Chicago and Jacksonville capped comeback wins with field goals as time expired. Indianapolis completed a 10-point rally via field goal with 22 seconds remaining. And Minnesota spotted the Broncos a 20-0 lead before winning 27-23 (go-ahead touchdown with 6:01 remaining).

“If we could (have) split those four games instead of being 0-4, this meeting would have been postponed,” Fangio said.

The inability to close out the home games against the Bears and Jaguars contributed to an 0-4 start that was too much to overcome.

Here is a statistical look at the Broncos’ 2019 season:

In the rankings

The Broncos’ defensive rankings at the season quarter marks:

*The Broncos finished in the top 10 in fewest points allowed for the first time since 2016 (fourth) and the fourth time since 2007.

*High yardage game: 477 by Oakland in the Broncos’ Week 17 win.

*Low yardage game: 191 by Detroit in the Broncos’ Week 16 win.

*Most points allowed: 30 by Kansas City in the Chiefs’ Week 7 win (30-6). The Broncos’ defense allowed 23 of those points.

*Fewest points allowed: 0 by Tennessee in the Broncos’ Week 6 win (16-0). The Broncos’ defense also allowed no touchdowns in the Week 5 win at the Chargers (20-13).

Playing time

Defense (1,081 snaps)

DL: Shelby Harris 646, 541, Mike Purcell 418, Dre’Mont Jones 293, 283, DeMarcus Walker 225, Jonathan Harris 48, 15 and Deyon Sizer 5.

ILB: 921, Alexander Johnson 749, Josey Jewell 221, 111, Joe Jones 5, 4 and Josh Watson 0.

OLB: 858, Malik Reed 475, Jeremiah Attaochu 331, Justin Hollins 268 and Ahmad Gooden 25.

CB: 1,073, Issac Yiadom 567, Davontae Harris 446, Duke Dawson 350, De’Vante Bausby 138 and Coty Sensabaugh 17.

S: 1,081, 868, 556, Trey Marshall 160 and Alijah Holder 0.

*The Broncos’ season high for defensive snaps was 85 in the Week 14 win at Houston and the low was 50 in the Week 16 win vs. Detroit.

*Simmons played every defensive snap for the second consecutive year.

Stopping big plays

Any rush of at least 12 yards and completion of at least 16 yards is considered an “explosive” play.

The Broncos allowed 105 explosive plays (75 passes/30 rushes), down from last year’s total of 118 (85 passes/33 rushes).

The high total for explosive plays allowed was 11 to Jacksonville in the Week 4 loss (six passes/five rushes), followed by 10 to Oakland in the Week 17 win.

The low total allowed was two apiece to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Broncos’ Week 5 win (one pass/one rush) and to Detroit in the Broncos’ Week 16 win (one pass/one rush).

Scoring story

The Broncos allowed 19.8 points per game, 10th-fewest in the NFL; they ranked 13th in 2018. Opponents failed to eclipse 20 points in nine games … the Broncos were 6-3 in those games, losing to Chicago (16-14), at Indianapolis (15-13) and at Buffalo (20-3).

The Broncos allowed nine rushing touchdowns and 19 passing touchdowns. Both totals were tied for fifth-fewest in the league.

The rushing touchdowns averaged only 4.1 yards in distance and the longest was 10 yards. The distances were 2, 4, 1, 7, 1, 10, 3, 6 and 3 yards.

The passing touchdowns averaged a whopping 24.7 yards in distance and included nine of at least 30 yards. The distances were 8, 40, 7, 18, 21, 57, 9, 10, 54, 32, 18, 34, 30, 36, 43, 41, 5, 3 and 3 yards.

Statistical leaders

Top 10 tackles (league website): LB Todd Davis 134, S Justin Simmons 93, ILB Alexander Johnson 93, S Kareem Jackson 71, CB Chris Harris 56, DE Shelby Harris 49, NT Mike Purcell 48, OLB Von Miller 46, CB Isaac Yiadom 38 and DE Derek Wolfe 38.

Sacks (40): Miller 8, Wolfe 7, Shelby Harris 6, DE DeMarcus Walker 4, OLB Jeremiah Attaochu 3 1/2, DE Dre’Mont Jones 3 1/2, OLB Malik Reed 2, Johnson 1 1/2, ILB Josey Jewell 1 1/2, S Will Parks 1, OLB Bradley Chubb 1 and OLB Justin Hollins 1.

Interceptions (10): Simmons 4, Jackson 2, Johnson 1, Chris Harris 1, Parks 1 and Jones 1.

Top five in tackles for lost yardage (79): Miller 10, Shelby Harris 8, Purcell 8, Wolfe 8 and Davis 6.

Top five in pass break-ups (70): Simmons 15, Jackson 10, Shelby Harris 9, Chris Harris 6 and Yiadom 4.

Forced fumbles (8): Johnson 2 and one apiece for Jackson, Chris Harris, Shelby Harris, Wolfe, Chubb and S Trey Marshall.

Fumble recoveries (5): One apiece for Johnson, Reed, Marshall, Attaochu and CB Duke Dawson.

Missed tackles

We booked the Broncos for 95 missed tackles (5.9 per game), down from last year’s total of 107.

The Broncos’ game-by-game totals: at Oakland (11), Chicago (7), at Green Bay (2), Jacksonville (15), at L.A. Chargers (1), Tennessee (2), Kansas City (6), at Indianapolis (5), Cleveland (11), at Minnesota (1), at Buffalo (9), L.A. Chargers (4), at Houston (5), at Kansas City (3), Detroit (3) and Oakland (10).

The Broncos had four double-digit games of missed tackles compared to two such games in 2018.

Individual leaders: S Kareem Jackson 10, S/CB Will Parks 7, NT Mike Purcell 6, CB Isaac Yiadom 6, S Justin Simmons 6, CB Davontae Harris 4, OLB Bradley Chubb 4, DE Adam Gotsis 4, CB De’Vante Bausby 4, ILB Todd Davis 4 and CB Chris Harris 4.

