For the third time this season, the Denver Broncos lost a hard-fought game on a fourth-quarter field goal. This dropped the AFC West team to 2-6 on the season and last in the division. Following the game, quarterback Joe Flacco made it very clear that he was frustrated with the playcalling.
“We’re now a 2-6 football team and, like, we’re afraid to go for it in a two-minute drill,” Flacco told reporters following the loss. “You know? Who cares if you give the ball back to the guys with 1:40 left. They obviously got the field goal. Once again, we’re a 2-6 football team, and it kind of feels like we are afraid to lose a game.”
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This rant came in reference to the Broncos trying to run out the clock late to prevent a comeback by the Indianapolis Colts. Denver was lined up on the Indianapolis 43-yard line facing a third down with only five yards to go. Instead of trusting the passing attack, the Broncos played it safe and ran right up the middle. They ultimately punted, and Jacoby Brissett led a drive to set up the game-winning field goal.
A frustrated Joe Flacco after the loss: “We’re now a 2-6 football team and we’re afraid to go for it in a two minute drill… I just felt like, what do we have to lose? Why can’t we be aggressive in some of these situations.” pic.twitter.com/SYfqGPKqFE
— Lindsay Joy (@LindsayJoyTV) October 27, 2019
For Flacco, he is seeing his new team lose in seemingly the same way throughout this season in Denver. He was brought to town from the Baltimore Ravens in an effort to boost this struggling passing attack, but the Broncos are still in last place in the AFC West.
In two early-season games, Flacco twice led his offense down the field and threw what he believed to be the game-winning touchdown with little time remaining in regulation. However, the defense gave up drives to set up the game-winning field goals in losses to the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This battle against the Colts was a different story. Flacco and the offense built up an early lead but couldn’t continue scoring as the game progressed. Still, the Broncos had the ball and the field position with two minutes remaining, but Flacco believes that they played to avoid a loss instead of attacking the defense and playing to win.
It’s unknown if the veteran QB would have successfully converted on the third-down try, but he would have liked the opportunity. Instead, he watched the Broncos lose yet another game.
(Photo Credit: Bobby Ellis/Getty)
