Miami seems so much farther away today than it did a few weeks ago.
A game that was supposed to usher in a new era instead may have brought the skidding Broncos closer to an unexpected, sudden end.
When Josh Brown kicked a 50-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to push the Seattle Seahawks past the Broncos 23-20 and spoil the NFL debut of rookie quarterback Jay Cutler, a teeth-chattering crowd departed frigid Invesco Field at Mile High wondering what had happened to its team’s once-promising season.
“It’s getting serious, real serious now,” said Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren. “I feel like we’ve pretty much got to run the table to get in right now. It’s a situation we didn’t want to be facing.”
The Broncos could be in worse shape. Al Wilson could have been in worse shape. After Wilson’s neck was snapped back while trying to recover a fumble by punt returner Darrent Williams early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos’ star middle linebacker fell limp to the ground. Wilson was immobilized on a stretcher, carted off the field and quickly whisked by ambulance to a hospital.
When the Broncos announced Wilson had suffered a sprained neck, and had movement in all his extremities, the team’s worst fears had passed.
“We saw him moving before the stretcher came out,” Denver linebacker D.J. Williams said of Wilson, who was released from the hospital. “People down there who saw him moving a little bit knew paralysis wasn’t a major concern, but you still have to take precautions.”
Bad as it’s been for Broncos, their situation could also be worse in the AFC standings. With a 7-5 record, the Broncos are one of five AFC teams tied for the final two playoff spots.
From that jam of 7-5 teams, though, no one is trending downward worse than the Broncos. They have followed a 12-game Invesco Field win streak with three consecutive home defeats. They have lost three in a row overall and play at San Diego (10-2) next weekend.
“Backs are against the wall would be an honest statement,” said Broncos fullback Kyle Johnson. “I usually wouldn’t say that, but you look at the situation it probably is that way considering the goals and aspirations of this football team.”
Super Bowl XLI in Miami was in the Broncos’ hopes as training camp commenced in late July. In one sense, the Broncos are right where they want to be. The Pittsburgh Steelers were 7-5 last season before eventually winning it all.
But in another sense, it’s not easy imagining these Broncos repeating the Steelers’ run of winning their final eight games, including four in the postseason.
The uncertainty that followed Cutler into his NFL debut Sunday remained a bit fuzzy by game’s end. Cutler threw two touchdown passes, including a game-tying, 71-yard catch-and-run big play by rookie wide receiver Brandon Marshall with less than three minutes remaining. But Cutler also threw two interceptions. One was returned for a touchdown and the other set up the second of Brown’s three field goals.
“I’m disappointed,” said Cutler, who completed 10-of-21 passes for 143 yards. “I was hoping that we’d get a win. To have a game like this, and have two picks and one get taken to the house, it’s tough.”
Not surprisingly, Cutler appeared nervous at the start. Midway through the second quarter, he was 1-for-4 for 1 yard.
But through it all, the Broncos were able to move the ball thanks to the healthy return of running back Tatum Bell. Either sidelined or ineffective in five previous games because of turf toe injuries on both feet, Bell had 110 yards rushing before the first half hit the four-minute mark.
With Bell moving the offense into Seattle territory, Cutler shook off enough nerves to complete a 9-yard pass to tight end Stephen Alexander for a first down. Later in the drive, on second-and-goal from the 7, Cutler remained cool in the pocket before connecting with Alexander, who beat Seattle middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu for a touchdown.
Cutler had his first touchdown pass and the Broncos had a 10-0 lead. The crowd thawed long enough to give Invesco Field the shakes.
For his next drive, Cutler carried in a little more confidence but no more wisdom against a fierce pass rush. It turned out to be an unfortunate combination. Rolling right, Cutler avoided Seattle defensive end Bryce Fisher, a former Air Force star, only to spin into defensive tackle Chuck Darby.
Cutler nearly squirmed free, but Darby grabbed an ankle and yanked it back. Cutler threw with no legs beneath him and the result was a pop-up that Seattle defensive end Darryl Tapp cradled and lumbered 25 yards for a touchdown.
Uh-oh. Cutler had just been baptized with his welcome-to-the-NFL moment.
“I’m a little disappointed in myself. I think we put maybe a little too much in the game plan,” said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who replaced veteran Jake Plummer for Cutler last week.
There would be a few more bizarre and unwelcome experiences. Near the end of the half, the Broncos ran a fake field goal that resulted in a 2-yard run by kicker Jason Elam, who tweaked his left, nonkicking hamstring on the play. Elam then hit a 41-yard field goal that made Broncos fans happy for the 13-7 halftime lead, but confused about the purpose behind the fake.
Seattle’s offense, thwarted by Denver’s defense for three quarters, put together four scoring drives in the fourth quarter. While the Seahawks have all but clinched the NFC West, the Broncos are confronting a four-game season.
“We’ve got way too much talent for us to think the season is over,” Cutler said. “Anything can happen. We’ll bounce back and be ready for San Diego.”
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
