Red zone miss halts 4th quarter comeback attempt vs. Steelers
PITTSBURGH » Questions and answers after the Broncos’ 2621 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Q: Let’s start at the end. The Broncos had third- and- 2 from the Steelers’ 15- yard line at the two- minute warning and trailing by five points. What happened over the next two plays?
A: Missed opportunities, period. On third down, quarterback Jeff Driskel had decent protection from a five- man Steelers pressure. But at the snap, receiver KJ Hamler collided with receiver DaeSean Hamilton and that little hiccup could have thrown the timing off. Driskel’s pass to Hamler was high and incomplete. On fourth down, the Broncos used an empty backfield and linebacker Terrell Edmunds blitzed unblocked. The problem was, he was to Driskel’s front side, meaning Driskel ( as he later said) should have adjusted. He had Tim Patrick open over the middle for a first down.
Q: The injuries continue to pile up. Besides quarterback Drew Lock’s right ( throwing) shoulder, which new injury will have the biggest impact?
A: Receiver Courtland Sutton missed Week 1 with a shoulder injury and started Week 2 with
a 20- yard catch. The good vibes, though, didn’t make it until halftime. Sutton was injured when Driskel’s pass went through his hands and was intercepted. The Broncos called it cramps in the leg/ knee area, but the way Sutton was trying to flex his leg on the sideline was concerning. Also worrisome was that Sutton tried to jog to the locker room at the half, but had to almost immediately hit the brakes and walk.
Q: Pittsburgh went 2- of- 12 on third down and 1- of- 3 in the red zone, and didn’t hold the time of possession advantage. How did the Steelers roll up 410 yards?
A: Two gigantic plays totaling 143 yards. Rookie receiver Chase Claypool scored on an 84- yard touchdown catch against rookie Broncos cornerback Michael Ojemudia. That pushed the Steelers’ lead to
14- 3 midway through the second quarter. And running back James Conner ran 59 yards with 1: 30 remaining to put the game away. Getting only one sack against a patch- work
Steelers offensive line was unacceptable.
Q: The special teams were a mess. How many errors?
A: Three big ones. The first was kicker Brandon McManus’ 58- yard field goal attempt. It felt like a reach for coach Vic Fangio, trailing by 11, to at least get something after Claypool’s 84- yard touchdown/ gameturner. The kick was no good. Later, Hamler returned a kick from five yards deep in his end zone and reached the Broncos’ 13. Four plays later, punter Sam Martin dropped the snap and was eventually tackled for a safety. That was a critical play because it meant the Broncos needed a touchdown on their final drive instead of an overtimeforcing field goal.
Q: The Broncos are 0- 2 for the second consecutive year? What is more concerning — last year or this year?
A: This year because of the injuries. Already without outside linebacker Von Miller indefinitely, and cornerback A. J. Bouye and running back Phillip Lindsay for the short term, the Broncos are getting depleted all over the depth chart after losing Lock and Sutton. This is a young team that might be questioning itself and it will be up to Fangio and the team leaders to make sure this doesn’t wreck the season before September turns to October.