Mile High Report - Week 1: Seahawks 17, Broncos 16 - Everything we knowBy Fans, For Fans....Your Source For Denver Broncos News and Commenthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50905/mhr-fav.png2022-09-17T16:13:54-06:00http://www.milehighreport.com/rss/stream/231059772022-09-17T16:13:54-06:002022-09-17T16:13:54-06:00After Further Review: Broncos officiating Week 1 breakdown
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/q2YhIt4m2SZivToG7LtgXPb26bI=/0x0:4275x2850/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71381472/usa_today_17472863.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Breaking down the good, bad, and ugly from the officials during the Denver Broncos 17-16 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1. </p> <blockquote><p id="TIKqdl"><em><strong>Editor’s Note:</strong></em><em> John is a long time Broncos fan and football official. He will be writing a weekly review of the officiating that the Broncos experience this season on MHR. Be sure to welcome him in the comments section below!</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="eWmF79">Welcome to After Further Review – where every week we examine in depth some elements of the officiating from the previous weeks <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> games. This week we have a number of penalties from the flag-fest that was week 1 in Seattle.</p>
<h3 id="bogtKw">Helmet Hits</h3>
<p id="qKSATg">Helmet to helmet hits are very tricky penalties to enforce. Angle is extremely important. The NFL places an emphasis on safety, and has generally adopted the philosophy of erring on the side of calling too many instead of too few in recent years. This game saw four highlight worthy helmet to helmet hits. The opening kickoff of the second half saw DeeJay Dallas initiate a hit against Montrell Washington with his helmet. This went unflagged, and while Washington was not defenseless, it was a clearly missed call.</p>
<p id="SvhBTK">There was a similar situation in the first quarter with 6:40 remaining. Broncos safety Kareem Jackson hit <a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seattle Seahawks</a> Tight End Noah Fant, leading with his helmet, and was flagged for a Personal Foul. Fant should not have met the definition of a defenseless player at the time, making the two situations similar (if Fant was so engaged with the defender he could not defend himself, he becomes defenseless – and it is possible that was a consideration to the covering official, but neither real time nor replay had that feel to it). While the announcers did not seem to like the penalty, it was a good call.</p>
<p id="HiRlR1">Defenseless players have special protections, and looser standards for a personal foul. Any initiated hit with the helmet is a foul, but functionally the bar is much lower on a defenseless player (this includes long snappers, kickers, punters, passers, players who have given themselves up or are on the ground, and most relevantly, players whose focus is on attempting to catch a ball). With 8:43 left in the first quarter, Seahawks safety Jamal Adams hit Broncos running back Javonte Williams while trying to make a catch. The pass fell incomplete, and no flag was thrown. Watching the live camera, it did not seem egregious, but the replay angle made clear that Adams had initiated a textbook illegal hit against the head of a defenseless player. This absolutely should have been thrown. Penalties against defenseless players always should look a little questionable, but it is really important for the safety of players to be extremely strict on these plays. </p>
<p id="obeMSA">The crew had a better call on a defenseless player later in the game. Denver edge rusher Bradley Chubb hit Seahawks passer Geno Smith and made contact with his head. The commentators said that he led to the head, and I don’t agree with that, but it doesn’t matter. Smith, as someone who had just released a pass, is a defenseless player. Any hit which involves forcible contact to the head or neck of a defenseless player should be called a personal foul. This was an easy call, correctly done.</p>
<h3 id="juSckD">Defensive Holding </h3>
<p id="1zLPEk">Defensive holding has one name but essentially two very different penalties. Both were called against Denver in this game. The first type is a hold on a running play. Defenders are allowed to tackle and hold opponents in an attempt to reach a runner, a loose ball, or a simulated runner, or with offensive players trying to block them. A defender holding/engaging in physical contact with an offensive player when not satisfying the above is almost always committing unnecessary roughness, and should be fouled for that offense instead. In my officiating career I have twice tried to call defensive holding on running plays, and both times been correctly overruled by the crew referee who insisted that I call either personal foul or no foul. It’s a penalty that functionally doesn’t exist.</p>
<p id="SOuFwb">Yet with 4:50 remaining in the second quarter, DJ Jones was called for defensive holding. He ended up out of the play and with an offensive lineman on top of him. There is nothing from film that suggests how this call got made. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Eg6lbz0itL04kkJmsS6ufydnXuM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24031681/ezgif_1_a9dc9c10a1.gif">
</figure>
<p id="yy46L1">Sometimes officials remember the wrong number, but there are no plausible other candidates here for the strange penalty. The announcer noted that this is almost never called, and for good reason. While none of the camera angles I have seen give the same view as umpire Tab Slaughter had, none of them justified the call. If you see something I didn’t, please comment and enlighten us all, but this looks like a random and bad call. </p>
<p id="2QW48f">Later in the contest, Pat Surtain was also called for defensive holding. This was a very different scenario, one that is far more common. Simply put, he held DK Metcalf off the line, obstructing him from completing his route. These calls can be real tough to see on replay and easy to second, as there are a lot of elements that go into it – when did the obstructing end and what other action was going on. TThis particular call is a really good example of the importance of consistency and feel for the game. At any level of football it is both pretty reasonable to call this penalty and to let it go, and while I would not have penalized it, the correctness will depend on the officiating philosophy of the league and crew involved. Furthermore, this kind of defensive holding calls are really difficult get context about as they require study a part of the game that is rarely shown on TV. </p>
<h3 id="HT6B3x">Spotting the Ball</h3>
<p id="UWn2zT">The last play to discuss this week is not about penalties, but about officiating mechanics. On the Broncos first drive, Javante Williams runs and takes the ball and two defenders out of bounds. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3CZY9KWmKJX_1uZd2_OFEMY6Kgs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24031678/ezgif_1_4eb0934c0f.gif">
</figure>
