The Denver Broncos still have to make 20 more cuts before Saturday.
But they’ve already made at least one questionable decision.
Brandon McManus, once again, woefully overwhelmed in a clutch, live-game situation.
With just more than 50 seconds left in Thursday’s preseason finale the Broncos trotted out McManus for a 51 yard field goal. Down 22-20 the kick was essentially for the win. McManus missed it and it wasn’t close, but hey, it had plenty of distance!
This has been the flawed argument for McManus all along. But his leg is so strong! Giddy Broncos fans think Matt Prater 2.0 just walked through those doors, something beat writers who spin everything as roses and puppies perpetuate.
https://twitter.com/MikeKlis/status/639611571526762496
Huh? McManus is a career 69.2 percent field goal kicker. Prater’s at 81.5 percent. Check your math, Mike.
And who did the Broncos keep McManus over? Only a guy in Connor Barth who made 15 of 16 kicks last year and has a better career percentage than both McManus and Prater at 85.3 percent overall.
I don’t care McManus made a 70 yarder in a very low pressure situation in practice. I care about the games. And between the doink in New England last year that changed that contest and the brutal short miss against the Dolphins that had his teammates disgusted McManus has already shown us what he does when the pressure is on — and it isn’t pretty.
And frankly, I don’t care it’s preseason. No one cares the Broncos lost, but you get very few real game-like situations to simulate when it comes to kickers. This was that perfect chance to prove a switch had been flipped when it comes to clutch kicks — and McManus failed.
The Bucs just cut Connor Barth. Go correct this mistake now.