The Denver Broncos solely wanted a win or a tie on Saturday in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals to clinch their first playoff look for the reason that 2015 season.
They ended up getting neither, and head coach Sean Payton is among the greatest culprits of their failure to take action.
Payton made a number of baffling teaching choices in crunch time that ended up costing the Broncos an opportunity to lock up their playoff spot in what turned out to be a 30-24 time beyond regulation loss.
It now leaves the Broncos in a scenario the place they must beat the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Week 18 to get in. Regardless that the Chiefs can have nothing to play for, that’s nonetheless not going to be a simple sport.
Payton’s first questionable determination got here on the finish of regulation when he kicked an additional level after Marvin Mims’ landing with eight seconds remaining as a substitute of attempting to go for a possible game-winning two-point conversion.
Whereas there isn’t any assure the Broncos might be profitable in the event that they go for 2, there was loads of motive to no less than attempt it.
Not solely as a result of the Bengals protection was nonetheless doubtless shocked given what simply occurred on the earlier play, but additionally as a result of Denver would have solely wanted to get two yards in opposition to one of many worst defenses in soccer. With a cellular quarterback in Bo Nix and a whole playbook at their disposal, that was in all probability the trail of least resistance for a win.
Payton opted to kick the additional level, figuring out {that a} tie might nonetheless clinch them a playoff spot.
However that places much more transferring components into the scenario and likewise places stress on the Broncos protection to try to cease one of many NFL’s greatest offenses.
Ultimately, Denver did truly get a cease and get the ball again. However after failing to attain, it put the Broncos’ protection again on the sphere, the place Payton would find yourself making his most expensive and indefensible choices of the night time.
With the sport now in a sudden-death spot the place the following staff to attain would win, Payton inexplicably used each of his timeouts after the Bengals received themselves into subject objective vary with lower than three minutes to play in time beyond regulation.
There was no motive for Payton to have an incentive to cease the clock at that time within the sport.
If the Bengals rating, the sport is over, and the Broncos are usually not going to get the soccer again.
If the Bengals didn’t rating, the Broncos would have needed as a lot time to run off the clock as potential as a result of they’d not want to attain at that time. The clock would have been virtually meaningless. A tie would have been sufficient.
Ultimately, the Bengals didn’t rating as a result of Cade York missed a chip-shot subject objective, giving the Broncos the ball again with simply over two minutes to play. A primary down would have ended it and given the Broncos an opportunity to kneel on the ball for a tie. Even when they didn’t get the primary down, three runs and a punt might have left the Bengals in a scenario the place that they had virtually no time and no timeouts to get into subject objective vary.
By stopping the clock twice, and mixed with an incomplete go by Denver on third down, it gave the Bengals sufficient time to maneuver down the sphere and rating.
The gamers on the sphere nonetheless must make performs. They didn’t make sufficient. However it’s also on the top coach to place his gamers in the absolute best place to make performs and succeed. Payton failed to do this in some big moments on Saturday. Given how a lot the Broncos invested in him (each by way of draft decide compensation to accumulate him and financially), they need to count on higher from him in huge video games.