<p id="IE287p">This play illustrates a maxim of officiating: Always box the players in (keep officials deeper on all sides of the field than all players) and keep all players in view. Getting zebra eyes on players out of bounds, and then immediately getting zebra jerseys in their midst is essential at all levels of football. One of the joys of watching NFL officials is how some of the best handle this. Keep an eye on the officials on plays like these and you will see some excellent maneuvers. On this play, we see a basic but perfectly executed move. Down judge Dana Mckenzie moves to the spot the ball went out, sets down his marking bean bag, and immediately continues onward to the three out of bounds players. This is picture perfect.</p>
<p id="ESrzbr">McKenzie, along with Line Judge Julian Mapp are the officials mostly responsible for spotting the ball. I was impressed throughout the game by the spots they used and the calls that they made. The painful goal line fumbles, Geno Smiths failed 4<sup>th</sup> down sneak, and Eric Tomlinson’s foot barely stepping out of bounds on what would have been a go-ahead touchdown were al consequential call obviously correct. A lot of those are easy to see with replay, but getting them right in full speed was the best officiating of the day. </p>
<h3 id="FAOVzC">Conclusion</h3>
<p id="ckjgEc">In future weeks we will discuss offensive holding, offensive procedure fouls, defensive pass interference, as well as more work with personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. However, none of those types of calls impacted the bottom line of the officiating in week one. This crew had a pretty uneven performance. While I was mostly impressed by Dana Mckenzie and Julian Mapp, I have questions about the judgement of first year Side Judge Lo van Pham and felt that umpire Tab Slaughter had a really bad day. </p>
<p id="9LP3di">Officiating is a team sport, and it really hurts to have an amazing night from certain officials spoiled by others, but after this game I hope that the Broncos avoid another game from the Clete Blackmon crew.</p>
<p id="fzw33Q"> </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/17/23358405/broncos-officiating-week-1-breakdownJohn Holmes2022-09-17T06:00:00-06:002022-09-17T06:00:00-06:00Bradley Chubb was highest PFF graded Broncos’ player in Week 1
<figure>
<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Denver Broncos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Elg2XschkAdu-eeuHJ2jmvR_5DU=/0x0:6908x4605/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71379923/1409390016.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Denver Broncos pass rush was on fire in the second half of the Seattle Seahawks game. Bradley Chubb led the way. </p> <p id="LZDl5C">While the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> came up short against the <a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seattle Seahawks</a>, one bright spot was how well the defense adjusted in the second half of that game. They were torched for over 200 yards in the first half and gave up 17 points, but in the second half the absolutely dominated giving up zero points and less than 40 total yards of offense. </p>
<p id="2sUefa">A lot of that had to do with the team’s pass rush. Led by <strong>Bradley Chubb</strong>, the entire edge rushing unit dominated according to <em>Pro Football Focus</em>. </p>
<div id="ezaJV0">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highest graded Broncos in Week 1 vs the Seahawks:<br><br> Bradley Chubb - 86.9<br><br> Randy Gregory - 84.8<br><br> Baron Browning - 80.2<br><br>4️⃣ Justin Simmons - 74.0<br><br>5️⃣ Ronald Darby - 73.6 <a href="https://t.co/i0Jsretioc">pic.twitter.com/i0Jsretioc</a></p>— PFF DEN Broncos (@PFF_Broncos) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_Broncos/status/1570883125064138752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="1ZtYZH">Chubb piled up two sacks and a forced fumble. <strong>Randy Gregory</strong> was also active. He didn’t have any sacks, but he was pressuring <strong>Geno Smith</strong> all night long. Add in <strong>Baron Browning</strong> who took advantage of his time on the field as well and you have a second half defense that controlled the game. </p>
<p id="CWUeaF">It’s unfortunate that the offense had so many miscues and multiple missed opportunities for touchdowns in a game they would eventually lose by a single point. Otherwise, we’d be talking about just how well the Broncos’ defense played in that second half. </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/17/23357284/bradley-chubb-highest-pff-grade-broncos-week-1Tim Lynch2022-09-15T11:00:00-06:002022-09-15T11:00:00-06:00Broncos vs Seahawks film review: Week 1
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uvOe24Co8VcDSNJ69_YpZ63hXP8=/2x0:4429x2951/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71371976/usa_today_19035974.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Not only did the team as a whole look night and day in comparison to the Fangio era, some key players showed that they are ready to do their part in taking this team to the next level.</p> <p id="DGhDce">It wasn’t the result we all had hoped for, but the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> have officially played their first game with Nathaniel Hackett, his coaching staff, and … Russell Wilson. </p>
<p id="prHWeG">While there are obvious issues that need improvement (tackling, penalty discipline on both sides, redzone playcalling/personnel usage, and most importantly… the decision to take the franchise quarterback off the field in favor of a personal record, game-winning kick for Brandon McManus) there were a ton of positives to build off of. I know the end result and final minutes may have left fans feeling like this is the same team of the last 7 years. But I promise, not only did the team as a whole look night and day in comparison to the Fangio era, some players (new and old) showed that they are ready to do their part in taking this team to the next level. </p>
<p id="AyrbaQ">So put down the pitchforks for a moment if you will, and let’s get into what I saw on the week one tape out of Randy Gregory, Bradley Chubb, Javonte Williams, and Andrew Beck.</p>
<h2 id="j89Nzl">Randy Gregory</h2>
<div id="Fo6rLN">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">You voted, here it is!<br>Randy Gregory clips from week 1 vs. Seattle. <a href="https://t.co/f97V4YYVco">pic.twitter.com/f97V4YYVco</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1569897202633277445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="uqRyXz">One of the biggest surprises of the Broncos offseason was the decision by George Paton to not pursue Von Miller. </p>
<p id="2GQfy8">In the Thursday night debut game for Buffalo, Von looked like a top-5 pass rusher (not shocking) and quickly fans began to question the decision to pass up the chance at a reunion. The pressure was on Gregory to look as advertised in a game where he would be playing on a snap count.</p>
<p id="updpKs">Gregory played 26 total snaps of a possible 55 and I’m here to report Broncos Country… he did not disappoint. </p>
