Mile High Sports

Broncos left licking their wounds after Giants rough them up on SNF

Casey Light

The Denver Broncos suffered more than just an embarrassing loss on “Sunday Night Football” to the previously winless New York Giants, they may have lost one of their key playmakers on offense.

Following a disastrous first half that saw Trevor Siemian throw two interceptions, including a pick-six, and Brandon McManus miss his fourth field goal in four home games this season, Denver had a 14-point deficit to overcome if they were going to beat a team they were favored by 13.5 points against.

By the time the final whistle blew, they would trail New York 23-10 and have a spate of injuries to overcome in the week ahead.

Siemian missed the final series of the first half with a shoulder injury, but returned to action for a disappointing second half. Right tackle Menelik Watson did not return for the second half because of a calf injury. Denver would lose a trio of starters when it was all said and done – the biggest being an ankle injury to Emmanuel Sanders, who had to be carted off the field in the third quarter. Punt returner and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie also left the game on a cart.

The second half started relatively well for Denver, but it would quickly go downhill.

After giving up a 15-yard run to Orleans Darkwa on the first play of the half, the Denver defense buckled down and forced the Giants to punt away their opening possession.

Sanders opened the drive with an 11-yard catch, then appeared to be interfered with on third down on Denver’s first possession of the half, but there was no call and Riley Dixon was on to punt.

Evan Engram‘s big day continued with a 21-yard reception to get the Giants into Denver territory. Former Bronco Tavarres King made his first catch of the year for New York to get them into field goal range and Aldrick Rosas would convert from 51 yards to make it a three-score game, 20-3. Engram ended the game with a career-high 82 yards and a touchdown on five receptions.

The Denver offense finally started to pick up some yardage on their next drive, including a 24-yard reception by Demaryius Thomas on the first play to put him over 100 yards for the game, but McManus would miss yet again. His 53-yard try was blocked by Kerry Wynn. The miss was the kicker’s fifth missed field goal of the year through five games. He missed just five field goal tries all last season.

Adam Gotsis would return the favor on New York’s next possession, though. The second-year defensive end elevated on a Rosas 49-yard attempt to get a deflection and give Denver the ball back at their own 39.

Things continued to unravel for the Broncos, who had Thomas sidelined with a leg injury, when Sanders also went down with an ankle injury. Sanders was carted to the locker room with an ankle injury and did not return. On the other side of the fourth-quarter break Thomas was back in the game, but he fumbled away a catch (stripped by Janoris Jenkins, who had the pick-six in the first half) to kill Denver’s momentum.

After forcing a three-and-out on the Giants’ next possession, Denver lost another receiver just a few plays later as Isaiah McKenzie also had to be carted off with an ankle injury. Thomas made a huge catch for 21 yards on the drive, but hobbled off and Seimian was sacked on the very next play. A defensive pass interference against Thomas deep in Giants territory gave Denver first-and-goal they would not convert. C.J. Anderson may or may not have crossed the goal line on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, but replay could not confirm that the ball crossed the goal line.

Darkwa gave the Giants some breathing room out of their own end zone when he ripped off a 15-yard gain after New York took over on downs and Eli Manning was in ball-control mode from there. New York could only burn 2:13 off the clock on the drive, though, and Denver would get the ball back with 6:10 remaining.

Siemian would finally get the ball into the end zone for the first time since the first quarter against Oakland in Week 4, hitting tight end Jeff Heuerman on a 13-yard pass to cap a 58-yard touchdown drive that was too little too late.

Denver failed to recover an onside kick attempt and Rosas would add another field goal to cap the scoring.

Siemian passed for 376 yards in the game, eclipsing the Giants’ total offensive total of 266 yards, but the two interceptions and a lost fumble were too much to overcome. Now they will have some significant injuries to overcome with the loss of Watson, Sanders and McKenzie, plus any lingering issues that Siemian and Thomas might be feeling after rough games for the two of them.

The loss dropped Denver to 3-2 on the season, still in second place in the AFC West after Kansas City (5-1) lost at home on Sunday to Pittsburgh and the Chargers (2-4) beat the Raiders (2-4) in Oakland.

The Broncos travel to Los Angeles in Week 7. They beat the Chargers in Week 1 at home on a missed field goal with time running out.

As always, the team at MHS was busy on social media tracking the developments of the game. Here’w what they had to say (along with some of our favorite follows) about the second half and how it unfolded…

https://twitter.com/TJCarpenterShow/status/919751379383717889

https://twitter.com/TJCarpenterShow/status/919755968313004032

https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/919767246158942208

 

Exit mobile version