The Denver Broncos solely wanted a win or a tie on Saturday in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals to clinch their first playoff look because the 2015 season.
They ended up getting neither, and head coach Sean Payton is likely one of 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 additional time loss.
It now leaves the Broncos in a state of affairs the place they need to beat the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Week 18 to get in. Though 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 making an attempt to go for a possible game-winning two-point conversion.
Whereas there isn’t a assure the Broncos will probably be profitable in the event that they go for 2, there was loads of motive to not less than attempt it.
Not solely as a result of the Bengals protection was nonetheless probably 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 cell quarterback in Bo Nix and a complete playbook at their disposal, that was in all probability the trail of least resistance for a win.
Payton opted to kick the additional level, realizing {that a} tie may nonetheless clinch them a playoff spot.
However that places much more shifting elements into the state of affairs and in addition places stress on the Broncos protection to attempt to cease one of many NFL’s finest 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 sector, 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 subsequent crew to attain would win, Payton inexplicably used each of his timeouts after the Bengals bought themselves into subject purpose vary with lower than three minutes to play in additional time.
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 will not be 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 doable as a result of they might 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 purpose, 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 may have left the Bengals in a state of affairs the place that they had virtually no time and no timeouts to get into subject purpose vary.
By stopping the clock twice, and mixed with an incomplete cross by Denver on third down, it gave the Bengals sufficient time to maneuver down the sector and rating.
The gamers on the sector nonetheless need to make performs. They didn’t make sufficient. However additionally it is on the pinnacle coach to place his gamers in the absolute best place to make performs and succeed. Payton failed to do this in some large moments on Saturday. Given how a lot the Broncos invested in him (each by way of draft choose compensation to accumulate him and financially), they need to anticipate higher from him in large video games.