<p id="4srKT8">Randy set the tone early on against rookie OT Charles Cross showing off incredible speed to power forcing Cross into the lap of Geno Smith. Every rep he shows you something different as he’s one of few rushers in the league who can win in every way. He’s MASSIVE on the tape overpowering players with his length and getting his arms in passing lanes (he nearly had 3 deflections in this game). His explosiveness off the snap combined with his freak agility and bend had both tackles off balance anytime he was across from them. He even brings a wide array of moves in his arsenal and never quits on a rush if the first move fails.</p>
<p id="EzOsxF">He even managed to force a key fumble from DK Metcalf with a superb rip on the ball.</p>
<p id="ijvVHY">Of all edge rushers in week one Randy Gregory had the fourth highest pass rush win percentage at 30.8%.</p>
<p id="MnzkPc">If he can continue to produce at that clip while increasing his snaps as he gets healthier and better conditioned, we could see one hell of a season out of number five.</p>
<h2 id="h1ndfP">Andrew Beck</h2>
<div id="vsbERC">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Andrew Beck clips vs. Seattle!<br><br>Beck was a menace as a blocker and surprisingly effective/utilized in the pass game. <a href="https://t.co/qV7VTsHG1E">pic.twitter.com/qV7VTsHG1E</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1570154860225433607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="c1SnWA">Who is this and what did you do with Andrew Beck?</p>
<p id="l3zEod">All offseason I was honestly a little confused by the coaching staff’s love for Andrew Beck as their utility FB/TE hybrid, then on MNF Andrew Beck revealed that he is secretly Rob Gronkowski in disguise.</p>
<p id="FxTjN4">Second play of the game we see him roll into the flat on a boot action, catch a pass from Russ and turn up field. He gained over 20 yards before lowering the shoulder on a helpless DB and then ran out of bounds. </p>
<p id="tl6BmM">The next play we see him nullify two oncoming defenders in the run game, sealing a crease for Javonte Williams to sneak behind for an extra couple yards. </p>
<p id="4z3iHZ">THE VERY NEXT PLAY.</p>
<p id="Z8Hqpx">Beck lined up offset on Fleming, play-action tight end wheel route that opens up beautifully. Russell throws a slightly over thrown ball with a ton of touch and allows Beck to do the rest. With one hand he tears the pass out of the air for a 27 yard pick up and another big play on the Broncos opening drive.</p>
<p id="uUZbnY">We saw him blowing up DBs on runs and he was a massive factor in Melvin and Javonte finding so much success. </p>
<p id="QWM0Jf">He even should’ve had a touchdown on a goal line shovel pass if it weren’t for a poorly timed false start from Courtland Sutton. </p>
<p id="dWfn5h">This was an Andrew Beck I’ve never seen before and if he can continue to bring this impact in both the run and pass game, I’m sure glad Denver kept him around. With only 10 snaps in this game we could see increased usage from Beck going forward.</p>
<h2 id="DHT2nf">Bradley Chubb</h2>
<div id="bp3AMF">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bradley Chubb clips vs. Seattle <a href="https://t.co/T90yf5jXCJ">pic.twitter.com/T90yf5jXCJ</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1570238310722707456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="4IEZJ1">It took Bradley Chubb about a quarter and a half to get going but once he did… oh my lord.</p>
<p id="6Gt71q">Some of the slow start was related to how much he was asked to drop in coverage in the first half, but when the game was close and Denver needed big plays on defense and most importantly, stops. Bradley Chubb was there. </p>
<p id="5x8HkD">First Seattle play of the 3rd, Bradley Chubb destroys Noah Fant attempting to come across the formation for a block, Chubb makes the tackle for no gain.</p>
<p id="njiPPH">Couple plays later we see him attack Cross’ outside shoulder with a bull rush into rip just narrowly missing out on the sack.</p>
<p id="CA4hXB">Then the very next play sees him win on the inside shoulder of Cross, applying the pressure before delivering a humongous late hit on Geno Smith which has sadly become somewhat of a ‘Bradley Chubb Special’.</p>
<p id="4MPI2e">After the horrid back-to-back end zone Denver fumbles, with all hope of victory starting to slip away, Bradley Chubb delivered a strip sack where he beat Cross to the edge and utilized his bend to force Seattle into a 3rd and 16 that they couldn’t convert.</p>
<p id="OGUfOe">Then with 6 minutes left in the game, with Denver down 1. Bradley Chubb came through once more. </p>
<p id="qcsO2x">3rd and 6 Chubb seemingly effortlessly wins around the corner against Cross again jumping on the back of Smith for a loss of 10. </p>
<p id="iDxDOd">Denver needs Chubb to be the guy they can rely on in big moments this season. In a contract year where he finally gets the chance to be healthy, he’s started off on an incredible foot. </p>
<p id="wZpRbX">You might remember me praising Randy Gregory for having the fourth highest pass rush win rate in the league from week 1, well only a short 2 spots behind him was Bradley Chubb with a 29.4% win rate.</p>
<h2 id="j9G3fr">Javonte Williams</h2>
<div id="kacLoB">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Javonte Williams clips vs. Seattle <a href="https://t.co/fzjX5K1Kr1">pic.twitter.com/fzjX5K1Kr1</a></p>— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankiesFilm/status/1570249050259132421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="8UacRY">This should come as no surprise, Javonte Williams ran very hard on Monday.</p>
<p id="etF4rq">Thanks in large part to the blocking up front, on only 7 carries Williams managed 43 rushing yards on a 6.1 ypc. He showed off the same burst and power we’ve come to expect and punished every Seattle defender he came into contact with. </p>
<p id="wtbnDs">What really stood out from Williams’ performance was his usage and capability in the pass game. </p>
<p id="7cuBdT">Javonte ended with a game-leading 12 targets and 11 catches. Most of these came on dump offs and a few screens where he showed consistent hands and a knack for picking up first downs.</p>
<p id="FKpF7H">While I believe some of Williams’ vision issues have been somewhat overblown, we did see a few moments where he needs to prioritize gaining extra yards over creating contact. Especially in the screen game where he needs to learn to better follow his blockers and let them absorb some of the oncoming traffic. Still, it’s hard to argue with the results he produces.</p>
<p id="HbIFKG">Javonte did receive more snaps than Melvin Gordon, but he didn’t receive more rushes and fans will argue he should’ve seen the ball at least once from the one yard line on the first goal line possession before Melvin’s fumble.</p>
<p id="9v5jHz">Sadly the monkey paw curled and when he did get his chance to take a carry from the one yard line, he also fumbled the points away.</p>
<p id="gWw2Mv">It would appear that Javonte Williams is Hackett’s “Aaron Jones” and we should expect to see him heavily utilized in every part of the offense. He’s a powerful runner with adequate burst to hit running lanes in the outside zone heavy scheme, and his chops in the pass game make him one of the more reliable short and medium down converters on the team. </p>