The Broncos had 16 instances where a player had more than one missed tackle in a game. The leader was CB De’Vante Bausby, who had four missed tackles in the Week 4 loss to Jacksonville.

Applying pressure

The Broncos rushed at least five players on 126 of the opponents’ 627 drop-backs (20.1%); down from last year (31.4%).

High percentage this year: 38.2% (13 of 34) in the Week 7 loss to Kansas City. The Broncos rushed five at a clip of 30% in only one other game (36.7% in the Week 2 loss to Chicago).

Low percentage this year: 5.6% (3 of 54) in the Week 5 win at the L.A. Chargers. The Broncos rushed five at a clip of 15% or lower in four other games — 11.6% (Week 11 loss at Minnesota), 9.1% (Week 13 win over the Chargers), 11.6% (Week 15 loss at Kansas City) and 8.2% (Week 17 win vs. Oakland).

The Broncos had 40 sacks (tied for 17th in the NFL), down from last year’s 44 (tied for eighth).

But there was balance among the pass rushers. Last year, OLB Von Miller and OLB Bradley Chubb were the only two players with more than three sacks, posting 14 1/2 and 12, respectively. This year, no player had more than Miller’s eight, but six had at least 3 1/2 sacks.

Sacks by down: First down 13, second down 9, third down 17 and fourth down 1.

Sacks in less than three seconds: 14.

For the second year, The Denver Post charted quarterback “disruptions” — sacks, knockdowns and pressures. The Broncos had 147 disruptions — 40 sacks, 36 knockdowns and 71 pressures. (Last year, the Broncos had 145 disruptions.

This year’s top eight:

Run game review

The Broncos allowed 111.4 rushing yards per game (16th in NFL). They allowed seven rushes of at least 20 yards (tied for sixth-fewest).

The Broncos had 115 run “stuffs,” rushing plays that gain one or fewer yards not including short-yardage (first down was made) or goal-line (touchdown was scored).

The season high was nine run “stuffs” in five games: Chicago, Tennessee, Kansas City, Cleveland, at Buffalo and vs. the L.A. Chargers.

The top 10 in run “stuffs”: NT Mike Purcell 20 1/2, S Kareem Jackson 10, OLB Von Miller 9 1/2, DE Shelby Harris 9 1/2, LB Alexander Johnson 8 1/2, DE Derek Wolfe 8, OLB Jeremiah Attaochu 6 1/2, S Justin Simmons 6, ILB Todd Davis 5 1/2 and OLB Bradley Chubb 5 1/2.

Takeaway recap

The Broncos had 17 takeaways, tied with Dallas and Arizona for sixth-fewest in the NFL and down from last year’s 28 (tied for fifth-most).

The Broncos also had 17 takeaways in 2017; the total of 17 is the second fewest in franchise history, behind 13 in 2008.

As a team, the Broncos were plus-1 in turnover ratio this year (tied for 13th).

The Broncos were 4-2 with a positive ratio, 2-3 when it was even and 1-4 when they had a negative ratio.

The Broncos had no takeaways during their 0-4 start; they finished without a takeaway in 10 games (3-7 record).

The defense allowed only 37 points off the Broncos’ 17 giveaways (second-lowest point total in the league, behind only New Orleans’ 34).

S Justin Simmons led the Broncos with four takeaways (all interceptions).

The season high in takeaways was three apiece in wins over the Chargers (home), Tennessee and at Houston.

S Kareem Jackson’s fumble return at Houston was the defense’s only touchdown.

Flags flying

The Broncos’ 110 overall penalties were 14th-most in the NFL and their 912 yards were 15th-most.

On defense, the Broncos had 41 penalties (tied for 14th) for 334 yards (26th).

Leaders on defense: OLB Von Miller 8 (7 enforced), CB Chris Harris 6 (5), CB Isaac Yiadom 5 (5), CB Duke Dawson 5 (1), NT Mike Purcell 4 (4) and DE Derek Wolfe 4 (4).

The Broncos’ most common defensive penalties were holding (12 enforced), pass interference (8), offside (5) and roughing the passer (4).

Miller led the Broncos with five drawn penalties.

Playing coverage

Assigning blame for big pass completions is difficult because we have no knowledge of the coverage call.

But as best we could, we assigned responsibility for 11 touchdown passes in man coverage: CB/S Will Parks 3, CB Chris Harris 2, CB Davontae Harris 2, S Kareem Jackson 2, CB Duke Dawson 1 and ILB Todd Davis 1.

The Broncos failed to return an interception for a touchdown for the first time since 2011.

Pass interference penalties (eight): Dawson 2, Davontae Harris 2, Chris Harris 2, CB Coty Sensabaugh 1 and CB Isaac Yiadom 1.

In the red zone

Opponents scored 18 touchdowns in 46 red zone possessions — the Broncos led the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage (39.6%), a jump from last year’s finish of 15th (58.1%).

The Broncos finished fourth in opposing quarterback’s red zone passer rating (76.1).

Best game: Cleveland (Week 9 loss to Broncos) and Oakland (Week 17 loss to Broncos) were both 1 of 5. Jacksonville was 2 of 6 in its Week 4 win.

Worst game: Green Bay (Week 3 win), Minnesota (Week 11 win) and Houston (Week 14 loss) were all 2 for 2.

The Broncos had five red zone sacks (OLB Von Miller 3, DE Derek Wolfe 1 and DE DeMarcus Walker 1) and four red zone takeaways (a forced fumble by S Kareem Jackson and interceptions by Jackson, S Justin Simmons and ILB Alexander Johnson).

Drive engineering

Opponents had 171 drives against the Broncos’ defense.

The breakdown: 28 touchdowns, 34 field goals, 33 three-and-outs, 17 takeaways, 30 of at least 10 plays and 27 of at least five minutes.

Longest drives by opponents: Duration — 10:24 by Jacksonville (drive ended in touchdown); plays — 18 by Minnesota (touchdown); and net yards — 95 by Oakland in Week 1 (touchdown).

