Dud No. 3 – Broncos Play Calling / Timeout Management
Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos coaching staff were very lucky that timeouts really didn’t come into play in the closing minutes of the game because their management of those crucial game tools was lackluster at best.
Denver twice burned timeouts mid-quarter (one after a first down and one after a second down) and failed to capitalize afterwards. The first (3rd Q) resulted in an incomplete pass attempt to Jordan Norwood and an eventual field goal that looked like it was coming either way. The other (4th Q) led to a Ronnie Hillman rush that was stopped for a loss of minus-four yards and a punt two plays later.
Their final timeout was used to strategize the two-point conversion. It’s hard to knock that one, as it was successful and gave Denver a seven-point lead, but it also left them with no timeouts inside the two-minute warning. Luckily they weren’t needed, but it could have been a big issue if Pittsburgh had tied the game late.
Also a bit concerning was the play calling early in the game. Denver proved late in the game that they could control the clock with the run game, yet in their first six possessions they elected to pass on 15 of their first 24 plays including two drives that ended in punts in which they threw on 11 of 12 plays in those drives.
