Broncos fail Clock Management 101 in loss to Vikings
Nov 18, 2019, 10:00 AM | Updated: 10:00 am
What was the most-frustrating part of the Broncos 27-23 loss to the Vikings on Sunday? Well, there are plenty of options.
* Denver blew a 20-0 halftime lead, becoming the first NFL team in the past 100 games to lose after being ahead by 20 or more at intermission.
* Heading into the game, Kirk Cousins was 0-10-1 when trailing in the fourth quarter as the Vikings quarterback; he was down 23-7 after three periods on Sunday.
* Had Brandon McManus made a 43-yard field goal with 8:19 to play, the Broncos would’ve been up 26-20 at the time and only needed a field goal at the end of the game to win.
* With 1:00 to play in the second quarter, the Broncos recovered a fumbled kickoff at the Vikings 17-yard line, giving them a chance to build upon their 20-0 lead before halftime; Brandon Allen threw an interception on the first play of the drive, taking at least three points off the scoreboard.
The list goes on and on and on.
That said, the most-aggravating part of the game had to be the way Denver’s coaching staff managed the clock on the team’s final drive. The Broncos reached the Vikings four-yard line before eventually running out of time, leaving them just short of pulling out a last-second win. But it didn’t have to end that way.
Instead of having just three shots at the end zone in the waning seconds, the Broncos should’ve had four. And instead of having to throw quick fade routes on each play, Denver could’ve run anything in their playbook, including running plays.
But they were limited because of the complete mismanagement of the clock on the final drive. Multiple times, the Broncos did the wrong thing at the worst-possible time.
Here were the biggest blunders:
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2:04 – Facing a 2nd-and-6 at the Vikings 30, Allen attempted to hit tight end Troy Fumagalli in the middle of the field. The ball fell incomplete when Minnesota safety Jayron Kearse knocked it to the ground. Vic Fangio decided to challenge the play, seeking an interference penalty that would’ve given the Broncos a first down. As has been the norm in the NFL this season, the call on the field stood, costing the Broncos their second timeout.
What the Broncos Should’ve Done: Nothing. Don’t challenge pass interference calls. The league isn’t going to overturn them, in either direction. It’s a waste of a challenge. And it’s a waste of a timeout, which turned out to be critical for Denver down the stretch.
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0:59 – On 3rd-and-5 at the Vikings 19, Allen completed a pass across the middle of the field to Tim Patrick for a four-yard gain. The ball was spotted just short of the first down, leaving the Broncos with a 4th-and-inches. The Broncos let valuable seconds run off the clock before finally calling a timeout with 0:33 to play in the game, giving them time to decide what play to run with the game on the line.
What the Broncos Should’ve Done: As soon as Patrick was marked short of the first down, they should’ve rushed to the line of scrimmage and run a quarterback sneak. Catching the Vikings off guard, Allen would’ve most likely picked up the first down easily. Then, they could’ve used their final timeout to map out the plan with 45 to 50 seconds to play in the game. Or if they wanted to call a timeout before the fourth-down play, they should’ve called it immediately. Letting 20-plus seconds run off the clock was inexcusable.
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0:28 – On the 4th-and-inches play, Allen ran to the right for a gain of 11 yards, giving the Broncos a 1st-and-goal from the Vikings four-yard line. He was tackled with 28 seconds to play, but the Broncos froze. Nothing happened until Minnesota eventually called a timeout with 0:10 on the clock, giving Denver a chance to regroup.
What the Broncos Should’ve Done: Rush to the line of scrimmage and run a play. At that point in the game, Denver should’ve had four shots at the end zone. They had plenty of time to run that many plays. A quick fade into the end zone would’ve stopped the clock with 15 to 20 seconds left to play, giving the Broncos plenty of time to run three more plays. Worst-case, Allen should’ve spiked the ball after getting the first down. That would’ve stopped the clock with roughly 20 seconds left in the game, giving the Broncos plenty of time to run any play in their playbook on the final three plays. They’d have had time for crossing routes. They could’ve even run the ball. But by letting the clock tick down to 0:10, Denver had limited options, having to run quick plays to maximize the remaining seconds.
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The Broncos lost on Sunday and that’s frustrating. The fact that they didn’t give themselves every chance to win in the final seconds, however, is even more infuriating.
That was a result of Denver botching their clock management in the final two-plus minutes of the game. On three occasions, they made completely inexcusable decisions, all of which conspired to leave Denver one play and four yards short of victory.
