Is this matador stuff bull?

Is Denver’s offensive line really this bad, or is this just a convenient narrative to nitpick?

“It’s worse than bad — it’s horrendous,” said Mark Schlereth, the ESPN analyst and ex-Broncos Pro Bowl offensive lineman. “I watch every game of every team every week. It’s bad technique-wise, athleticism-wise, toughness-wise. If I was grading, giving an F would be kind.”

RELATED: Orlando Franklin “couldn’t care less” about Schlereth’s take

I caught up with him while co-hosting Nate Kreckman’s 102.3 ESPN show, and seldom have I ever heard a sports person more candid about anything. At one point, John Elway’s old teammate said, “I know I’m going to get a bunch of texts and calls for this, but I’m sick. I just broke down three (Denver) game films and it’s sickening.

“The Broncos won’t beat anybody come playoff time, nobody, unless we’re healthy at the receiver position, running circles around people, and No. 18 is just shredding people. If there’s a we-have-to-run-it situation, if there’s a third-and-2, we might as well punt, because we’re going to get shoved in the backfield.”

Unreal to hear. So how did this happen so fast? Last season, Denver had a record-setting offense, and this was without the injured left tackle Ryan Clady. Last Sunday — and, yes, it’s only one game — the Broncos were smacked around by St. Louis, a team with a losing record.

According to Pro Football Focus, which has analysts who meticulously break down and grade game film, left guard Orlando Franklin was the only Denver offensive lineman with a positive grade. And we all know that Franklin has been the weakest link in most of the other games. Also from PFF, the right side of the offensive line, center Will Montgomery (two), guard Manny Ramirez (three) and tackle Louis Vasquez (three) combined to give up eight pressures.

“I went back and looked at the last three games — they don’t block anybody,” Schlereth said, beginning a rant akin to the old “other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” line. “I mean, if it’s not penetration, they’re horrible from an athletic standpoint at getting to the second level. So they lose the line of scrimmage, getting shoved in the backfield, and then at the second level, half the time three guys are shoved back a yard or two and two guys have to completely spin around because they’ve missed their guys and they’re watching the action, lantern-holding, like: ‘Be careful in there, it’s really nasty!’

“This is where stats lie — I think the Broncos lead the league with the least sacks allowed at 11. That’s all Peyton Manning, 100 percent, getting rid of the football. They have to be more talented with schemes and getting guys open, because at this point, they can’t block their way out of a wet paper sack.”

Denver still has won seven games. Denver still has defeated talented teams. Denver still has time to work it all out, possibly with bringing in the embattled guard Richie Incognito. Or, as coach John Fox said this week, Denver could actually run the ball more, though it’s apparent that the Broncos’ run issues are as much about the line as the running backs themselves.

As for Incognito, “He’s gone to a Pro Bowl, but he’s not a great player — but he brings some toughness in a phone booth,” Schlereth said. “Side-to-side he’s a little bit challenged, but he brings toughness and they’ll solidify the left guard position a little bit. The Denver left guard position — footwork, hand placement, leverage pad-level — is beyond horrible. So he would at least solidify that. So maybe you can put Louis Vasquez back where he belongs at right guard and maybe Franklin at right tackle, I don’t know. I thought it was a good decision to move Franklin inside, but I was wrong and they were wrong. At least Incognito isn’t going to be shoved into the backfield.

“I just watched (division rival) Kansas City, basically lay it on Seattle, and their O-line is fun to watch. And then I just watch (the Broncos) stuff, and I just want to throw up. …

“We can sit here and dance around the subject, but they need to fire them all and start over.”

It’s too late to do that. It’ll be fascinating to see how Denver’s maddening matadors respond in these next two games, including one against fellow first-place foe Kansas City.

Chew on this

* Manning is 4-13 lifetime when he throws 50 or more passes in a game — including losses in two of the Broncos’ past three games, at New England and at St. Louis.

* “With the first pick in the 2015 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets select …” It’s gotten to this already. But at least there’s a college stud out there, freshman Jahlil Okafor of Duke, who Tuesday night scored 17 points with five rebounds in a 81-71 win for No. 4 Duke against No. 19 Michigan State. This dude is 6-11, nasty in the post and, so far, consistent, shooting in his first three games 9-for-10, 8-for-10 and 8-for-10.

And per ESPN.com, Okafor touched the ball on 43 percent of Duke’s half-court possessions when he was on the court against Michigan State. The Blue Devils averaged 1.38 points per possession when Okafor got a touch, compared to 0.95 when he did not.

* Indeed, last night was a big one for college hoops on TV, and a big night for hyphens.

Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein, who I believe is in his 16th season in Lexington, corralled 10 boards in 21 minutes in UK’s blowout of KU. And Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns, he of the rare first-name hyphen, tallied nine points, eight boards and four blocks … in only 18 minutes.

As such, here’s the Hochman All-Hyphen Team:

Retired hoopster Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje

Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Diplomat Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Hochman high school classmate Aaron Fischlowitz-Roberts

* Happy 78th birthday to former talk-show host Dick Cavett, who infamously hosted the weirdest talk show episode of all-time, when three guests were super-smashed.

Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or twitter.com/hochman



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