth pick in 2018 NFL draft, Denver selects …

But let’s keep the discussion to the crisis at hand. Could Joseph possibly be more out of his depth? The last time the Broncos lost four consecutive games, the year was 2010, and the knucklehead on Denver’s sideline was doing a bad Bill Belichick impersonation. Although McDaniels never had a firm grip on his emotions, at least he had a clue with X’s and O’s.

So many things point to Joseph’s ineptitude that there aren’t enough fingers of blame to cover it all.

What has led to this team’s 3-5 record?

“The same stuff,” receiver Demaryius Thomas said.

Week after week, the the Broncos are a calamity of bad stuff. It stinks. And it doesn’t get corrected. That’s the definition of bad coaching.

Near the outset of an afternoon of endless misery, the Broncos were caught with 12 players on the field. In the final minute of the fourth quarter, they took a delay-of-game penalty, their last of 14 flagged infractions, because their punting unit was a man short.

Philadelphia gashed Denver’s overhauled run defense for 5.3 yards per carry and quarterback Carson Wentz sent four touchdown passes soaring into the wild blue yonder, piercing the soul of a secondary formerly known as the No-Fly Zone.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 has the ball knocked away for a fumble that is recovered by center Matt Paradis #61 in the 3rd quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia on Nov. 5, 2017.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles free safety Rodney McLeod #23 upended Denver Broncos running back Devontae Booker #23 as the Denver Broncos vs the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia on Nov. 5, 2017.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Patrick Robinson #21 gets an early interception from Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas #88 in the first half as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos running back Devontae Booker #23 is driven back in the 2nd quarter as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, CO.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi #36 breaks to the outside for a long run to the end zone to make the score 30-9 Eagles with 1:20 left in the first half as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor #13 makes a 4th and 1 catch for a first down in front of Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris #25 in the 4th quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Thornton, CO.



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos inside linebacker Brandon Marshall #54 gets to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz #11 for a sack in the 3rd quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Thornton, CO.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles free safety Rodney McLeod #23 intercepts the ball and added a long runback on a pass from Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 in the 4th quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, CO.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery #17 makes a catch in the end zone to make the score 44 to 9 in the 3rd quarter as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 has the ball knocked away for a fumble that is recovered by center Matt Paradis #61 in the 3rd quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos center Matt Paradis #61 dives on a fumble from quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 in the 3rd quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer #14 pulls in a first down catch over Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Rasul Douglas #32 as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 trying to get off a pass in the second half as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian #13 watching as time keeps running in the 4th quarter as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 5: Running back Jamaal Charles #28 picks up yardage in the 4th quarter as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. November 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post)



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas #88 picks up yardage in the 4th quarter as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller #58 knocks away the ball from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles #9 in the 4th quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Thornton, CO.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos inside linebacker Brandon Marshall #54 scored after recovering a fumble by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles #9 in the 4th quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 watching time run down in the 4th quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos offensive tackle Menelik Watson #75 watching time run down in the 4th quarter as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles #9 launches a long pass for a first down late in the game as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pa.



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Philadelphia Eagles running back Corey Clement (30) drives into the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Nov. 5, 2017.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph has nothing to smile about on the sidelines as time runs down in the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 trying to pass out of trouble as Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia.



Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos wide receiver Bennie Fowler #16 cannot hold on to the ball as the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA. Nov. 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler walking off the field after the Denver Broncos lose 51-23 to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Nov. 5, 2017.

The Eagles began scoring early, with a seven-play, 75-yard explosion on an opening possession that ended with a glaring, red-rocket salute to receiver Alshon Jeffery in the end zone. And Philadelphia put the Broncos on full blast so often the home team’s official Twitter feed confessed to one embarrassing glitch at Lincoln Financial Field: “Apologies, we actually ran out of fireworks.”

Everything about the Broncos screams their head coach has lost this team. But if a photograph is worth a thousand words, here’s a scene that impeaches Joseph:

After Jay Ajayi made the Denver defense look as helpless as those pathetic pixels that digital Bo Jackson used to run over in Tecmo Bowl, scoring on a 46-yard touchdown run to put Philly ahead 31-9 late in the second quarter, linebacker Von Miller trudged to the sideline and sat on the Denver bench alongside 15 teammates, whose body language was broken and as bereft of passion as anything we’ve seen since Jay Cutler departed from Colorado. Related Articles Jackson: Silence at empty Broncos, NFL stadiums never sounded so terrible

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Whatever Joseph told his team at halftime made zero impression. The Eagles took the kickoff to begin the third quarter and humiliated the arm tacklers on a half-hearted Denver defense with a 13-play, 77-yard drive that was 7 minutes and 28 seconds of undeniable proof the Broncos had quit on their coach.

“I told the team after the game that every man has to do a self-check,” Joseph said.

The team has no bigger problem than the man Joseph sees in the mirror.