Question: How rare was it for the Broncos to win without scoring a touchdown and playing an 18-12 game?
Answer: Rare and very rare.
The Broncos’ 18 points in their win over New England were via six Brandon McManus field goals (a franchise single-game record). It was only the sixth time in team history the Broncos won a game without scoring a touchdown.
The previous five wins — 6-3 over Chicago (1971), 12-0 over San Diego (1988), 9-6 over New England (1991), 12-0 over Cleveland (1992) and 9-6 over Kansas City (2006 in overtime).
As for the 18-12 final, it was only the fifth such final score in league history — San Diego over Seattle (1993), Cincinnati over Pittsburgh (2009), Indianapolis over Miami (2015) and Philadelphia over Atlanta (2018).
Q: Before nearly giving it away, the Broncos built an 18-3 fourth-quarter lead. How did it happen?
A: Timely offense and impact defensive plays.
First quarter: A 41-yard catch by Tim Patrick and DeShawn Williams interception set up the first two field goals.
Second quarter: Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam had catches of 18 and 27 yards to set up McManus’ third field goal, and a 20-yard run by Phillip Lindsay and 17-yard catch by Patrick set up the fourth field goal.
Third quarter: A 35-yard catch by Patrick converted a third-and-21 and Drew Lock hit Jerry Jeudy for 16 yards to set up McManus’ fifth field goal. Safety Justin Simmons’ fumble return (forced by cornerback Michael Ojemudia) set up McManus’ sixth and final make.
Q: Defensive end Shelby Harris had two more tipped passes. What allowed him to get his hands on two Cam Newton attempts?
A: Since the beginning of last year, Harris has 12 pass break-ups, an impressive number for a lineman.
Harris’ first pass break-up was in the first half and Williams made a diving interception. He also broke up Newton’s pass in the third quarter on a second-and-3 snap.
Did Newton provide a clue on tape to help Harris get in position?
“He’s a taller player (6-foot-5) but he throws the ball a little low so I knew there would be opportunities for tipped passes and it was a matter of getting my hands up,” Harris said.
Q: We will belabor the point about not scoring any touchdowns. How big of a concern?
A: It should be a concern because field goals won’t cut it on Sunday against Kansas City.
The Broncos were 0-for-2 in the red zone. They finished those drives at the Patriots’ 8- and 2-yard lines. On the first trip, Lock threw incomplete on consecutive passes from the 8.
In the third quarter, the Broncos should have taken a 19-3 lead. They had three shots from inside the 5-yard line. Lindsay gained a yard to the 3, but then lost two yards. Lock scrambled short of the goal-line on third down.
The tight red zone is where the Broncos miss receiver Courtland Sutton’s athleticism and ability to win the 50-50 fade pass. It may be time to try Patrick on those plays.
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