Ben Ludeman-USA TODAY Sports
Broncos' Week 11 Collapse Proves They've Completely Forgotten How to Win
Make no bones about it, this one is going to hurt Broncos Country for a long time. The Minnesota Vikings climbed out of a 20-0 halftime hole, scoring touchdowns on four straight second-half possessions, handing the Denver Broncos to their seventh loss of the season.
The loss all but officially slammed the door on the Broncos fielding anything close to a competitive venture down the stretch.
Fans will now point to yet more ridiculous levels of heartbreak as being entirely avoidable. One thing the Broncos seem to be able to deliver is a vast array of ways to beat themselves.
A second half replete with defensive implosions and Broncos errors served to completely torpedo an expansive offensive performance that provided 20 huge points in the first 30 minutes of play. Inexplicably, the stellar work of the Denver defense turned into a second-half disaster that led to ruin.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins simply play-faked the Denver defense out of their cleats time and time again, adjustments from Vic Fangio simply did not surface. Offensively, Rich Scangarello once again got gun shy when the game was on the line and victory was still in the Broncos' grasp. The offensive coordinator repeatedly climbing into a shell is never going to cut it, especially on the road.
Questions will now be asked on why Courtland Sutton wasn't targeted on Denver's final possession, getting away from the play-calling in the first half that worked to resounding success. The Broncos' late stall on the doorstep of the end zone only made the play-calling failures stick out like a sore thumb.
It very much appears as if this coaching staff is not doing enough to close out games when they have an opportunity to win. This was Denver's fourth loss of the season that saw the team squander a fourth-quarter lead.
For all the good work the young Broncos players have been putting in, they simply are not being targeted enough when it counts. Veterans, like kicker Brandon McManus and cornerback Chris Harris, Jr., let their young teammates down on Sunday when they were needed most.
The truth is, this Broncos team is a half-cooked meal and that won’t change overnight. The Broncos are a work in progress and need to re-learn how to win.
QB Brandon Allen most probably took his first strides back to the bench, as with the postseason out of reach, Denver will now look to the rookie Drew Lock and the future. Too frequently, Allen fluttered passes and his lack of arm strength was all too apparent as the game wore on and in the clutch.
With nothing left to lose, the Lock era in Denver will be further fast-tracked, possibly hitting the active roster as soon as by next Sunday’s trip to take on the Buffalo Bills. One thing’s for sure, blame will be easy to hand out after such a bitterly devastating loss.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