Third down defense

The Broncos ranked 13th in third down defense; opponents converted 37.4% (79 of 211) of their opportunities. Last year, the Broncos were 17th (38.9%).

A breakdown …

3 or fewer yards to go: 31 of 61 (50.8%). The Broncos allowed at least three third-and-short conversions in three games — Oakland (Week 1) was 6 of 6, Kansas City (Week 7) was 4 of 7 and Cleveland (Week 11) was 4 of 7.

4-7 yards to go: 14 of 34 (41.2%). Oakland was 4 of 6 in Week 1 and the Chargers 4 of 8 in Week 13.

8 or more yards to go: 15 of 42 (35.7%). Buffalo was 4 of 9 in Week 12.

*Best game of third down defense: 14.3% (2 of 14) by Tennessee in Week 6. The Broncos held their opponents under 25% in only one other game (22.2% by Green Bay in Week 3 — 2 of 9).

*Worst game of third down defense: 71.4% (10 of 14) by Oakland in Week 1. It was the only Broncos game this year when the opponent converted more than 55% of the third downs.

*The longest third-down conversion allowed was third-and-15 by Green Bay (Week 3; 28-yard pass) and Oakland (Week 17; 39-yard pass).

Special teams recap

*Return game: The Broncos were 12th on punts (7.9-yard average) and 29th on kickoffs (17.4). Diontae Spencer had 26 returns for an 8.0-yard average and had 29 fair catches. His long return was 42 yards. Spencer had 15 kick returns for a 29.1-yard average.

*Coverage game: The Broncos were 30th on punt returns (9.8) and 29th on kickoffs (26.8). They were the NFL’s only team with both coverage units ranked 29th or worse.

*The Broncos failed to score a special teams touchdown and allowed two punt return touchdowns — 68 yards by the Chargers’ Desmond King in Week 5 and 64 yards by Detroit����ap Jamal Agnew in Week 16.

*The Broncos’ 16 enforced special teams penalties were tied for 11th-most in the NFL and their 147 penalty yards were ninth-most. They had at least one enforced special teams penalty in 13 games, but no more than two in any game. WR Juwann Winfree and ILB Joe Jones led the team with two apiece.

*K Brandon McManus: In 16 games, he was 29 of 34 on field goals and 25 of 26 on point-after attempts. His misses were from 64, 54, 45, 53 and 57 yards; his longest streak of makes was 11 and was snapped by his 57-yard miss against Oakland in Week 17. … His 112 points were 11th among kickers. … He had 42 touchbacks on 73 kickoffs (57.5% — 21st in the league).

*P Colby Wadman: His 39.4-yard average was tied for 26th in the NFL among punters with at least 20 attempts. … He ranked tied for sixth in punts (78), tied for ninth in punts inside the 20 (29) and fair catches (21). … Best game — Week 17 vs. Oakland (49.8 net), one of four games with a net average of at least 45 yards. … Worst game — Week 5 at the Chargers (23.8 yards). … Longest punt — 64 yards at Oakland (Week 1).

*Special teams playing-time leaders: Trey Marshall 313, Jones 277, Josey Jewell 257, Malik Reed 204, Fred Brown 203, Andrew Beck 197 and 195.

*Special teams tackle leaders: Jones 8, Marshall 6, Isaac Yiadom 5, Brown, 5, Jewell 4, Will Parks 4 and Jeremiah Attaochu 4.

Um, not quite.

The Broncos’ throw-it-around (’s term) approach in slicing apart the Texans included seven passes by quarterback Drew Lock that traveled at least 11 yards in the air. He was 5 of 7 on those attempts for 155 yards (one interception).

On the first such play, tight end Noah Fant turned Lock’s 11-yard throw into a 48-yard gain. Two plays later, fullback Andrew Beck turned Lock’s 13-yard throw into a 29-yard gain.

The Broncos took shots, but they also saw Lock’s accuracy improve (22 of 27), allowing his teammates to roll up 178 yards after the catch.

Here is our review of the Broncos’ second road win of the year (scale 1-5):

Quarterbacks (4 1/2): Lock’s only negative was his second-half interception when he tried to fit a long pass over cornerback Johnathan Joseph and wide of safety Tashaun Gipson, who made the pick. Everything else was solid. Lock’s third-down work was veteran-like. He was 5 of 5 passing on third down with four conversions (two touchdowns) and he also showed good awareness in scrambling to safety. The Texans rushed five or more on 13 of his 34 drop-backs (38.2%) and Lock was 9 of 12 for 176 yards against extra rushers.

Running backs (3): The Broncos averaged a season-low 3.3 yards per rush attempt (27 for 90) and had no explosive rushes (gain of at least 12 yards) for the third game this year. played 31 of 59 snaps, followed by (27), Beck (20) and (three). The Broncos should continue to utilize Beck’s tight end background to use him as a receiver. Benefitting from play action on the opening drive, he easily beat linebacker Benardrick McKinney on a crossing route for 29 yards. A rare Booker sighting produced a 25-yard catch.

Receivers (4): (57 snaps) had five catches but for only 34 yards, his first game this year without an explosive catch (gain of at least 16 yards). He was able to gain yards on a receiver screen and a red zone slant route. Sutton also drew another penalty. (44 snaps) had a 27-yard catch. (37 snaps) drew two penalties to set up a touchdown.

Tight ends (4 1/2): Fant (29 snaps) led the Broncos with 113 yards receiving on only four catches. His plays went for 48, 14 (touchdown), 23 and 28 yards before he departed with a foot injury. On the touchdown, he was draped in coverage but showed strong hands to catch Lock’s pass. (30 snaps) is developing into a trusted Lock target. His only catch was an eight-yard touchdown when he was uncovered in the right flat.

