Nathaniel Hackett was in his first game as an NFL head coach. It’s a big moment.
Monday night he made some decisions.
Hackett made two questionable calls in the final minute when the Denver Broncos lost their chance to beat the Seattle Seahawks. No one seemed to agree with what the Broncos did.
It started when Javonte Williams was tackled for a 9-yard gain, setting up 4 and 5 at Seattle’s 46-yard line. The Broncos had him with three timeouts and he had 1:04 left on the clock.
That’s when the Hackett debacle began. At least he’s back in Denver with his two timeouts in his pocket.
Broncos settle for long field goal
Let’s fast forward a little. The Broncos settled for a very low percentage attempt, a 64-yard field goal when they had other options. Hackett’s explanation was that he had no problem with field goals from distance, the second-longest field in NFL history when Williams gained his 9-yard kicker, which would have tied his goal. Brandon He sent McManus off successfully.
“I thought Javonte played unbelievably and put us in the field goal mark we were looking for,” Hackett said at the post-game press conference.
“to be confident [McManus]If I had to put him in that situation again, I think he could pull it off. ”
OK, back to what happened before the field goal attempt.
After Williams’ catch-and-run, the Broncos ran the clock despite three timeouts.
ESPN’s play-by-play announcer Joe Buck said, “This will go on forever,” reiterating what everyone at home was thinking.
Allowing Russell Wilson two timeouts in 1:04 is enough time to get downfield. But the clock kept ticking. On ESPN’s “ManningCast,” Peyton said Manning was desperately seeking a timeout. It never happened.
The Broncos started play 4-5, but Wilson called a timeout just before the game penalty delay. At that point the clock had 20 seconds. Based on Hackett’s comments on field goal distance, once the Broncos got his 9 yards on Williams’ play, he seemed determined to try his goal on the field and wanted the clock to run.
Everyone else seemed to think the Broncos wanted Wilson to approach for a first down.
“They still have time, but they’re in a really tough spot,” ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman said. “The important thing now is that they pick up this first down. But even then they will be a little challenged.”
Aikman never mentioned the possibility of a field goal, and few people watching at home gave it a thought.
McManus is a very good kicker, but this was not in the thin air of Colorado. He is the only player in NFL history to have had two field goals of 64 yards or longer. Since 2000, he has been 29-for-2 on field goal attempts over 64 yards. According to KC Joyner of The Athletic,. 104.3 Andrew Mason at The Fun Inn Denver Above kickers are always 8/69 on kicks over 63 yards. Even good kickers were low percentage kicks. It was clear that letting Wilson, the newly minted $245 million quarterback, try for 5 yards was the better decision.Hackett disagreed.
The Broncos attempted a kick. McManus strayed wide to the left.
“He had enough distance,” Hackett said at the post-match press conference. “He just missed it. Brandon hit his best shot. It’s a long field goal. We were in field goal range, but we were in that 4-down situation.
“If there is an opportunity, I definitely want to take it.”
Wilson did not question the decision.
“We said, ‘How far can we go tonight?’ And (McManus) said, ’46, left hash.’ I think we were number 46 left hash,” Wilson said at the post-fight press conference.
“I believe in Hackett and I believe in what we do. You can always try to find a way to play at number four and number five. I don’t think it was the wrong decision. I think he can get it done.”
Hackett has questions to answer
Hackett was already in the spotlight as he was a starter for Denver throughout the preseason. This is a strategy many young coaches employ, but vocal groups of Broncos fans complained when Denver experienced a preseason struggle. It could lead to the season opener, and that was the case with the Broncos.
Denver’s defense was out of alignment in the first half and was torn apart by Geno Smith. The defense adjusted in the second half, but the offense scored only three points on three second-half trips inside the 5-yard line and lost two fumbles on running plays. Would these things happen if the Broncos played starters in the preseason? Maybe not, but it would be confirmation bias for those who disagree with Hackett’s preseason methods. , the preseason angle will be this week’s footnote to what happened in Monday’s final moments.
This is just one game in Hackett’s career as head coach of the Broncos. He could end up being a great coach for Denver, and the loss to Seattle will be forgotten after many wins.
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