The Chiefs took care of business. The Jets took care of business. The Broncos? They’re out of business.
In what has to rank as one of the most stunning developments in franchise history, the Broncos lost 26-23 in overtime to the 49ers on Sunday at Invesco Field, a defeat that knocked them out of the playoffs.
And to think, Denver going into the game was the No. 5 seed in the AFC. All the Broncos had to do was win to keep their seeding. Instead, their loss and Kansas City’s win gave the Chiefs and Jets the conference’s two wild-card berths.
Compounding the Broncos’ disappointment was the fact that they led 13-0 late in the second quarter. So how did they find a way to lose? Let’s put it this way: Stuff happens when you can’t make a play inside your opponent’s 10-yard line.
Did we say 10-yard line? The Broncos had a first-and-goal at the 49ers’ 1 and a first-and-goal on the San Francisco 3 in the first half, but had to settle for a Jason Elam field goal on each occasion. Elam finished with field goals of 22, 22 and 21 yards, never a good sign for a team’s offense.
The Broncos led 13-3 in the third quarter when Alex Smith hit Moran Norris for a seemingly short gain, only to have Denver linebacker Nate Webster miss the tackle, enabling Norris to sprint down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown. Then, on the Broncos’ next possession, Walt Harris intercepted a Jay Cutler pass and returned it 28 yards to give the 49ers the lead.
The Broncos’ first blown opportunity came late in the first quarter when the 49ers botched a fake punt to give Denver the ball on the San Francisco 40. Within moments, unnecessary-roughness and roughing-the-passer penalties gave the Broncos the ball on the 49ers’ 11.
Mike Bell ran up the middle on first-and-goal, but was stuffed for no gain. And things only got worse on the next play when Cutler fumbled the snap, leading to a third-and-goal from the 1. Bell got the call again at that point, but was dropped for a three-yard loss, prompting Elam to lead the field-goal team on field.
The Broncos had a similar opportunity in the second quarter, only to walk away again without a touchdown. Mike Bell’s 46-yard run gave the Broncos a first-and-goal at the 3, but Jake Plummer, forced into duty after Cutler sustained a helmet-to-helmet hit, was sacked for a three-yard loss.
After an incompletion led to third down, Plummer attempted a quarterback draw, but was stopped at the 3, leading to yet another Elam field goal. And to think, the 49ers went into the game having allowed a league-worst 389 points.
The Broncos finally got a touchdown later in the second quarter, but they didn’t exactly use conventional means to get it. Champ Bailey got the score on a 70-yard interception return after Smith’s pass deflected off Frank Gore’s hands. The interception was Bailey’s league-leading 10th of the season, perhaps clinching the NFL’s defensive player of the year award.