Offensive line (3 1/2): Lock was sacked only once, when right tackle was beat in 2.75 seconds. Wilkinson played all 28 second-half snaps after Ja’Wuan James played 31 first-half snaps in his first action since Week 8 at Indianapolis. The Texans had 10 “disruptions” (one sack, six knockdowns and three pressures). Three knockdowns and two pressures were via unblocked rushers. The Broncos were booked for six “bad” run plays (gain of one or fewer yards). Center Connor McGovern had 2 1/2. James had a clean half of action and fill-in right guard made a key block on Lindsay’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Defensive line (4): The Broncos rushed five or more players on 13 of Deshaun Watson’s 58 drop-backs (22.4%). Defensive end Dre’Mont Jones’ early ankle injury (he was rolled up by teammate Justin Hollins) taxed the front. Out of 80 snaps, Shelby Harris led with 48, followed by Mike Purcell (44), (40) and DeMarcus Walker (37). Harris had another batted pass (on fourth down) plus four pressures of Watson. Purcell and Gotsis had one pressure apiece and Walker a knockdown.

Linebackers (4): An effective game for the edge rushers. Jeremiah Attaochu (58 snaps) had two sacks (8.33 and 5.44 seconds) and three other pressures. (47) had two knockdowns and pressures apiece and 1/2 run “stuff.” Minus Malik Reed (leg/shoulder), Hollins played 46 snaps and Ahmad Gooden eight. and Alexander Johnson played 75 and 72 snaps, respectively. Davis allowed completions of 12, 22 and 20 yards, but had a team-high 15 tackles.

Secondary (4): Cornerback Isaac Yiadom and safeties and played all 80 snaps. Cornerback Chris Harris played 79. Jackson had 11 tackles, one touchdown (70-yard fumble return), an interception and two other pass break-ups, including a rattling hit on . Nickel back (65 snaps) was excellent. Watson was only 1 of 6 for 11 yards and an interception against Parks in man coverage. Yiadom held up (two allowed completions for eight yards) and Harris battled Hopkins (no catch longer than 19 yards). Fangio sprinkled in some dime personnel, which allowed safety Trey Marshall to play eight snaps.

Special teams (3 1/2): Tough go for Joe Jones, who lined up wrong on kick coverage and then failed to cover an onside kick in garbage time. Kicker Brandon McManus had six touchbacks in seven attempts and hit a 36-yard field goal. Colby Wadman didn’t attempt a punt until the fourth quarter. Diontae Spencer’s 33-yard kick return, plus a penalty on the Texans, put the Broncos at their 43 to start the second half (they scored a touchdown).

But the script was flipped against Chargers pass rushers and Melvin Ingram.

In their 23-20 win over the Chargers, the Broncos allowed no sacks, no knockdowns and five pressures. The five disruptions were the second-fewest this year (four by Oakland in Week 1).

It was the second time this year (Week 4 vs. Jacksonville) and only the fourth time in 48 games dating back to the beginning of 2016 that the Broncos did not allow a sack.

The Chargers rushed five or more on six of Drew Lock’s 34 drop-backs (17.6%) and he was 3-of-6 passing for 31 yards (one touchdown) against extra rushers.

Here are our ratings from the game (scale 1-5):

Quarterbacks (3 1/2): Lock was 18-of-28 passing for 134 yards. His 26-yard touchdown pass to receiver was well-thrown and put in a position for Sutton to make the acrobatic catch. Lock started fast on third down (four conversions on the second drive). He got away with a near first-half interception, when he tried to thread the needle to tight end and put too much heat on a pass to receiver in the left flat. But Lock showed good arm strength and pocket awareness.

Running backs (2): Ho-hum days for (32 of 57 snaps) and (25). Lindsay had 17 of the Broncos’ 25 carries and gained 58 yards (3.4 average). On his 15-yard run, he received good blocks from left guard Dalton Risner and fullback Andrew Beck. The Broncos had nine “bad” run plays (gain of one or fewer yards not including goal-line/short-yardage). Freeman and Lindsay combined to catch seven passes for 17 yards. Beck played 16 snaps.

Receivers (4): Cornerback called Sutton “Baby Megatron” after the game. High praise comparing him to , but Sutton (56 snaps) continues to impress. A week after being held to one catch, he had four receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns (26 and five yards). He made a one-handed catch to make it 7-0 and then worked himself open on the second score. And he drew his 10th opponent����ap penalty in the last seven games to set up the winning field goal. Tim Patrick (32 snaps) had no catches. (37) showed good toughness on two over-the-middle catches, but had a bad drop on third-and-12 from the Chargers’ 34 in the fourth quarter (would have been a long gain). It was his third drop this year.

Tight ends (2): Noah Fant (41 snaps) had one catch for five yards, Jeff Heuerman (28) had three catches for 15 yards and Troy Fumgalli (15) was not targeted. Two of Heuerman’s catches converted third downs. He was booked for 1 1/2 “bad” run plays.

Offensive line (4): Risner and right tackle allowed pressures to Ingram and Bosa, respectively. The three other pressures were via unblocked players (Ingram twice and safety Derwin James once). Left tackle Garett Bolles and center had one “bad” run block apiece. Right guard (concussion) missed the final nine snaps and was replaced by . Risner, his ankle no doubt feeling better, bounced back from the Buffalo game with a strong performance.

Defensive line (3 1/2): led the group with 42 snaps (out of 66), followed by Shelby Harris (32), Mike Purcell (32), Dre’Mont Jones (20) and (12). The Broncos rushed five or more on only three of the Chargers’ 33 drop-backs. Wolfe had two sacks, in 2.83 and 3.09 seconds, and one knockdown before he sustained a dislocated left elbow while colliding with Purcell. Harris and Purcell had one run “stuff” apiece.

Linebackers (3 1/2): Hat-tip to outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley for coaching up Justin Hollins (46 snaps), Malik Reed (42), Jeremiah Attaochu (40) and Ahmad Gooden (four) in the absence of (knee). Attaochu missed two tackles, but had 1/2 run “stuff”, one quarterback knockdown and drew a declined penalty. Reed, laboring with a leg injury, had one pressure. Hollins drew a holding penalty. At inside linebacker, and Alexander Johnson played all 66 snaps. Johnson (one run and pass “stuff” apiece) wasn’t close to 100% because of a knee injury and it showed in pursuit because he couldn’t get to the edge. Davis allowed three completions for 50 yards in coverage, including a 30-yard touchdown by Austin Ekeler.

