Week 17 brought a hard-fought battle between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. Ultimately, it resulted in the Broncos’ ninth one-possession loss of the season, this time 27-24 at Arrowhead.
Here are our studs and duds from the loss.
Stud: Justin Simmons
Broncos safety Justin Simmons has had himself a heck of a month. From Denver’s December 4th game against the Baltimore Ravens until now, Simmons has collected five interceptions, including one against Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. Simmons’ pick yesterday came in the end zone, keeping the score at 6-3 midway through the second quarter.
Dud: Offensive line
After the firing of the offensive line coach on Monday, the OL wasn’t at its best. Guard Dalton Risner left with an elbow injury, leaving backup guard Quinn Bailey to continue in his stead. The Broncos failed to have a 100-yard rusher, and quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked four times for 32 yards.
Stud: Albert Okwuegbunam
After a difficult season and a poor start on Sunday, Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam bounced back and caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Okwuegbunam’s touchdown was his first of the season, and the three catches were his first since Denver’s October 10th game against the Indianapolis Colts. With fellow tight end Greg Dulcich on injured reserve, Okwuegbunam might get more targets next week against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Neither stud or dud: Russell Wilson
Quarterback Russell Wilson had a bounce-back of sorts against the Chiefs, finishing the game going 28-of-36 for 222 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Wilson also added 27 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. However, Wilson continued to make head-scratching throws into coverage, with his interception a glaring example of that. He also threw behind receivers, but overall, he showed improvement from last week. Every little bit helps.
Dud: Officiating
While officiating can’t be blamed for losing games, the Broncos have every right to be upset at Sunday’s crew. Specifically, late in the third quarter, wide receiver Courtland Sutton was in double coverage, when he was called for offensive pass interference, which turned out to be a momentum-swinging call. Denver subsequently punted, and the Chiefs scoring a touchdown on the next drive.
On the final drive, there was a seemingly missed roughing the passer call on the Broncos’ final offensive play, where a Kansas City defender slammed Wilson to the ground. While the men in stripes don’t play the game, the tight officiating made it difficult to catch a break in the end.