<p id="UG2wAl">It’s looking like a monster year for Javonte, and hopefully he’ll spend the week putting extra emphasis on ball security.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/15/23354221/broncos-film-review-week-1-seahawksfrankiesfilm2022-09-15T08:00:00-06:002022-09-15T08:00:00-06:00Richard Sherman: Wilson lacked the “power to call timeout”
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-kUXFaxTmPw3muC9QIpwQ4Rz9oI=/0x168:4104x2904/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71371000/usa_today_13656237.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Russell Wilson’s former teammate gives his take on the play call that ultimately ended the Denver Broncos chances of winning in Week 1. </p> <p id="bBr2AR">It’s just one game, a lot went well, and the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> can of course learn from their Week 1 mistakes, but the days following the cringeworthy loss to the <a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seattle Seahawks</a>, things haven’t been much easier.</p>
<p id="DJAevX">Despite other teams soiling themselves in their openers (looking at you, Rams, Bengals, and <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a>), it seems special attention has been paid this week to first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett and his decision to try for a ridiculously long field goal attempt rather than to trust in his $245 million QB to get 5 yards.</p>
<div id="nRj00B">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">But wait there's more <a href="https://t.co/B80sisLtvZ">pic.twitter.com/B80sisLtvZ</a></p>— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanKoenigsberg/status/1569805076583317504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="YoIgxC">While Hackett admitted his mistake and should (hopefully) learn from it, seeing images of just how close the Broncos were to turning this from a 1-point loss to potentially a 3-score win have been tough to stomach.</p>
<p id="9cP0Ok">Former NFL QB and <a href="https://youtu.be/J0OkR986LL4">back-of-the-endzone</a> dweller Dan Orlovsky’s analysis isn’t easy to hear, either.</p>
<div id="X3tW88">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This play is the reason the <a href="https://twitter.com/Seahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Seahawks</a> won… <a href="https://t.co/zjzHHbUDCg">pic.twitter.com/zjzHHbUDCg</a></p>— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) <a href="https://twitter.com/danorlovsky7/status/1569793855259648000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="PguAQT">Most of the blame has been directed at Hackett, who, to his credit, is owning it, but former Seahawks DB and teammate of Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, had thoughts on his former QB.</p>
<p id="oFeEwS">Truthfully, while Wilson finished with an impressive stat line, many fans may have been asking the same question following the field goal debacle:</p>
<p id="pPPDv1">“Why didn’t Russ demand the ball?”</p>
<p id="ZkrHGI">Sherman pointed to the now widely known snippet of Peyton Manning on ESPN2’s ManningCast nearly putting a whole through his left hand trying to call time out from his couch and said the reason, per Sherman, that Wilson stayed put was because he doesn’t possess the kind of power Manning did.</p>
<div id="qSUY1u">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Richard Sherman shared his thoughts on the ending of Broncos-Seahawks <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TheVolumeSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheVolumeSports</a>)<a href="https://t.co/BIiROmVhzl">pic.twitter.com/BIiROmVhzl</a></p>— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/1570179070817882112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="Dlh292">“Russell Wilson does not have the power to call that timeout without the sideline,” he said. “Peyton Manning can call that timeout without the sideline. He’s the coach on the field. He has that respect.”</p>
<p id="FSAYKq">The former Legion of Boom member seemed to be trying to sell the narrative that the moment can’t fall on Wilson due to his perceived lack of input, but make no mistake, that is a shot at Wilson...right to the heart.</p>
<p id="kJWMhj">Truthfully, while Sherman has a point, it’s important to remember that this is a QB and coach still getting to know one another. It could be detrimental to chemistry if in Hackett’s first game as head coach if Wilson overruled him. Wilson wants to establish trust, and emasculating your first-year head coach on Monday Night Football would have been tough to maintain that.</p>
<p id="VtvBOL">It goes a step further when kicker Brandon McManus told both Wilson and Hackett he could make it from that range.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="jOuVdb"><q>“I gave them that spot — 46-yard, left hash — and they got me exactly to that spot. So, I was ready. I knew that there was a good chance that we might kick it...I totally believe I can make that kick.”</q></aside></div>
<p id="KVC2D6">To tell both your new coach and new teammate (and elite kicker) to stand down in your first game is probably not the easiest thing to do.</p>
<p id="FziyYI">Having said that, though, it’s probably safe to say the majority of America would have put their trust in Wilson to get 5 yards than to attempt a field goal that would have tied the second longest in NFL history.</p>
<p id="VlDRaj">Hackett has admitted fault in the matter and will hopefully adjust in the future. In the coming weeks, as game chemistry continues to grow, hopefully QB and coach can trust/respect each other enough in tough situations to talk things out before acting.</p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/15/23354006/wilson-lacked-the-power-to-call-timeoutNick Burch2022-09-15T06:00:00-06:002022-09-15T06:00:00-06:00Hackett knows the FG attempt was a bad call, but reiterates that it was pre-determined
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aVVrvZAmAnQRDFF8Xe_b8dRYJSs=/0x0:3182x2121/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71370512/usa_today_19037267.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“We said 46-yard line was where we wanted to be, and we got there so we had to make a decision.”</p> <p id="KJTtJf">Head coach Nathaniel Hackett had another round of questioning about <strong>that</strong> 64-yard field goal attempt (you know the one). We’re still not putting this topic to rest, and to be fair, it’s only two days post-game. The loss is going to sting all week, so we can keep moping about it at least until Sunday at 2:25pm.</p>
<div id="ifGzNa">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BroncosCountry?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BroncosCountry</a> LIVE: Coach Hackett meets the media before Wednesday’s practice <a href="https://t.co/VRAusUM7KT">https://t.co/VRAusUM7KT</a></p>— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) <a href="https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1570126129994035201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="b9V2H8">“Looking back at it, we definitely should have gone for it. It’s one of those things where you look back at it and you say, ‘Of course we should go for it,’” Hackett explained, “We missed the field goal. But in that situation, we had a plan.”</p>