Defensive backs (2 1/2): Safeties Kareem Jackson and and cornerbacks Chris Harris and Issac Yiadom played all 66 snaps. The Broncos played primarily nickel, which meant played 52 snaps, replacing Duke Dawson (active, but did not play). Parks’ sack came in 2.53 seconds. In coverage, Harris allowed three completions for 27 yards and Yiadom was targeted six times (four catches for 109 yards). On Mike Williams’ 52-yarder, Yiadom was wiped out by Simmons; on the 38-yard play, on fourth-and-11, Yiadom had good coverage, but Williams made a one-handed catch. Simmons had two run “stuffs” and one pass “stuff.”

Special teams (4): The Broncos’ special teams handed away three points thanks to a drive-extending roughing-the-punter penalty on . But everything else was relatively solid. No penalties. One takeaway — Josey Jewell recovered a muffed punt. Three field goals ( was good from 31, 52 and 53 yards). Colby Wadman had a 45.2-yard net average. And Diontae Spencer had kick returns of 30 and 26 yards.

Broncos kicker accounted for his team’s only points with a 45-yard field goal midway through the third quarter.

“That was probably the hardest kick I’ve had in my career,” said McManus, who was appearing in his 94th career regular season/playoff game. “The wind just destroyed it. I don’t know by how much it carried over (the cross-bar), but probably not by much.”

On his two kickoffs, both against the wind, McManus’ attempts were caught at the 16- and 11-yard lines.

“You have to get creative in those situations,” he said.

The conditions were also treacherous for punt returner Diontae Spencer, who had four fair catches in as many chances (one bobble).

Spencer played several years in the Canadian Football League, but said: “I’ve never had to play in something like this before. It was tough.”

Quarterback Brandon Allen was only 10-of-25 passing, and certainly not helped by the wind.

“In warm-ups, we knew it was going to be difficult throwing it, but again, that����ap no excuse,” he said. “When you’re out there, you’re not thinking about the wind.”

C. Harris’ gamble. Trailing 13-3 early in the fourth quarter, Broncos cornerback was matched up against Bills receiver , a speedster. Realizing a takeaway was his team’s likely only chance to get back in the game, Harris jumped Brown’s route and lost.

Brown used a double move to catch a 34-yard touchdown that was awarded to the Bills after a replay review.

“They ran that play like 10 times and I was just pressing and trying to make a play,” Harris said. “I tried to jump it. You have to take a gamble. It was do-or-die at that point.”

Per The Denver Post����ap game charting, it was Harris’ third allowed touchdown this year in man coverage.

Injury report. Cornerback Duke Dawson (concussion) and inside linebacker Josey Jewell (ankle) were injured and did not return to the game. Jewell said he was rolled up on during a special teams play. X-rays revealed no fracture.

Defensive end Shelby Harris had a boot on his left ankle after the game. He said he stepped on a teammate’s foot during pre-game warm-ups. He started the game but his playing time was limited in the second half.

Receiver Courtland Sutton sustained an ankle injury early but remained in the game. Allen took a hit in the first half after completing a pass to running back .

“I’ve taken a few big hits,” Allen said. “You get your bell rung a little bit and get back to it.”

Footnotes. Tight end (knee) returned after missing the last two games.  Right tackle Ja’Wuan James (knee) missed his third consecutive game. … Outside linebacker Ahmad Gooden made his NFL debut after being called up from the practice squad on Friday. … Cornerback Cyrus Jones (illness) did not make the trip. He was likely going to be inactive. … became the 51st quarterback to be sacked by Broncos outside linebacker .

Sutton had five catches for 113 yards in the loss to the Vikings but wasn’t targeted on Brandon Allen’s final three passes into the end zone.

“It����ap nice when you establish yourself and you become ‘a guy’ in the league and you become somebody teams view in that respect,” Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said. “Does that mean you don’t go to him when he’s doubled? You have to be particular with what you do and when you do it. It will create things in the run game (and) it will create things for other players.

“It����ap our job to find ways to make sure (defenses containing Sutton) doesn’t happen and we can continue to run the offense through him.”

Sutton enters Sunday’s game with 805 receiving yards, third in the AFC behind Kansas City’s (833) and Buffalo’s (817) and 10th in the NFL.

Gooden promoted. The Broncos promoted rookie outside linebacker Ahmad Gooden from the practice squad and waived tight end/fullback Orson Charles (who was signed Tuesday). Gooden will take the place of Justin Hollins, who was ruled out (hamstring) in the defensive rotation and on special teams.

“I can’t wait to see him play,” special teams coordinator Tom McMahon said. “I thought his last two games in the preseason were very good. He’s earned it.”

Several questionable. The Broncos listed seven players as questionable to play against Buffalo: Inside linebacker Joe Jones (foot), right guard (shoulder/neck), center (back), left guard Dalton Risner (ankle), receiver (shoulder), tight end (knee) and right tackle Ja’Wuan James (knee).

Coach Vic Fangio expects McGovern, Risner and Leary to play. Heuerman did the full practice Friday, a sign he will return after a two-game absence. Fangio said defensive end DeMarcus Walker (shoulder) is healthy, but the Broncos will “probably still go,” with .

Lock update. As expected, Brett Rypien will remain the backup quarterback to Brandon Allen. Fangio said Drew Lock would “possibly” be activated to the roster after the Buffalo game.

“He’s not getting a ton of reps,” Fangio said. “The offense is getting more plays than the defense in practice to facilitate that somewhat. He’s definitely doing good when you factor in he hasn’t done anything since whenever in August. Is he ready? I don’t know if he’ll ever be ‘ready-ready’ in the next few weeks based upon his lack of practice time, but there’s a chance at some point (this season) that maybe he’ll play.”

