As routine as an extra point.
The descriptions varied as the stunned Cincinnati Bengals gathered Sunday night at Invesco Field at Mile High, but they all told of faulty execution on an extra-point attempt that would have tied the score at 24 against the Broncos with 46 seconds remaining in the game.
Quarterback Carson Palmer muttered that it was disappointing and “shocking.”
Long-snapper Brad St. Louis said, “I didn’t get the ball into his hands.”
The hands he pointed to belonged to holder Kyle Larson.
“It’s a very routine play,” Larson said. “We’ve taken 1,000 snaps on extra points over the years. We didn’t execute today.”
Kicker Shane Graham tried to make something out of the busted play.
“I turned around and tried to pick it up, but (the Broncos) had two guys on top of it,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what happened, it happened so fast. All we can do is swallow it. When you don’t execute, it makes what seems like a routine play not such.”
The Bengals left their matchup with the Broncos uncertain about their playoff chances.
“I knew coming out at halftime that if we won the game, we were in the playoffs,” Palmer said. “I’m not sure where we are now.”
Coach Marvin Lewis and Palmer took turns pointing out the missed extra point wasn’t the play that lost the game.
“It was a tough way to lose a game,” Lewis said. “But that one play at the end wasn’t it. There were a number of plays throughout the game that were more significant.”
Palmer focused on the game’s first minutes, when it appeared the Bengals could take charge after safety Dexter Jackson intercepted Jay Cutler’s pass on the first play from scrimmage and returned it to the Broncos 5-yard line.
But instead of scoring early points, the Bengals faltered as Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams intercepted Palmer’s third-down pass in the end zone. Palmer denied the Bengals’ offense was out of synch.
“I just missed the pass,” Palmer said. “We had the right call. We had the defense we expected. T.J. (Houshmandzadeh) was open. I just didn’t get the ball to him.”
Lewis was critical of his team’s performance and said his players seemed tense at the beginning.
“It was there for us for the taking,” Lewis said. “But we continue to hurt ourselves. Whether it is for the playoffs or not, you have to play well every time you step on the field. You can’t come out tense and tight.”
The Bengals were plagued by four turnovers (two fumbles and two interceptions). They had a touchdown called back on an illegal-shift penalty. And after downing a punt on the Broncos’ 1 while leading 17-14, the Bengals watched the Broncos drive 99 yards for a touchdown to take the lead for good.
“Give the Broncos credit on that drive for executing when we didn’t,” said linebacker Landon Johnson, who led the Bengals with eight tackles. “You can’t afford mistakes in any game.”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
