Broncos reporter Mike Klis breaks down the chaotic finish in Denver’s 15-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills in which Jason Elam kicked a decisive, 42-yard field goal as time expired.
The play: Down 14-12 with 18 seconds and no timeouts remaining, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan told his field-goal unit the “Toro!” was on after the next play. Center Tom Nalen delivered a shotgun snap to quarterback Jay Cutler, who completed an 11-yard pass to Javon Walker for a first down near the left hash marks. With the ball at the 24-yard line, “Toro!” was shouted from the sideline, signaling the field-goal unit to sprint onto the field, and forcing the offense to scurry to the sideline. Elam kicked the ball with one second remaining, and by the time it split the uprights, the clock read 00:00.
Point/counterpoint: In hindsight, the ending didn’t have to be so dramatic. But with the clock ticking, there wasn’t time for hindsight, only foresight. Because the completion to Walker was good for a first down, it would have been easier for everyone had Cutler spiked the ball, which would have stopped the clock with five or six seconds remaining and given the field-goal team time to set up.
Future prospects: Don’t change a thing. It was the fire-drill drama that made this win so memorable. Does Bruce Willis escape from the blown-up building with six seconds remaining? No, the “Die Hard” movies keep the audience in suspense until the final fraction of a second. Movies, football games – it’s all entertainment.