<p id="7P6ZOA">Hackett went on to share that it was decided beforehand: as long as they hit the 46-yard line, they would kick it, and that’s exactly what happened. They had so much yardage to make up on that third down and, after they trimmed it down to five yards, they had hit their designated FG attempt territory.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="RSD9We"><q>“If you missed the field goal, you’re always going to wish you would have gone for it. If you would have gone for it and not gotten it, you wish you would have given him a chance.” -Hackett on the FG decision</q></aside></div>
<p id="3mIzpB">“We were expecting to go for it on fourth down and then you hit the mark. The mark that we had all set before we started,” he said, noting that the decision was made with Brandon McManus in mind, i.e. how he was feeling about it and performing in practice.</p>
<p id="t0VyEd">Asked if he doubted McManus’ ability to make that kick, he admitted that it was a matter of giving him an opportunity. </p>
<p id="xeSKDH">“Obviously looking back at it, if you missed the field goal, you’re always going to wish you would have gone for it,” he said, “If you would have gone for it and not gotten it, you wish you would have given him a chance. So that’s the crazy thing about this game.”</p>
<p id="n0fjPl">Hackett wouldn’t go back and use his timeouts sooner if he could. “No, when we went into that point there, we wanted to be sure that we left no time for them. We had plenty of timeouts if we did need to utilize those.”</p>
<p id="x1aYkB">The media also asked whether QB Russell Wilson had pushed to go for it on fourth and five instead of kicking the field goal. Hackett said he hadn’t.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="8UIs39"><q>“That’s the only thing I know how to do, just keep putting my head down and keep working, making sure these guys believe and understand the things that we need to correct to be able to get better so that we can win some football games.” -Nathaniel Hackett</q></aside></div>
<p id="h8ReqG">“No, we all had the plan,” he shared, “Russell knew it, he knew I was going take a timeout so he was going to see if he could get them to jump offsides, or anything like that.”</p>
<p id="IDKjdR">Finally, Hackett knows what the media is saying and what the coverage for this game looks like. He understands why the stories come and that the responsibility falls on him.</p>
<p id="lz4R35">“Every game we want to win. Every game for us, we go in with a mentality that we want to win it...that’s part of being in this seat, being in this profession is that this stuff is going to happen at all times.”</p>
<p id="otur3A">Hackett added that you have to keep working to get better, and never give up. “That’s the only thing I know how to do, just keep putting my head down and keep working, making sure these guys believe and understand the things that we need to correct to be able to get better so that we can win some football games.”</p>
<p id="cc8lpO"></p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/15/23350399/hackett-bad-call-was-pre-determinedEli Nicholson2022-09-14T12:00:00-06:002022-09-14T12:00:00-06:00Stats the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oKSTesYPb0afnl-GwTLKfzY_UAM=/0x0:2787x1858/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71367672/usa_today_19037268.5.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some silver linings from the grey clouds that followed the Broncos home from Seattle. </p> <p id="Unsxr1">Turnovers are happening with decreasing frequency every year in the NFL. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BmdqPwrp9h1hlFlkHfr2YjJceGE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24021875/turnovers_per_reg_season_game.png">
</figure>
<p id="3lbgWi">So teams that can avoid them on offense (which the Broncos didn’t) and create them on defense (which the Broncos did somewhat) have a much better chance of winning. </p>
<p id="oR5SO4">On offense, the D<a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">enver Broncos </a>turned the ball over with fumbles twice inside the 1. If you listened to the broadcast, the last time a team did that was 1990. But let’s look at how often any turnover happened in 2021 when the offense had the ball inside the opponent’s five. There were only 26 instances during the regular season last year where an offense turned the ball over from inside the opponent’s five last season. Twelve were interceptions and 14 were fumbles. </p>
<p id="KMfKpT">If the situation seemed eerily familiar, it’s because the Broncos were on the “giving” end of three of <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/8NFML">those turnovers last season</a>. The fumble by Javonte Williams against the Jets (play began at the 1), the game-ending interception by Drew Lock against the Ravens (play began at the 5) and the pick tossed by Teddy Bridgewater against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> (play began at the 3). The three turnovers inside the 5 last season was the most by any team. </p>
<p id="57Nvjg">If we expand it to the 10 yard line, it gets worse. The Broncos had an <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/m0HZY">additional three turnovers</a>. With the six turnovers inside the opponent’s 10 in 2021, the Broncos had double the second place team (Chicago). Those three additional turnovers were on a fumble by Albert Okwuegbunam against the Giants, a fumble by Drew Lock against the Bengals and the infamous fumble by Melvin Gordon in the final game of the season against the Chiefs. </p>
<p id="nPI84D">Over the last 18 regular season games the Broncos have turned the ball over eight times inside the opponent’s 10. There were seven teams that have zero turnovers inside the opponent’s 10 during this time. There are another eight teams that have done it only once in the past 18 regular season games. </p>
<p id="xmIK3E">For whatever reason, this has been a problem for the Broncos for some time. If we expand the time window back to 2019, the Broncos have 11 turnovers from inside the opponent 10. The <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Chargers</a> have the second most with 9, but it’s interesting to note that the Broncos have 8 in the past 18 regular season games, but had only 3 in the previous 32 regular season games. Every team has at least one turnover inside the opponent’s 10 from 2019-2022, but Washington and New Orleans both have <em>only</em> one. </p>
<div id="DfbenE">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Vic Fangio's (and Ed Donatell's) defense in Denver did not force turnovers. I'm hoping this trend changes in 2022. I'd love to see the defense create enough to move into the middle of the pack. <a href="https://t.co/oas3I3tSts">pic.twitter.com/oas3I3tSts</a></p>— Joe Mahoney (@ndjomo76) <a href="https://twitter.com/ndjomo76/status/1567180761110814722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="x9LwUB">Defensively it was great to see the Broncos forcing three fumbles on Monday night. The Bronco defense was credited with <em><strong>only six forced fumbles</strong></em> during the 2021 season. To get half of that in one game, even if only one was recovered by the Broncos, is definitely a good thing. The Broncos defense recovered six fumbles in 2021. </p>
