The last time the Denver Broncos played, special teams was a big reason they won. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, it turned out to be cost them the game.
With 1:01 left in overtime and the game tied at 27, Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak sent out kicker Brandon McManus to attempt a 62-yard field goal to end the game. The risky decision did not go in the Broncos favor.
McManus missed wide left, giving the Chiefs the ball with a short field. The Chiefs drove and set up kicker Cairo Santos to end the game on a 34-yard field goal that hit off the left upright and bounced through, giving them the 30-27 win.
“It’s on me,” Kubiak said, after explaining the confidence he had in McManus. “We didn’t have any doubt that he could get the ball there. The thought process was on the other end: if we do punt, do we get the ball back?”
The Broncos offense had a season high 464 total yards and defense dominated with six sacks, but special teams did not do their part. Besides the missed kick in overtime by McManus, the special teams unit gave up a big play and had mental lapses.
After suffering a safety in the second quarter, the Broncos were set to kickoff to Chiefs rookie Tyreek Hill. The rookie went untouched as he took the kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown.
In the third quarter, Santos made a 35-yard field goal, but was nullified after the Broncos were flagged for illegal formation for having seven players lined up on one side. A team can only have up to six players on one side when defending a field goal, as the league rule states. The penalty turned a field goal into a touchdown as Hill ran it in from 3 yards out later in the drive.
Hill also added a touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter that forced overtime. He is the first player to score on a reception, rush and return since Gale Sayers did it in 1965.
The lost to the Chiefs puts the Broncos at 7-4 and taints quarterback Trevor Siemian awesome performance.
Siemian had his best game as a pro throwing for 368 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was a product of Siemian’s big game. Sanders had 162 yards on seven catches and one touchdown. Although Siemian was sacked five times, he showed the heart to win.
“He made big plays across the board, made some tremendous throws” said Kubiak. “I wish he could get out of here with the win tonight but that’s part of being a pro. He’s got to battle through it, but I’m proud of him. He played really well.”
The Broncos have suffered a 3-4 record after starting the season 4-0. They now sit outside the playoff picture with five weeks left to go in the season. The team will travel to Jacksonville next week to take on the 2-9 Jaguars. A win is much needed if the Broncos want to keep pace with the top teams in the conference.
Follow @PlayerInsiders @ColdAsFrost_
More stories you might like
