Interception No. 9 – at Cleveland
Game Situation: Fourth Quarter | 8:18 on the clock | Broncos 16, Browns 14
Down and Distance: Second and 11 | Denver’s 34-yard line
What Happened: Feeling pressure, Manning steps up in the pocket, sees Ronnie Hillman running toward the left flat and tries to dump the ball off to his running back. The pass is slightly behind Hillman, however, causing it to bounce off of his hands. Karlos Dansby was trailing Hillman on the play, so the ball bounced off of the running back and into the linebacker’s hands. A few seconds later, Dansby was in the end zone, having given the Browns their first lead with a pick six.
Hillman (right in front of the 2nd and 11 graphic) isn’t a bad choice here. Manning just throws a so-so pass that the RB bobbles.
To Watch the Entire Play: Click Here
Cause: Errant Throw – Manning bought time and found his safety valve; he simply threw the ball behind Hillman. Could it have been caught? Sure. But it wasn’t a good throw by No. 18.