<p id="Jp3aZl">From a league rank perspective the Broncos were 26th in the league at recovering fumbles on defense. There were only 266 turnovers by fumble during the 272 regular season games last year. Only two teams had fewer defensive recovered fumbles than the Broncos in 2021. The Eagles had four and the Jaguars had two. The Jags defense forced a total of nine turnovers in 2021 - seven interceptions and two fumble recoveries. That was the second fewest turnovers ever forced in an NFL regular season (tied with the 2020 <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a>). Only the 2018 48ers forced fewer with seven. </p>
<p id="f138Wn">There have only been ten teams in the history of the NFL to force fewer than 12 turnovers in a regular season and all but one did it <a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/pm7he">this century</a>. That one that happened prior to 2001 was from the strike-shortened 1982 season, so I don’t think it should count. The 1982 Colts forced <em>11 turnovers in 9 games</em> which is good by modern standards when you remember that the 2021 Jags forced <em>9 in 17 games</em>. </p>
<p id="3SaSgC">Offensively, Russell Wilson got away with two throws that should have been picked (the one that hit Jamal Adams in the helmet and the one that went through the CB’s hands in the endzone). This was worrisome to me since Wilson’s career interception rate is quite low. He is tied (unless you go to three sig figs) with Tom Brady and Colin Kaepernick for fifth best all-time. His interception rate is 1.82 percent, meaning that fewer than one in fifty of his passes is picked off. <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_int_perc_career.htm">Aaron Rodgers is the career leader</a> at 1.3 percent and his a step above to the next best two (Patrick Mahomes and Tyrod Taylor). </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/14/23352704/broncos-red-zone-turnoversJoe Mahoney2022-09-14T08:00:00-06:002022-09-14T08:00:00-06:005 things we learned during the Broncos week one loss vs. the Seahawks
<figure>
<img alt="Denver Broncos v Seattle Seahawks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L8t7nCMqIlMUoao2D0JKTVdLFcY=/0x0:3500x2333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71366296/1423231109.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I gave myself the 24 hour rule before I approached this piece after a very emotional loss to the Seahawks.</p> <p id="VM0jfW">That game sucked. </p>
<p id="vGaR1o">The <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> lost an emotional one to the <a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seattle Seahawks</a> on Monday Night Football by the score of 17-16. We already know the basics of why that loss happened. The two fumbles, the red zone woes, the defensive miscommunications, the penalties, and so on. </p>
<p id="ZTz0mD">With that said, we did come away from that game with some bright spots, interesting usages, things they need to fix moving, and some remaining questions they need to fix forward.</p>
<p id="UJcpjy">So I am going to give you five things we learned during the Broncos' week one loss to the Seattle Seahawks. </p>
<h3 id="rX1hWh"><strong>1. Broncos' offense looks promising</strong></h3>
<p id="266oZW">Forget about the red zone woes for one second. The Broncos' offense looked legit last night. They were running the ball with ease, Russell Wilson was making plays, the receivers played well when targeted, and the screen game was beautiful to watch as well. Hell, even Andrew Beck looked like a potential gamechanger for the Broncos early on as well (why he didn’t get more snaps is beyond me)</p>
<div id="XVKZWH">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Broncos had over 400 yards of total offense, more than 5 yards per rushing attempt and over 7.5 yards per pass play while holding Seattle under 275 yards.<br><br>Denver came into Monday 20-0 all-time with that combination of stats.<br><br>Now that record is 20-1.<br><br>(Per <a href="https://twitter.com/pfref?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pfref</a>)</p>— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaseDenver/status/1569716984753061890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="3fwWA7">This is a game where if you looked at the stat book alone, you would think the Broncos won by a blowout. However, that was not the case, unfortunately, but still, it showed promise. </p>
<p id="Q6nQ4h">They had 433 total yards on offense, 180 more yards than the Seahawks. They had over 100 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per rush attempt. They also averaged 6.8 yards per play which is pretty impressive as well. If you told me this would be the case before the game, I would have been thrilled. Again, we all know how it went. </p>
<p id="TBfYDI">Wilson had 340 yards passing and a quarterback rating of 101.3 while running back Javonte Williams had 6.1 yards per carry as well. Again, two very impressive stat lines. Receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy combined for 8 catches for 174 yards as well. Even Javonte Williams got into the pass-catching game and hauled in 11 balls for 65 yards. He had 108 total combined yards which is a solid game for any running back. </p>
<p id="Xc6eO1">These are all impressive stats but penalties, turnovers, failed red zone attempts and some curious coaching decisions derailed what should have been a double-digit victory over the Seahawks. If you clean up even just some of these mistakes, the Broncos' offense looks dangerous and explosive. I know it’s hard to be positive after that defeat but this Broncos offense should keep them very competitive moving forward. </p>
<h3 id="5SjD1J"><strong>2. Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero shows that he can make mid-game adjustments</strong></h3>
<p id="uhsoie">The Broncos' defense was upsetting to watch in the first half. They were blowing coverages, committing fouls, showcasing poor tackling, getting no pass rush, and blowing assignments that led to two easy touchdowns. It looked like Seattle was going to run away with this one potentially, but things changed in the second half.</p>
<div id="nx5SSD">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the first half, the Broncos' defense allowed 17 points and 219 yards.<br><br>In the second half, they clamped down, only allowing 34 yards and ZERO points.<br><br>Impressive turnaround for the defense.</p>— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZacStevensDNVR/status/1569690109611429888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="DQdSNV">Whatever changes defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero did at halftime, they worked. The defense was covering better, the pass rush woke up, Bradley Chubb had two key sacks including a strip sack(the most unluckiest bounce), and limited the Seahawks to just 37 total yards (and somehow the Broncos still lost). </p>
<p id="Ds1DcY">Evero is a first-time defensive coordinator so his in-game adjustments were a total question mark. At least for that game, he passed that test for me and showed some promise as well. </p>
