Broncos lament missed opportunities in 41-10 loss to Ravens

BALTIMORE — Within the days forward of their Week 9 assembly with the Ravens, the Broncos spoke in regards to the alternative that lay forward.

In a matchup of two 5-3 groups, the Broncos had an opportunity to earn a win towards one of many high groups within the AFC and bolster their playoff resume.

Following Sunday’s loss at M&T Financial institution Stadium, although, the Broncos lamented a collection of missed probabilities that in the end led to a 41-10 loss and dropped Denver to 5-4.

“[There were] a variety of what-ifs on this sport,” quarterback Bo Nix stated, “and the actual fact of the matter is we acquired our butts kicked.”

Head Coach Sean Payton stated the Broncos had been beat in “just about all three phases” on Sunday, and he stated his group “did not do almost sufficient issues nicely sufficient” to present themselves an opportunity within the fourth quarter.

The missed alternatives started early, as Nix’s go on the second play of the sport caromed off Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s hand and was intercepted. Defensive finish John Franklin-Myers sacked Lamar Jackson to push the Ravens out of field-goal vary and maintain Baltimore with out factors on their ensuing drive, however Denver could not capitalize on the massive play.

After pushing the ball out of the shadow of their very own objective line, the Broncos drove to the Baltimore 44-yard line earlier than being stopped on consecutive makes an attempt needing only a yard. Javonte Williams lunged for a primary down on fourth-and-1 and was initially awarded the road to realize. A Ravens problem, although, reversed the decision and gave Baltimore the soccer. The Ravens would march down the sphere for his or her preliminary landing.

A collection later, Denver once more took a fourth-down likelihood, and Nix seemed deep for Troy Franklin. The 2 couldn’t join on the fourth-and-4 play, and Baltimore pushed its lead on the following possession to 10-0.

“Effectively, they had been clearly actually necessary performs within the sport, and in case you hit them, you by no means know what occurs on the finish of a drive,” Nix stated. “We got here away with no factors on a number of of these fourth downs.”

The Broncos did handle to chop the result in 10-7 on a spectacular receiving landing from Nix, who caught a go from Courtland Sutton on a “Philly Particular”-esque play design. A drive later, the Broncos once more added factors within the type of a Wil Lutz subject objective to chop the result in 17-10 with lower than a minute to play earlier than the half.

Once more, although, the Broncos had been unable to capitalize on a chance to maintain the sport inside putting distance.

“They beat us they usually received, and you may’t take something away from that,” Sutton stated. “We did not execute the way in which we wanted to execute to have the ability to win, and that could be a actually good group over there. Nevertheless, I really feel like we missed some alternatives. I really feel like [we] did not capitalize on some alternatives that we actually had.”

In a defining stretch, the Ravens took over up 17-10 with 54 seconds to play within the first half — and proceeded to construct a 31-10 lead earlier than the Broncos tried one other go.

A 53-yard Zay Flowers landing punctuated a two-play, 70-yard drive earlier than halftime, and the Ravens added to their lead after receiving the ball to start the second half. Denver ran only one play in that span, because the Broncos took a knee to finish the primary half.

“It is a large swing,” Payton stated. “You realize once you play group like this on the street, you are desirous to get it into the fourth quarter, and we weren’t in a position to try this.”

Following a Denver three-and-out, the Ravens then added one other landing on their ensuing second-half drive, marking a stretch through which Baltimore scored 21 factors as Denver ran simply 4 performs on offense.

“We won’t allow them to run it up like that,” exterior linebacker Jonathon Cooper stated. “We won’t let that stuff occur. … We simply cannot let the sport get away from us like that. We have to discover a approach to cease them.”

In all, the Broncos’ third-ranked protection allowed seven consecutive scoring drives and 4 consecutive landing drives in Sunday’s loss. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson completed with an ideal passer score, whereas Derrick Henry completed with a pair of touchdowns and greater than 100 yards.

“They beat us just about in all three phases,” Payton stated. “We did not do a adequate job teaching. We misplaced to soccer group, and it is disappointing.”

Added Nix: “It is no enjoyable. You by no means wish to lose video games like this. You by no means wish to lose, interval, however clearly that is inevitable generally. However you do not wish to lose like this. It’s depressing, and we do should face it. You both sit there and also you level the finger at anyone else otherwise you sit there and you are taking possession of it.”

As Denver rapidly turns the web page towards one other powerful street take a look at, Payton stated the Broncos should embrace “the distress somewhat bit” and get again to work.

And Sutton believes because the group does that, he and his teammates can use Sunday’s loss as a studying expertise.

“I believe for us, it is on us to have the ability to work out our id in these playoff[-type] video games,” Sutton stated. “We have had success in a few of these different video games, however I believe on this environment going towards a group like Baltimore after which strolling into Kansas Metropolis subsequent week, we’ve to determine the way in which to have the ability to maximize our alternatives each time they do come up in each part of the sport.”

Whereas Sutton believed Sunday was a tricky lesson, it confirmed the significance of capitalizing on probabilities once they present up.

“In these playoff video games, you sit there and also you watch them and it is a play right here and a play there that may utterly change the momentum of the sport, and I believe that is sort of what we noticed in the present day,” Sutton stated. “We had [opportunities] that I believe may’ve modified the momentum of the sport. You simply should be taught from it.”