Lammey: 3 big takeaways from the Broncos loss to the Titans
Dec 12, 2016, 8:06 PM
The Denver Broncos weren’t able to make a comeback against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14 and lost on the road 13-10.
And for what seems like a weekly occurrence, the Broncos offense got off to a slow start, forcing head coach Gary Kubiak to once again answer questions Monday about his team’s lethargic first half offense.
“It’s really frustrating. First off, I don’t say that we got off to a slow start. We have to look at what we’re doing. I’m sitting there watching nine plays offensively. We missed a pass-protection. We had a couple busts. We put the ball on the ground. When you’re doing that, you’re not going to be successful,” Kubiak said.
“It’s not about the plays; it’s about execution. It’s about detail. Then you have to ask yourself, ‘Why?’ Why is the detail not there early in the game? That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
Here are the three biggest takeaways from the loss on Sunday:
The Broncos can’t run the ball effectively
The Kubiak offense is built on running the ball effectively, but they couldn’t muster any rushing attack against the Titans. Denver didn’t even try to establish the run game, as they fell behind 13-0, and began firing passes with increased regularity.
At his Monday press conference, Kubiak said the decision to go pass happy was his.
“Yesterday, in my opinion, we needed to throw the ball to have a chance to win. I’m the one that started throwing the heck out of the ball,” Kubiak said.
However, the veteran coach said he believes his team can figure out how to run the ball.
“It’s fixable. To me, it’s negative plays. We had negatives going backwards, and I think we had three holding calls on three different running plays out of nine or 10. We put the ball on the ground in another play,” Kubiak said. “It’s just too many negative things. We have to get rid of those for us to keep moving the ball forward.”
The Broncos need balance on offense. If they can find a way to run the ball, the entire offense should be better — and they should be more effective once they get into the red zone.
Trevor Siemian is back healthy
After missing a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13, quarterback Trevor Siemian returned to the lineup and played well against the Titans. According to Kubiak, there were “no setbacks” for Siemian regarding a sprained foot he sustained in an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12.
Kubiak praised the performance of his young quarterback but noted that wins count a lot more than stats.
“I’m proud of Trevor coming back and battling through his injury and being there for his team yesterday,” Kubiak said. “Trevor’s number are excellent. It’s about winning. This game is about winning. His numbers were big in the game, but he has to step up and make some of those plays at the end. We can make some of those plays for him at the end. For him to grow for this football team, he needs to play really well here down the stretch.”
Kubiak also said Siemian needs to get rid of the ball quicker to help out his offensive line.
“I look at the game yesterday, and we threw the ball (52) times. We protected well. We had three sacks, and two of those were on Trevor,” Kubiak said. “He has to get rid of the ball. He knows that. We protected our quarterback well.”
Getting out of this week unscathed, Siemian is going to need to continue his hot streak as a passer up against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Week 15.
Turnovers crush the Broncos chances
The game basically started on a turnover by the Broncos, and it most certainly ended with another one in the fourth quarter.
Running back Justin Forsett had a 9-yard gain on his first carry in the game, but the ball was pulled from his clutches at the end of the run. The Titans were able to turn that turnover into three points to take an early 10-0 lead.
At the end of the game, the Broncos were driving with less than 2 minutes to go down 13-10. As they moved into position for a game-tying field goal or game-winning touchdown, tight end A.J. Derby fumbled the ball, all but sealing the victory for the Titans.
Kubiak said he generally pleased with Forsett’s performance in his first game with the team. He understands Forsett’s mindset after the early fumble.
“Nobody feels worse about the turnover, but he also contributed to a lot of good things in the game,” Kubiak said.
Derby was also really bothered by his flub at the end of the game.
“(It was) definitely a sleepless night last night. I’m really pissed about that. It’s unacceptable,” Derby said. “I can’t put the ball on the ground. They trusted me in the situation and that can’t happen.”
Turning the ball over against the Titans is one thing, but being careless with the football against the New England Patriots on Sunday could be even more costly for the Broncos.
There are three games remaining, and the Broncos need to win out to ensure they make the postseason.
They still haven’t played their best football this year, but it may be necessary to do that against arguably the best team in football in New England. A win against the Pats could help propel this team into the postseason with the confidence that they can beat anybody.