Correctable penalties. Broncos nickel back Duke Dawson has been called for one penalty in each of his last five games (one declined), a note brought up by Fangio earlier this week.

Dawson was called for pass interference, holding, holding (declined), illegal hands and pass interference. His last penalty was five yards downfield on a third-and-10 play by Minnesota that gave the Vikings a first down.

“Just small things; nothing major,” Dawson said. “I’ve been too aggressive sometimes. I have to work on when to be aggressive and when not to.”

Dawson had good coverage against Vikings tight end Irv Smith, but he wouldn’t let go of him instead of allowing a completion and making the tackle short of the first-down marker.

“Just run with him,” Dawson said of the ideal technique. “I knew he was a big guy so I wanted to be on him tighter than normal, but I have to learn to make the tackle or push him out of bounds. You go out and learn new things every time you step on the field.”

Footnotes. While the Broncos practiced Friday, general manager and director of player personnel Matt Russell were on their way to Columbus, Ohio, for Saturday’s Penn State-Ohio State game. … McMahon on punter Colby Wadman, who averaged only 35 yards net per attempt against Minnesota: “He needs to be more consistent, there’s no question. He has to improve on that and we can’t have two good balls and a bad one. The best kickers, one thing they are is boring — because they do the same thing every time and it����ap very good.”

After Thursday night, the boards — and Plan B — can wait.

“That����ap always the goal coming in as an undrafted free agent,” Reed said of the news that he’d made the 53-man roster following a 20-7 preseason-capping victory over Arizona. “You know you don’t have a spot, so you have to go out there and fight for everything that you want.”

Reed, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound battering ram out of Dothan, Ala., didn’t just fight for a spot on the regular-season roster — he earned it. No. 59 in your program went into the weekend tied for No. 1 in the NFL in preseason sacks (four), two of which came during a first-half shutout of the visiting Cardinals.

Even more salient: Those four takedowns were notched over just three appearances, as the rookie out of the Mountain West Conference was forced to miss the other two exhibitions because of an oblique issue.

“Anytime an undrafted college free agent comes in and makes your team and plays good, it����ap nice to see,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Reed. “And it is a surprise, no matter what anybody else will tell you. I’m happy for him, and happy for us.”

If you weren’t happy about the Broncos’ backup options for star edge-rushers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb with Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett no longer in the picture, No. 59 would like a word.

A quick word, too. Because these days, if you blink, you just might miss him.

In the second quarter, Reed showed how quickly he could shift gears in tight spaces. With 3:12 left in the half, he zipped past Arizona right tackle William Sweet with an outside shimmy to his left, then combined with Ahmad Gooden to sandwich quarterback Drew Anderson.

His first sack was probably even more impressive, particularly as a display of raw power. On 4th and 2 at the Denver 41 with 5:10 to go in the period, he drove Arizona lineman Parker Ehringer back a few steps with a bull rush. He then zagged inside to his right, promptly smothering Anderson’s predecessor, Brett Hundley.

And did we mention that Ehringer checks in at 6-6, 310 pounds?

“That����ap why football is awesome,” safety Justin Simmons said of Reed. “It����ap not always the biggest or the strongest — it����ap the guy that just makes the plays. And he’s just one of those guys that just makes the plays.”

One of those guys who plays big — at least, bigger than he’s listed. A 6-2 frame. A 6-7 motor. And a 6-10 nickname, right out of the chute: Dream Killer.

Wait.

Dream Killer?

“Von and Chubb came up with it so we just kind of let it stick,” Simmons laughed. “Von said it����ap because he crushes quarterback’s dreams.”

And, occasionally, spleens.

“It����ap cool; I’ve never been called that before,” Reed chuckled Thursday night. “But to be dubbed that by Von Miller, I guess that����ap pretty special.”

Especially for a guy who only started playing outside linebacker at the start of his senior season at Nevada, having grown up taking most of his collegiate — and prep — snaps at defensive end.

“I just try to take one day at a time, one step at a time, not get too far ahead,” Reed said. “Whether it����ap a good day or a bad day, (I’ll) just continue to focus on what I’ve got to focus on and continue to get better.”

Ahead of Saturday’s 2 p.m. deadline to establish an initial 53-man roster, here is a final projection of who stays and who goes:

Quarterback (3)

In: , Kevin Hogan and Drew Lock.

Out: Brett Rypien.

Comment: Lock’s right thumb injury meant keeping Hogan as the No. 2 entering the season. The guess here is Lock is placed on injured reserve on Sunday, meaning he can return later this year.

Running back (6)

In: , , , , (FB) and George Aston (FB).

Out: Devontae Jackson, Khalfani Muhammad and .

Comment: One more tailback and fullback apiece than the Broncos would normally keep. Riddick (shoulder) and Janovich (pectoral) are injured reserve candidates on Sunday.

Tight end (4)

In: , Noah Fant, and .

Out: Orson Charles and Moral Stephens.

Comment: Charles could spend 24 hours off the Broncos roster if they wait until Sunday to place Butt on injured reserve. Charles would then take Butt����ap roster spot.

Receiver (5)

In: , , , and Juwann Winfree.

Out: Trinity Benson, Fred Brown, , Steven Dunbar, Brendan Langley and Kelvin McKnight.

Comment: The extra numbers at tailback and fullback prevent the Broncos from keeping a sixth receiver. But that could change by Monday after the injured reserve is filled out.

Offensive line (7)

In: Garett Bolles (LT), Dalton Risner (LG), ( C), (RG), Ja’Wuan James (RT), (OT/G) and (G/C).

Out: Quinn Bailey (OT), Don Barclay (G), Adam Bisnowaty (OT), Jake Brendel (C/G), Ryan Crozier (C ), Chas Green (OT), Sam Jones (G), Tyler Jones (OT), John Leglue (OT) and Jake Rodgers (OT).