<p id="0G9AUK">As for the defense, it was nice to see Bradley Chubb make some plays and get two sacks. He needed a game like that and hopefully, that sort of production continues. Also, Randy Gregory who entered the game as questionable was pressuring the quarterback all game. Considering how much time he missed this offseason and summer, that was also promising to see. </p>
<p id="kL6zPP">I would (cautiously) chalk up the first-half woes to some rust and potentially the absence of inside linebacker Josey Jewell had a negative impact as well. It was not the best night for Alex Singleton, so get healthy soon Josey. </p>
<p id="Pz54Dw">Overall, the defense looked solid, adjustments were made and they shut down the Seahawks after a rough first half. Let us hope they can carry over that second-half momentum into next week vs. Davis Mills and the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a>.</p>
<h3 id="1zBiT4"><strong>3. Growing pains are going to happen</strong></h3>
<p id="2aeBsj">This is not me making excuses for what happened on Monday Night Football, but these sorts of things had to be expected. I don’t know to the extent we saw in week one, but the inexperience this team has with the coaching staff, the new schemes, and the lack of playing time from the starters likely mean more growing pains are on the way. </p>
<p id="2WLC6k">The real question here is how they grow from this. An embarrassing loss like this on primetime can make or break a team. It could lead to finger-pointing, a lack of trust, and potentially a divided locker room. It could also humble a team and make them grow as a team and grow from these struggles. It remains to be seen which road these Broncos take, but today, Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett took a good first step forward.</p>
<p id="l1nWDw">He started off today’s presser by admitting he made a mistake in the final moments of the game. This shows some self-reflection by the Broncos head coach and hopefully a teaching moment for him moving forward.</p>
<blockquote><p id="s1kNUR">“Looking back at it, we definitely should have gone for it. It’s one of those things where you look back at it and you say, ‘Of course, we should go for it.’ We missed the field goal. But in that situation, we had a plan. We knew that 46 was the mark. We were third-and-15, I think, third-and-13. I’m more upset about that play before, to lose yards. Getting that there would have definitely been better able to call that same play and get extra yards, but he dumps it out to Javonte. Javonte makes a move and goes a lot farther than I think we had anticipated. We were expecting to go for it on fourth down and then you hit the mark. The mark that we had all set before we started. We said the 46-yard line was where we wanted to be, and we got there so we had to make a decision. We wanted to give it to Brandon McManus, and we did. It didn’t work, it sucks but that's a part of it.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="v7WBbo">Also, it sounds like the Broncos players have Hackett’s back. One veteran player texted Benjamin Allbright that they feel better about this 0-1 Broncos team than they did about the 3-0 Broncos under Vic Fangio.</p>
<div id="yzCa5i">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Broncos veteran player via text to me just now.<br><br>"I feel better about our chances at 0-1 with this team, than I felt at 3-0 last season. We're tougher and if the fans stick with us, we will win."</p>— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/1569544057235607553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="YhmnLn">These Broncos may have more growing pains in them, but it sounds like internally, they remain confident in the team and the coaching staff they have.</p>
<p id="OL2nHI">At the end of the day, I do too. This Broncos team has talent and should have easily defeated the Seahawks. I feel like they will take care of business against the Texans and get themselves moving in the right direction. Especially at home and not facing the crowd noise and environment they faced in Seattle. </p>
<h3 id="QzrXXc"><strong>4. Interesting usage on offense</strong></h3>
<p id="TEcqTV">You really don’t know how everyone will be used until you look at the post-week one snap counts and targets. For the Broncos, we had some interesting ones that stood out among the rest.</p>
<div id="GXqMlR">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Broncos final snap counts. Williams 12 targets <a href="https://t.co/7lDkPnDZgB">pic.twitter.com/7lDkPnDZgB</a></p>— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_NateJahnke/status/1569524446532370432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="VX8Ws0">Starting with the running backs, I am surprised by how it all ended. Veteran Melvin Gordon was given the most carries with 12 while Javonte Williams, who many assumed was RB1 only received 7 carries. We also saw Gordon receive a good amount of red zone carries ahead of Williams. Both did receive their chances, but Gordon was first in line. However, when it came to targets in the passing game, Javonte had 12 targets while Gordon had just 2 targets in the passing game. However, when it came to overall snaps, Williams got the edge with 38 while Gordon had 27 snaps. </p>
<p id="IU9ujA">I would have assumed Javonte would have been given more of the carries while Gordon would have been used in the passing game more. In the end, the opposite ended up being true which is interesting. I am all for getting the bowling ball Javonte is into open space and going against defensive backs who are much smaller and much less physical than he is. It will be interesting how these snap counts look in the coming weeks. </p>
<p id="91K3hT">As for the receivers, the targets were non-existent for most of the first half. The first target to a receiver didn’t come until late in the second quarter when Russell Wilson connected with Jerry Jeudy for a long touchdown. In the end, both Sutton and Jeudy ended the night with 7 targets each. The only other receiver to receive a target was K.J. Hamler who had 2 but did not register a reception in the game. Special teamer Tyrie Cleveland had 8 snaps and ran 5 routes as well, but was not targeted at all during the game. </p>
<p id="A07kFe">I would have thought the receivers would have been a bigger emphasis in the game, especially considering all the hype they received throughout the offseason. It was an interesting offensive game plan by Hackett and the Broncos, especially considering they were behind all game. Hopefully, we see them more involved in the upcoming games. </p>
<p id="Dvsv4R">One position that was involved all game was the Broncos' tight ends. All four tight ends were involved to some extent and were emphasized early on in the offensive game plan. Fullback/tight end Andrew Beck was the swiss army knife in the first drive and carried the offense. Starter Albert O. played the most reps of the bunch with 44 but was off the field for a decent amount of snaps. He ran a route 34 times of his 44 snaps, so he wasn’t tasked to run block all that much. Meanwhile, Eric Tomlinson played in 20 snaps, ran 6 routes, and was targeted once(so close to a touchdown). Eric Saurbet played 18 snaps, ran 9 routes, and was targeted once (should have caught it). </p>
