“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” This timeless quote from author Charles Dickens perfectly describes the state and “tale of two halves” of the Denver Broncos after their 35-33 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Here’s a look at Denver’s studs and duds from the heartbreaking defeat in Week 2.
1
It was the best of times... The first half
The first half of the Broncos-Commanders game looked like it would lead to a resounding victory after the team jumped out to a 21-3 lead. We’ll take a look at where things went right.
2
Stud: Marvin Mims
Marvin Mims, have yourself a game. Mims was perhaps the best player on the field for the entire first half. Mims caught two passes for 113 yards and a 60-yard touchdown. Mims showed why the Broncos drafted him in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft with his of explosiveness, including a 45-yard punt return. Unfortunately, Mims only touched the ball once on offense in the second half.
3
Stud: Offense (pre-fumble)
The Broncos offense got off to their fastest start in years, quickly going up 21-3 with 9:01 left in the second quarter. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns, and rookie running back Jaleel McLaughlin ran for another to build an 18-point lead.
4
Stud: Defense (pre-Kareem Jackson ejection)
The Broncos held the Washington offense to three points until 1:47 in the second quarter. They caused a missed field goal, and forced two punts. At that aforementioned 1:47 mark, Commanders quarterback Sam Howell threw a touchdown pass to Logan Thomas. After Thomas caught the ball, safety Kareem Jackson committed his second helmet-to-helmet personal foul in two weeks, and was ejected from the ball game. The Broncos were still in good shape at halftime, up 21-14.
5
Stud: Wil Lutz
After leaving four points on the board against the Las Vegas Raiders, Lutz hit every extra point after every touchdown, and converted two field goals. He would not be responsible for what would unfold later in the game.
6
It was the worst of times... The second half
Technically, things began to unravel when quarterback Russell Wilson coughed up the ball on a fumble with 6:34 left in the first half. On a scramble, Wilson was upended, and lost the ball. The Commanders, at that point, down 21-3, scored the next 18 points, tying the game early in the third quarter.
7
Dud: Defense (post-Jackson ejection)
After the Kareem Jackson ejection in the second quarter, the Broncos defense opened like a sieve. Screen passes ripped into double-digit gains, runs and short passes by the Commanders gained eight to ten yards a pop. After the Wilson fumble, the Broncos went from up 18 in the second quarter to down 11 late in the fourth quarter.
8
Dud: Offense (post-Wilson fumble)
This moment turned the tide of the game. Up 21-3, the Broncos had just started another drive after a 45-yard punt return by Marvin Mims, and had the ball at the Washington 40. Flushed out of the pocket, Wilson tried to run for the boundary, and was upended. The ball squirted out, and the Commanders recovered. This is how the rest of the game went for Denver:
Drive 1 post fumble: three plays, eight yards, PUNT
Drive 2 post fumble: three plays, -11 yards, PUNT
Drive 3 post fumble: five plays, 11 yards, INTERCEPTION
Drive 4 post fumble: nine plays, 38 yards, FIELD GOAL
Drive 5 post fumble: three plays, six yards, PUNT
Drive 6 post fumble: 15 plays, 61 yards, FIELD GOAL
Drive 7 post fumble: seven plays, 87 yards, TOUCHDOWN, two-point conversion failed.
When the Broncos got the ball back down 11, they had 7:11 to go in the game. There was seemingly no urgency in the offense. The Broncos scored with less than two minutes left in the game, but they did not recovery the ensuring onside kick, despite a valiant effort and beautiful kick by Lutz.
9
Stud: The Hail Mary
With three seconds left, quarterback Russell Wilson threw up one last prayer. Wilson released the ball from his own 40, and the ball fell back to Earth at the Washington 5. It bounced, not once, not twice, but three times before wide receiver Brandon Johnson, who had caught a touchdown earlier in the game, caught it one-handed, and crossed the goal line. Time stopped while the ball floated into Johnson’s hands, and the remaining crowd at Empower Field at Mile High erupted in ecstasy. They just had to convert the two-point conversion.
10
Dud: The two-point conversion
The two-point conversion could not have gone any worse for Broncos fans. As Denver lined up, Courtland Sutton streaked across the end zone. Wilson released the ball. And Sutton was turned, and as you can see, absolutely mauled by Commanders defender Benjamin St. Juste. No flag. Game over. This is not saying that this game should ever have come down to a two-point conversion for the Broncos: they blew this game. But this call had been flagged all game, and in the end, it was not even given a second look. Now the Broncos are 0-2, still seeking the first win of the Sean Payton era. They travel to Miami next week to face the Dolphins and a red-hot Tua Tagovailoa.
