Davis Webb's Most Baffling Call vs. Chiefs Deserves a Closer Look

Six snaps. That was all that fullback Adam Prentice played for the Denver Broncos in Monday night's debacle at Arrowhead Stadium.

Despite being a featured player in the Broncos' offense in the preseason, especially in short-yardage situations, and being elevated from the practice squad for Week 1, Prentice barely saw the field against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, giving Prentice more snaps might not have changed the outcome of the Broncos' 31-10 loss to the Chiefs, but how they played him could have made a difference. The Broncos ran the ball well —when offensive coordinator Davis Webb actually called a run.

One Webb blunder takes center stage, and it was a fateful 3rd-and-1.

It came in the second quarter with 4:56 left on the clock and the game tied 7-7. Webb made the decision to go with an empty set, despite needing only one yard to move the chains.

This 3rd-and-1 situation reflected Webb's neglect of the ground game, and he decided to go empty, with Bo Nix in the shotgun and no back beside him.

Why it Was a Bad Call

Adam Prentice. — Adam Prentice was ready to go at Arrowhead. | Michael Spomer / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire.

The issue isn't that the Broncos attempted a pass; it's that they presented no threat of a run besides the potential for a quarterback draw, even though Nix had already shown an inability to outrun the Chiefs' defense.

Ironically, Prentice was on the field for that play, but he was split out wide as a receiver. After a preseason full of successful short-yardage handoffs, trusting their blockers and Prentice to gain a yard, and watching it work, Webb decided to go with an empty set. That's the issue, and it blew up in Denver's face as Nix's pass fell incomplete.

This was a game that mattered, and the Broncos went away from what has worked for them, dating back to last season. Again, if they had passed it with Prentice in the backfield, at least the Chiefs would have had to consider the threat of him getting the ball up the gut, which could have impacted how the defense attacked Denver.

This play was early enough in the game, and the Broncos were still on their own side of the field, but momentum is a strange thing. After the failed attempt, the Broncos punted, and from there, Nix and the offense didn't have the same fire or energy. It was like it sucked the life out of them for the rest of the game.

Maybe the Broncos still wouldn't have scored on that drive if they'd had Prentice lined up in the backfield on 3rd-and-1. Perhaps they don't even move the chains.

No one can say for sure. What I do know is that going empty there sent a bad message to the Broncos' offensive line, to their fullback, and to the offense as a whole.

In that situation, Webb showed his lack of trust in a proven play by going with a spread empty look in which Denver has typically struggled. This can be chalked up to many things, including it being Webb's first-ever game as a play-caller, but hopefully this was a lesson learned.

In short-yardage situations, you don't eliminate the threat of a run outside of a quarterback draw. It doesn't even matter whether your offensive line is doing well.

Just posing the threat of a run changes how defenses have to play you, giving them a split-second hesitation, which is often a difference-maker in a league where the margin for error is slim, and games are often decided by inches.

The Takeaway

When the Broncos waived Prentice at the final roster cutdowns, they made it clear he was going to be back on the practice squad and elevated in Week 1. While special teams explains part of why he was called up on game day, the Broncos wanted his offensive contributions, too.

What Prentice can do as a short-yardage ball-carrier or lead blocker matters far more than being split out wide in a short-yardage situation. He's a weapon for this offense, and the Broncos missed the chance to use him against the Chiefs in a critical situation.

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