Comment: The Broncos would be smart to look at the waiver wire offensive tackles since Wilkinson will need to continue working at right guard as long as Leary’s knee keeps on barking.

Defensive line (5)

In: (DE), (DE), Shelby Harris (NT), Dre’Mont Jones (DE) and DeShawn Williams (NT).

Out: Mike Purcell (NT), Deyon Sizer (DE) and DeMarcus Walker (DE).

Comment: Zach Kerr’s release on Monday creates a roster spot for Williams as the backup nose tackle. The Broncos give up on Walker, a 2017 second-round pick.

Outside linebacker (4)

In: , , Justin Hollins and Malik Reed.

Out: Ahmad Gooden and Dadi Nicolas.

Comment: Hollins and Reed were going to be on the roster even before veteran Dekoda Watson was released on Monday. Nicolas could be a candidate to be signed on Sunday after the injured reserve moves create room.

Inside linebacker (6)

In: Josey Jewell, , Alexander Johnson, Josh Watson, and Joe Jones.

Out: Jamal Carter and Joe Dineen (IR).

Comment: Davis (calf) hasn’t practiced since July 18 and Jones (triceps) hasn’t practiced since the Aug. 1 game against Atlanta. Watson makes it as an undrafted free agent.

Cornerback (5)

In: , Bryce Callahan, Isaac Yiadom, De’Vante Bausby and Trey Johnson.

Out: Rashard Causey and Linden Stephens.

Comment: Pretty clear cut throughout camp and the fact Callahan (foot) went through practice on Monday-Tuesday is a sign he’ll be ready for Week 1 and a fifth corner doesn’t need to be kept.

Safety (5)

In: , , , Alijah Holder, Shamarko Thomas and Trey Marshall.

Out: Su’a Cravens and Dymonte Thomas (IR).

Comment: We throw a curveball by adding Holder to the roster because he worked some at safety in the San Francisco preseason game and provides a better special teams presence than Cravens.

Specialists (3)

In: (K), Colby Wadman (P) and (LS).

Out: None.

Comment: McManus, Wadman and Kreiter had no competition on the roster once the preseason games started.

1. Offensive play-time leaders: 44 snaps apiece for OT Jake Rodgers, RG Elijah Wilkinson and OT Quinn Bailey; QB Brett Rypien 38; C Austin Schlottmann and LG Don Barclay 34 apiece and TE Troy Fumagalli 32. TE Jake Butt played 11 snaps. New TE Orson Charles had eight snaps. Seventeen offensive players had at least 20 snaps.

2. Defensive play-time leaders: LB Justin Hollins played all 69 snaps, followed by CB Linden Stephens 55, OLB Ahmad Gooden 49, CB Trey Johnson 46 and S Dymonte Thomas 44. Fourteen defensive players had at least 30 snaps.

3. On the game’s second play, the Rams gained 51 yards on Brandon Allen’s pass to WR Mike Thomas. Given 10 yards of cushion by CB De’Vante Bausby, Thomas used a stutter-step-and-go move to create space on Bausby. S Su’a Cravens, playing deep middle, was a tick late getting out of his backpedal and couldn’t get over to Thomas in time.

4. The Broncos’ first red zone stand (opening Rams drive): Third-and-1 from the 11-yard line — DE DeMarcus Walker beat a feeble block attempt by TE Kendall Blanton to trip up RB Darrell Henderson for no gain. Fourth-and-1 — NT Mike Purcell’s quick first step allowed him to get past C Aaron Neary, forcing Henderson left and toward Hollins, who stayed home on the edge to make the tackle.

5. Smart move by the Broncos’ defensive coaches to play Hollins the entire game. He had a team-high eight tackles, rotating between outside (base package) and inside (sub-package) linebacker.

6. Rypien’s first drive (hurry-up) to close the second quarter: 13-yard pass to Fumagalli that was well-positioned, outside of Fumagalli and away from the defender; receiver screen to WR River Cracraft that gained only three yards when Schlottmann couldn’t complete his block against LB Travin Howard; no gain on a throw to RB Devontae Jackson in the right flat; and incomplete on third-and-7 when he overthrew WR Juwann Winfree in the end zone.

7. Rypien’s third quarter was doomed by two plays. On first-and-10 from his 35, he used play action and then looked left to draw the safety up, allowing WR Fred Brown to get open on a post route. But Rypien overthrew him 45 yards downfield. On the next play against a five-man rush, Rypien looked for WR Steven Dunbar over the middle, but didn’t see or was unable to throw it by LB Dakota Allen, who deflected the pass that was intercepted by CB Kevin Peterson.

8. The Broncos’ goal-line stand in the third quarter: First down from the 2-yard line — Allen threw an incomplete fade toward WR Jalen Greene (Stephens in coverage). Second down — Allen missed Blanton, who became open when S Trey Marshall slipped. Third down — Allen threw high and wide to TE Johnny Mundt (Stephens in coverage). Fourth down – ILB Keishawn Bierria tracked Mundt laterally across the goal line and made the stop for no gain when Allen’s throw was slightly into Mundt����ap body, forcing him to slow down.

9. The return game still lacks clarity. “That will keep going,” coach said of the competition. The Rams punted only twice. Cracraft had a five-yard return and rookie WR Kelvin McKnight����ap momentum took him out of bounds on his only attempt. We’ll still predict the Week 1 punt returner isn’t on the roster. On kick returns, RB Devontae Booker might as well be the choice out of necessity.

10. The Broncos may have found one of their punt-coverage gunners in Winfree. With 11 minutes remaining, Winfree beat his man down the left sideline to make the tackle for no yardage. “It will help his cause a lot,” Fangio said. “If you’re going to dress five receivers on game day, one or two of them are going to have to make a contribution in the kicking game. Hopefully that will become the norm for him and not just the flash play.”

