This game felt like a repeat of the Bears and Jaguars games. The defense dominates all game, offense puts up just enough points to have a small lead late in the game, offense cannot pick up the first down to close out the game, then the defense cannot stop the opponent on their last drive resulting in a loss at the hands of a long field goal.
This has been the story for three of the six losses and as they say, two is unfortunate, three is a habit. The Broncos lost another game they seemingly had in the bag, 15-13 to the Indianapolis Colts, on the road in Indy.
There were the two terrible roughing the passer calls in the Bears and Jags games that cost the game. In this one, there was a blatant holding non-call in the end zone by the Colts on Derek Wolfe (would have resulted in a safety), and an incredible play by Jacoby Brissett to break an almost certain Von Miller sack at the one-yard line.
After breaking the sack, he hit T.Y. Hilton for 35 yards downfield. If either of those plays is made, the game results in a Broncos win most likely.
Since Super Bowl 50, the defense has continued its dominance, and the team year after year continues to trot out mediocre offenses to play a perfect non-compliment to the other side of the ball. In 2019, halfway through the season, the Broncos have the 26th-ranked passing offense, 16th-ranked rushing offense, and the 28th-ranked points scoring offense. If those figures don’t communicate that something is wrong, then they are only enhanced by the fact that the defense is the fourth-ranked defense in terms of yards per game and eighth-ranked in terms of opponent points per game.
Against the Colts, Joe Flacco again threw for less than 200 yards, the team didn’t have a 100-yard rusher, they were a terrible 2-of-12 on third downs, and the most competent player on offense, Courtland Sutton, only had three receptions for 72 yards. Sutton also drew two holding calls for first downs and two 20+ yard pass interference calls on Colts rookie Rock Ya-Sin. However, after shipping Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers, it was expected that Sutton would be the only major threat in the passing game.
The Broncos defense forced a fumble on a crucial drive by the Colts, then the offense went three and out the next possession. The Defense forced the Colts to punt from the back of their end-zone after nearly recording a safety, again, the offense went three and out. The defense allowed the offense to extend the lead multiple times late in the game, and the offensive ineptitude continued to shine so brightly.
Brandon McManus was a perfect two for two on field goals and made his only PAT attempt. Punter Colby Wadman had seven punts and landed five inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. The defense was able to create pressure on Brissett recording four sacks, a forced fumble, eight QB hits, and batting multiple balls at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line only gave up three sacks for negative eight yards, they blocked well enough for a four yards-per-carry average which is good and went un-penalized as a unit.
The offensive woes this game were seemingly the responsibility of the quarterback, skill players, and Offensive Coordinator. Joe Flacco expressed frustration in his post-game interview, below, referring to the third down and five yards play, where if they pick up the first down the game is over, and if they don’t, the Colts had a chance to drive the field and win the game. This play, the offense ran an inside hand-off that wasn’t successful, and they lost the game on a 51-yard field goal.
A frustrated Joe Flacco after the loss: "We're now a 2-6 football team and we're afraid to go for it in a two minute drill… I just felt like, what do we have to lose? Why can't we be aggressive in some of these situations." pic.twitter.com/SYfqGPKqFE
— Lindsay Joy (@LindsayJoyTV) October 27, 2019
Ja’Waun James, the team’s high priced free agent right tackle, who only played the first series of the season opener before being injured, was cleared and active for the game. However, halfway through the second quarter he would go down with a knee injury and wouldn’t return. Tight End Jeff Heuerman also would leave the game with a knee injury and not return.
Next up for the Broncos is a home game against the Cleveland Browns 11/3/2019, a game I will be attending, with an opportunity to see Drew Lock suit up and be ready on the sidelines.
