3 Takeaways from Broncos' Sloppy 17-16 Loss to Seahawks
The Denver Broncos went into the Emerald City as 6.5-point favorites but decided not to fully play the Seattle Seahawks. Instead, the Broncos displayed very sloppy play on both sides of the ball and consistently shot themselves in the foot.
It was a bad showing that should leave Broncos Country with a bad taste in its mouth. What did we learn about these new-look Broncos? Let's get to my three key takeaways.
Tackling Was a Mess
The Broncos' defense made the decision to make tackling a choice. As a result, there were multiple cases where the Broncos had a chance to make a big stop, only to fail. This led to the biggest run for Rashaad Penny on the night.
LB Alex Singleton was the main culprit, so getting Josey Jewell back could help there. However, CB Patrick Surtain II was also to blame for some bad tackling attempts.
There has to be a focus from the Broncos coaching staff on tackling this next week.
Coaching Issues Galore
Where to even start? The Broncos had poor clock management to close the game, questionable play-calling, and a sorry utilization of timeouts. It was all a mess. Is head coach Nathaniel Hackett in over his head?
Making the conscious decision to run for it out of shotgun formation in situations of inches (like on the goal-line) not once but twice, was something else. You limit so much from the offense and take the running backs out of rhythm in short-yardage shotgun looks. The Broncos paid for it with two fumbles as a result.
Hackett can't just take field goals when the Broncos got to the final seven minutes, especially when his defense kept allowing five-minute or longer drives consistently. It worked out in hindsight, as the Broncos had a chance to win the game at the end, but analytics suggest that was a bad idea.
Couple that with Hackett's terrible decision to run out the clock to bet on a 64-yard field goal from a kicker who has made one field goal in his career over 60 yards, and it adds insult to injury. Hackett bet on a field goal to win it and missed, taking the ball out of the hands of Russell Wilson — the $245 million man.
Going for it in that situation should've been the call. At least it would have given Hackett a better chance at picking up a few yards to give Brandon McManus a better shot at making the field goal.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos' tackling issues stand out, but there was more to it. The Seahawks used a quick passing game, short and shallow passes, and yet, the Broncos consistently kept their cornerbacks eight or more yards off the line of scrimmage.
By doing that, Denver gave Seattle a free shot at those quick passes. When the Broncos get home, these coaches and players have to look in the mirror and correct their mistakes.
Call this a hot take or whatever, but the mismanagement in the final seven minutes was worse than anything in the Vic Fangio era. Hopefully, Denver's young inexperienced coaching staff can grow from its clear snafus.
D-Line & Edge Rushers Show Promise
On a positive note, the Broncos' defense did a solid job upfront. The pass rushers especially showed promise in getting after the quarterback, though it took some time to get up and going.
DT D.J. Jones seemed to have a great game clogging the middle against the run, but others around him faltered a few times. Fellow D-linemen Mike Purcell and DeShawn Williams could not hold their own, and while Dre'Mont Jones was solid, he didn't live up to all of the preseason hype about him having a break-out year.
Yes, this was the Broncos' first game with many new pieces. Things can and should improve from here, but this was not a promising start.
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