1. Joe Flacco

Eleven snaps and a drive that ended with a field goal was Flacco’s work against Seattle and he is expected to play more against the 49ers. There were no real things to clean up from last week except avoiding the communication-type errors that led to him bumping into running back Phillip Lindsay. “I think Joe’s still getting a feel for the offense,” general manager John Elway said. “He’ll get better as he gets more play time in these preseason games.”

2. Noah Fant

Fant, the Broncos’ first-round pick, has three catches for 21 yards in two games, but particularly in the last week of practice, he is showing a definitive comfort level with the passing system. Fant exhibited good hands and route-running throughout the six practices since the Seattle game and on Saturday, he had his way with a 49ers linebacker via a pattern down the left seam. With more playing time Monday, it will be interesting to track where Fant lines up.

3. Bryce Callahan

Callahan was a healthy scratch against Atlanta and held out with a foot injury at Seattle. A nickel back covering the slot receiver for coach Vic Fangio in Chicago, Callahan has moved outside since signing with the Broncos. Pre-foot injury, Callahan was having a terrific camp, consistently showing up during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 by being around the football. Even if just for a few snaps, Callahan’s No. 29 is one to watch.

4. Trey Marshall

Can Marshall, who has five tackles and one pass break-up in the preseason, wedge his way onto the roster as a fourth or fifth safety? Monday will be key because No. 3 safety Will Parks (hamstring) is out and Su’a Cravens, who is competing for the Nos. 4-5 spots, isn’t expected to play after missing three consecutive practices with an illness.

5. Ahmad Gooden

An undrafted rookie, Gooden has three tackles in 34 snaps of work through two preseason games. He could exceed that play-time total against San Francisco because Jeff Holland was waived on Aug. 11 and camp standout/fellow undrafted rookie Malik Reed missed the last three practices because of an oblique injury.  Since Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and top reserve Dekoda Watson will play sparingly, Gooden has a chance to make a practice squad case statement.

Did not practice: ILB Todd Davis (calf), S Kareem Jackson (hamstring), CB Horace Richardson (hamstring), ILB Joe Jones (triceps), RB Theo Riddick (shoulder) and FB Andy Janovich (pectoral).

TE Jake Butt (knee) and ILB Josey Jewell (oblique) participated in 7-on-7 drills, but not 11-on-11. Coach Vic Fangio replied “maybe,” when asked if Butt is trending toward full-team work later this week.

Top play

Albeit against the third-team defense, QB received good protection and threw a long pass down the sideline that was caught by WR Emmanuel Sanders. Rookie CB Alijah Holder was in coverage.

Thumbs up

WR Emmanuel Sanders. Caught three passes during team work and Fangio said post-practice that Sanders will play in the preseason. “If you guys remember, I kind of predicted it in the spring — my medical background gives me those prediction powers,” Fangio half-joked. “I thought he would make it back quicker than most and he has. And he looks fine. I’ve asked guys who have been here in the past to compare him (now) to what he’s been in the past because I don’t have a past with him and they don’t see any difference right now.” Sanders remains on a snap count.

QB Drew Lock. Working with the second-team offensive line for the second consecutive practice, his first completion was well-done — rolling to his right, he hit WR River Cracraft in stride on a crossing route.

Thumbs down

QB Kevin Hogan’s reps. He had only seven snaps in 11-on-11 work out of a possible 79.

Pre-snap penalties. In starters vs. starters toward the end of practice, consecutive penalties (one apiece on offense and defense) forced Fangio to say, “start it over.”

Odds and ends

• Quarterback snaps (11-on-11): Joe Flacco 34, Kevin Hogan seven, Drew Lock 22 and Brett Rypien 16.
• Although still in full pads, Monday’s practice had a regular season feel because of the amount of scout-team work. “This has been a good week because we have the big space in between games,” Fangio said. “We’ve had half normal training camp sessions and half carded (scout-team) sessions to get things for the regular season that we need to see on both sides of the ball.”
• The run game was emphasized early in 11-on-11 work. Ten of the first 13 plays were rushes.
• New ILB Jamal Carter (formerly a safety) worked in the nickel package alongside rookie Josh Watson. Rookies Justin Hollins and Ahmad Gooden were the outside linebackers.
• TE Bug Howard appeared to sustain an injury during an individual drill, but he returned for team work. Howard came back to practice Sunday after missing time with an ankle injury.
• In 7-on-7, the Broncos ran a nice “rub” (or pick), allowing RB Devontae Jackson to get open on a wheel route when ILB Josey Jewell was caught up in traffic.
• Hogan started the second period of 11-on-11 with the third-team offense against the first-team defense. He completed passes to WRs Kelvin McKnight and Fred Brown and had a pass broken up by CB Isaac Yiadom.
• The third period of 11-on-11 started with four consecutive completions by Lock. Flacco’s five plays: Incompletion, RB Devontae Booker drop, pass to WR Tim Patrick, offensive pass interference and incompletion.
• In a red zone period, Flacco connected with Patrick for a touchdown, RB Phillip Lindsay ran for a score and Rypien threw for a TD.
• Catching kickoffs from a machine: Booker, McKnight, Jackson, WR Brendan Langley, WR River Cracraft and RB Khalfani Muhammad. There were no drops.
• Flacco’s second-to-last 11-on-11 period included completions to Patrick, Sanders, Muhammad (after a low snap) and TE Jeff Heuerman. Flacco threw behind and incomplete to WR Courtland Sutton on a quick slant.
• RT Ja’Wuan James got tangled up and tumbled to the turf on the third-to-last play of practice. was ready to come in, but James stayed on the field.
• Fangio on tight end : “He’s had some days where he’s up and down health-wise, but I think he’s ready to push forward and push through all the little stuff and become an NFL tight end.” Asked if Fumagalli is improving because of the extra reps, Fangio said: “Everybody benefits from extra reps. It����ap the only way you can get better.”
• San Francisco arrives for practices with/against the Broncos on Friday-Saturday. Fangio said he hadn’t yet talked to 49ers coach , but did send him a practice outline.

Tuesday’s schedule

Practice 9:15 a.m.-noon (open to public).