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Jeff Legvold
DENVER–So many promises, so many hopes and football’s biggest dream, all gone denver broncos On Sunday, coach Sean Payton said it was because the offense didn’t have enough momentum when it came to snow before snow fell in the Rocky Mountains.
Payton said he would have several “regrets” when he watches it again, particularly as they gave up points in the second quarter as the Broncos dropped passes and the run game failed. lost 10-7 till new England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High.
“[I’m] “It’s a sad thing for every single player in that locker room,” Payton said. “There’s going to be a lot of things that happen when we watch the tape and I’ll look at it and critique it and pay careful attention. … It was a tough game, and we didn’t do enough to win it.”
The Broncos, who played their biggest play of the game – a 52-yard pass jarrett stidham To Marvin Mims Jr.. – Had only 32 net yards of offense in the second half, including a first down, during their only scoring drive of the game on their second possession of the day.
rioter Will Lutz A field goal was missed, and a potential game-tying kick was blocked with just over five minutes remaining in the game, as the Broncos did not have a play longer than 12 yards after Mims’ first-quarter catch.
“We didn’t score enough points and take advantage of that field position,” Payton said. “It starts with the head coach and the rest of our staff.”
Payton said he would “always” have second thoughts about the decision to go for fourth-and-1 with 9 minutes, 28 seconds left in the second quarter, especially as it snowed at halftime and increased in intensity as the game progressed.
The Broncos led 7–0 and the Patriots’ drives were no longer than 11 yards at that point. Patton decided to go for it from the Patriots’ 14-yard line and said he had initially called for a run play.
But the Broncos took a timeout, and during the pause, Payton said, he changed the call to a pass play that put Stidham into the bootleg.
“I just felt like, man, we had the momentum to get to 14 [points]“I felt like we made a good call,” Payton said. “I think the feeling was, man, let’s be aggressive. You know, getting up to 14, I was just looking at how our defense was playing.”
After the snap, the Patriots defensive tackle corey durden And milton williams Almost immediately he was in the Broncos’ backfield, and this sped up Stidham’s throw, causing his pass to fall incomplete.
Due to poor weather conditions, the Broncos were unable to get inside the New England 20-yard line for the remainder of the game.
“There are always regrets,” Payton said. “I felt like here we are on fourth and first, very close, and it’s a decision based on the team you’re playing and what you’re seeing on the other side of the ball. So, yes, there will always be other ideas.”
Payton said that “in hindsight,” what he called the original run play was “a better decision.”
Overall, Payton pointed to the fact that Denver’s three first-half possessions that started at the Broncos’ 40-yard line or better resulted in just one touchdown – a 6-yard Stidham pass. Courtland Sutton Passing with more than 10 minutes left in the first quarter – the big problem that day.
In the swirling snow after intermission, the Broncos drove 22 yards, Stidham carried 10 yards and the Broncos’ longest possession went for 17 yards, as the passed field goal was getting bigger with each piece of snow.
“It became clear that with each possession, a field goal, that type of thing was going to be really important,” Payton said, “and we weren’t able to get it done.”
as a tackle Mike McGlinchey Put this: “They got one more possession than us. And we have to sit with that until next year.”