<p id="DHKGCZ">So, it appears that Tomlinson and Saurbet come in for blocking situations while Albert O. is used as the move tight end. Pretty much what we expected, but interesting to see the snap counts of them all. </p>
<p id="0oVF2G">Tomlinson and Saurbet need to be more productive in their limited passing game chances. Both had game-changing opportunities and could not catch the ball or keep their toe in bounds. </p>
<h3 id="tMTnLR"><strong>5. Week 2 vs. the Texans is a must-win game now</strong></h3>
<p id="mtuRaQ">The Broncos were given two cupcake games to start the season and they blew one already. Now you have Davis Mills and the 0-1 Houston Texans coming into Denver on week two and the Broncos are facing an early season “must win” game. </p>
<p id="jAouGa">The AFC is a competitive conference and the AFC West is probably the most competitive division in the NFL. So, the Broncos can’t afford to go 0-2 because the history of teams starting out 0-2 is bleak.</p>
<div id="lCO7xP">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">27 teams started 0-2 the past 3 years and none of them made the playoffs. The last time a team started a season 0-2 and made the playoffs was in 2018 when Houston and Seattle both did it</p>— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshDubowAP/status/1569849683140575234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="I2nPFz">So, we need the Broncos to take care of business at home against the Texans and get this ship heading in the right direction before they dig themselves into a hole too deep to overcome. </p>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/14/23352268/5-things-we-learned-broncos-seahawksScotty Payne2022-09-14T07:00:00-06:002022-09-14T07:00:00-06:00Why the sky is not falling after Broncos tough loss to Seahawks
<figure>
<img alt="Denver Broncos v Seattle Seahawks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ump9szvgGr-zKE0eXO7uxBN2yV8=/0x0:3500x2333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71365949/1423231107.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Denver Broncos literally did everything they could to lose the game and only lost by a point on the road. So maybe there are some positives to take away from this.</p> <p id="7ICjWp">After spending much of the past 24 hours raging over a host of things the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com">Denver Broncos</a> did or didn’t do and over head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s more than questionable game management late, there are reasons to still feel confident in this team <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/7/23341936/broncos-seahawks-preview-recap-week-1">despite the 17-16 defeat</a> to the <a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seattle Seahawks</a>. </p>
<p id="hHaDIc">There are so many things that went wrong for Denver. Before we get into why the sky isn’t falling, let’s do a brief and painful recap of the bad from that game. </p>
<ul>
<li id="4GnRHn">Four trips to the red zone, six points.</li>
<li id="b9LHmk">Two goal line fumbles that Seattle recovered.</li>
<li id="WzKr6Y">Lost track of all the penalties. </li>
<li id="YXRE6p">Taking the game out of Russell Wilson’s hands for a 64-yard field goal attempt.</li>
</ul>
<p id="BkXqNr">It was a sloppy, error-filled game for the Broncos. They almost looked like a team that hadn’t played in a game for almost a year. Oh yeah, the didn’t play in the preseason so it has been almost a year for many of those starters. </p>
<p id="kHXkaS">In any case, coach Hackett inexplicably defending his decision to take Russell Wilson out of the game on a fourth and five for an improbably field goal attempt. Teams convert on 4th down and five yards on 49% of attempts. That is a damn sight better than the 8/70 kickers are from 64 yards or greater. Just sayin’...</p>
<p id="airVeq">Given that specifically, Hackett won’t be making my list for why the sky isn’t falling. He is a rookie head coach and this is something he’ll need to reflect on and learn from, along with his clock management. All of these things rookie head coaches tend to struggle with.</p>
<p id="XOodBi">No, the reason the sky isn’t falling is due to the missed opportunities. This tweet summed up a good number of those literal inches worth of miss opportunity. </p>
<div id="GzSaZA">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Football is such a crazy (and beautiful) sport.<br><br>The Broncos were a couple inches away from beating the Seahawks by double digits.<br><br>Instead, we're all in meltdown mode. <a href="https://t.co/ftQgTjWs2S">pic.twitter.com/ftQgTjWs2S</a></p>— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanKoenigsberg/status/1569793123500568577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="0WMH4b">Missed opportunities mean that the Broncos had plenty of chances to not only win this game but to win comfortably. That means these are issues they could clean up and improve on. It’s hard to improve when you are not converting third downs or moving the football consistently. </p>
<p id="rfyT5q">Here are some stats from Monday’s game that should give us hope better days are ahead: </p>
<ul>
<li id="28VKUH">Russell Wilson went 29/42 for 340 yards and a touchdown.</li>
<li id="FNuKhE">Javonte Williams average 6.1 yards per carry and had 11 receptions for 65 yards. He had 108 total yards in the game.</li>
<li id="Y5qX2d">Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton combined for 8 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown.</li>
<li id="DE99eY">Broncos were 8/15 on third down and had zero three and outs.</li>
<li id="zkix64">433 total yards on offense and nearly 34 minutes in time of possession.</li>
<li id="UAENex">Defense shut out the Seahawks in the second half. </li>
</ul>
<p id="1MPc7S">All of the bad is correctable and all of the good is what we all were hoping for from this team to start the season. So no, the sky isn’t falling, but they better turn things around immediately. The AFC is too strong to be dropping games to teams led by Geno Smith.</p>
<p id="xSKBHe">While I do think the honeymoon is over for Nathaniel Hackett, he has 16 more games to prove he can hang in the NFL. He certainly has the roster to be successful. Beginning in Week 2, they need to deliver. </p>
<p id="1Cv9pZ"><em>Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in </em><a href="https://www.milehighreport.com"><em>Denver Broncos</em></a><em> fans and fans across the country. </em><a href="https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EFIUQ7/"><em>Sign up here</em></a><em> to participate.</em></p>
<div id="FUobR1"><iframe id="ss-embed-frame" onload="window.parent.parent.scrollTo(0,0)" src="https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/704H6V/" style="width:100%;height:1200px;border:0px;padding-bottom:4px;" frameborder="0"><a href="https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/704H6V/">Please take our survey</a></iframe></div>
https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/9/14/23350361/sky-is-not-falling-broncos-countryTim Lynch