Monday night’s matchup between the Broncos and Seahawks was hyped as the return of Russell Wilson to Seattle. In the end, though, the man at the center of attention was not on the field for the game’s most pivotal play.
That was the result of some questionable clock management and curious decision-making by Denver’s first-year coach, Nathaniel Hackett, who was making his debut with the team after spending the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Packers. Trailing 17–16, the Broncos took over at their own 22-yard line with just over four minutes to play and all three timeouts left. The offense milked away the clock as they approached midfield, yet took too much time off, leaving Wilson with 20 seconds left facing a fourth-and-5 from the Seattle 46-yard line.
Rather than let the offense try to convert, Hackett instead opted to try a 64-yard field goal with Brandon McManus. The kick missed wide left, and Hackett was asked post-game about his decision to take his offense off the field for the final play.
