It seems every Broncos fan who watched Sunday’s 17-14 loss to Tennessee had an opinion on just how Denver lost its second game, and first on the road.
It was Tennessee’s fourth-down goal line stand, which denied the Broncos’ points. It was Kyle Orton’s late interception. It was the 58-yard pass to an unheralded Titans tight end. It was the game-winning touchdown to an uncovered Daniel Graham, the former Broncos captain.
“When you don’t win, I understand the fact that we’re going to be criticized,” head coach John Fox said Monday.
Fox on Monday said he had no regrets that his offense attempted to score on 4th-and-goal from the 1 yard line early in the fourth quarter, though he regretted the execution of the play. Tennessee’s defensive line thwarted any push by the Broncos’ bulked up line – with six offensive linemen and two tight ends — and running back Willis McGahee was stuffed well short of the end zone.
Fox wouldn’t say if using backup quarterback Tim Tebow was a serious consideration in the short-yardage goal line situation, though executive vice president of football operations John Elway said on his radio show on 102.3 FM Monday morning that the team does have plays designed for Tebow.
“We’ve had some things in for Tim,” Elway said on the radio show. “We haven’t gotten to them the first few weeks.” Tebow scored four touchdowns — three rushing, one passing – when he played in spot duty in October and November of last season.
“It’s all a consideration. Every play is a consideration. When they work, you’re a genius, when they don’t, you’re an idiot,” Fox said. “Would I have changed some things?” Fox said. “I would have changed enough so that we would have got a touchdown. But that’s easy to say now.”
Fox also said he is confident in Orton as the starting quarterback.
“Not one guy has got us where we are,” Fox said. “There are a lot of people in our building that understand quarterback play and right now, Kyle, in our opinion, gives us the best chance.”
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
