Remember that Broncos team whose 2019 season was doomed from the start by an inability to finish games, particularly at Mile High?
The 2020 Broncos are off to the same discouraging start, again at their home stadium.
Last September, it was Chicago and Jacksonville kicking field goals as time expired, the Broncos’ defense unable to make a last-minute stand.
Monday night, it was Tennessee, which drove 83 yards on 12 plays, capped by Stephen Gostkowski’s 25-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining for a 16-14 win over the Broncos.
Team Couldn’t Finish is Team That Still Can’t Finish.
The Broncos are 4-6 in one-possession games under coach Vic Fangio, including 0-4 in games decided by four or fewer points.
“It does feel a little bit like last year,” quarterback Drew Lock said. “It hits a little harder being on the field (instead of watching) and having a say in the outcome.”
Many Broncos had says in the outcome. Receiver Jerry Jeudy dropped two passes. Lock fumbled two snaps. Inside linebacker Alexander Johnson’s personal foul negated cornerback Michael Ojemudia’s interception. The offense couldn’t cross the goal-line on fourth down from the 1-yard line. And Fangio declined to use any of his timeouts as the Titans were equal parts moving into field goal range and bleeding the clock.
The defense, after stuffing Tennessee on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter, couldn’t complete the hat trick.
“The drives prior, we did a good job keeping them (backed up and punting), and they had the ball back down there again and as a defense, you have to be able to keep them down there,” safety Justin Simmons said. “We got to be better.”
Unable to do anything on two offensive drives to put Tennessee away Monday night at Mile High, the Broncos allowed a 25-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 17 seconds remaining, allowing the Titans to escape with a 16-14 win.
Gostkowski had missed his first three field-goal attempts and his only point-after kick until his game-winning kick.
Starting at their own 10-yard line with 3:05 remaining, the Titans chipped their way down the field with gains of eight, nine, five and 11 yards, to the Broncos’ 49, at the 1:58 mark. After the two-minute warning, the Titans got a Ojemudia pass interference penalty (16 yards) and two plays that gained 19 yards.
The Broncos were able to run only three plays after Gostkowski’s field goal.
The Broncos lost their opener for the second consecutive year and now face a schedule that includes three of the next four on the road.
Running back Melvin Gordon’s 1-yard touchdown with 9:08 remaining capped a nine-yard, 75-yard drive. But the Broncos failed to milk the clock in their two ensuing possessions with a one-point lead.
“There were some plays we could have made to not only finish the game out, but during the game,” said Lock, who was 22 of 33 for 216 yards and one touchdown.
Already without outside linebacker Von Miller (ankle) and receiver Courtland Sutton (shoulder), the Broncos lost cornerback A.J. Bouye (shoulder) and running back Phillip Lindsay (toe) in the first half.
Despite the personnel losses, the Broncos took a 7-0 lead on tight end Noah Fant’s nine-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.
Tennessee tied it on MyCole Pruitt’s one-yard touchdown catch (9:21 left in first half). The Broncos took the ensuing drive 74 yards to the Titans’ 1-yard line. They gained no yards on three plays.
On fourth down, tight end Jake Butt caught Lock’s shovel pass in traffic and was stopped.
“I had no second thoughts there,” Fangio said of going for it.
Tennessee took its first lead with 13:49 remaining on Jonnu Smith’s one-yard touchdown catch on fourth down.
The Broncos defense was likely gassed and needed the offense to stay on the field and build on the lead. Which it did.
The pothole of the second and third quarters (four drives, no points) was replaced by a nine-play, 75-yard play. Gordon gained 25 yards. Jeudy had a 21-yard catch. Tim Patrick turned a quick slant into 15 yards. And Royce Freeman gained 12 on a pass to the left flat.
Two plays later, Gordon diced his way through traffic for his first touchdown in his Broncos debut.
After a Titans three-and-out, the Broncos’ next drive used 2 minutes, 27 seconds of the clock.
After another Titans three-and-out, the Broncos used only 61 seconds of the clock.
Tannehill had more than enough time and more than enough play-makers to lead Tennessee down the field.
It’s fine Fangio didn’t second-guess his fourth-down go-for-it-call. It’s interesting that he didn’t second-guess himself after the game about not using his timeouts during the Titans’ final drive.
The Broncos now have a short week before traveling to Pittsburgh, the first of three East Coast trips in four weeks. And they have added Bouye and Lindsay to the injury list.
“Nobody likes to see injuries, but we’re good enough to overcome that,” Fangio said. “We were competitive and played good, tough football and had our chances in spite of those injuries and we’ll keep going at it that way.”
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September 15, 2020 at 12:42PM
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Broncos fail to close out Titans, lose 16-14 on late field goal - The Denver Post
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