A good drive does not erase three golden opportunities missed

On By Littum

The magic moment was there for the Broncos. The breakout game of Bo Nix was on display.

Trailing 24-17 with :08 to play, and facing a fourth-and-one, Denver appeared to pull off a miracle. Their quarterback avoided the pressure, threw a pass toward the end zone and found prayers answered. Marvin Mims hauled in a 25-yard touchdown catch and kept hope alive for the Broncos in Cincinnati.

It put Denver in a position to win a game they had no business winning. They hadn’t forced the Bengals to punt all night. If not for an injury timeout in the final two minutes of the game, Cincy would have kicked the game-winning field goal with less than 20 seconds to play in the game.

But things had gone the Broncos’ way. Against all odds, they still had a chance to pull a win out of the jaws of defeat. Despite the circumstances, Nix had the opportunity to be a hero in the waning moments.

Denver had gone 70 yards in less than 90 seconds. They were a two-point conversion away from punching their ticket to the postseason for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50, in perhaps the most unlikely fashion.

Instead of going for the win, however, the Broncos settled for overtime. Knowing that a tie would get them in the playoffs, Sean Payton took the ultra-conservative approach.

It was a decision that came back to bite his team. And it also gave plenty of reasons to reevaluate his quarterback.

Had Payton gone for two and Nix converted, the hero worship would have been off the charts in the Mile High City. It would have been a Tebow-esque victory where the circumstances and the numbers didn’t matter. The rookie quarterback would have been a folk hero, a player who turned a sure loss into an unlikely win, with the playoffs on the line.

However, it did not turn out that way. In the end, the Bengals won in overtime, keeping their playoff hopes alive and delaying the Broncos’ postseason invite.

As a result, the coronation of Nix was put on hold. And a realistic look at the final minutes of the match suddenly comes into play.

With the score tied at 17-17, Denver took possession at their own 40-yard line with 5:08 left. They were a few first downs away from kicking a game-winning field goal as time expired, given that Cincinnati was down on a timeout.

But the Broncos couldn’t capitalize. More precisely, Nix could not seize the moment.

Facing a third-and-15 near midfield, the quarterback needed a first down to keep the drive alive. He had to convert to set up a game-winning field goal; anything less than a first down would almost certainly lead to a punt. He had to play in an obvious passing situation to lead his team to victory.

That’s what great quarterbacks do in that moment. That’s what great franchise QBs make happen in that situation.

What did Nix do? He threw an interception.

That gave the Bengals great field position, which ultimately led to a clear touchdown. Yes, Nix tied the game with his miracle throw to Mims, but it wouldn’t have been necessary if he could have converted with the game on the line.

A first down would have buried Cincinnati. But it wasn’t the only time in the final minutes that a big play would have led to victory.

In overtime, the Bengals got the ball first. They had to give the ball to the Broncos for the first time in the game with 6:43 left.

A score would have won it for Denver. Burning the clock would have gotten them the tie they needed for a postseason berth.

The Broncos went three-and-out and used less than 90 seconds of the clock in the process. They did have a chance to move the chains, however, but Nix missed Troy Franklin down the right sideline on third-and-six. It was an easy first down, if nothing more. And the quarterback muttered “I missed him” after the series.

But it didn’t in Denver. They got a second chance.

After the missed throw from Nix to Franklin, the Bengals marched for what looked like a walk-off field goal. But when Cody York hit the left upright from 33 yards out, the Broncos were still alive.

Now a draw was definitely in play. Sure, it would have been a less-than-satisfying way to enter the postseason, but it still would have gotten the job done. In two weeks, no one would have cared that Denver backed up in the playoffs with a tie.

All the Broncos needed was a first down. Move the chains and it was game over. But they couldn’t get it done.

Denver went three-and-out, thanks in part to a missed third-down throw by Nix, and burned just 16 seconds off the clock before punting. Cincinnati took possession, marched 63 yards and won the game by a touchdown.

In the end, Joe Burrow delivered. With the Bengals season on the line, their QB came up big.

The same cannot be said for the Broncos quarterback. And a miracle touchdown pass doesn’t change that fact.

Nix threw a pick with the game tied 17-17. He missed an open receiver on third down in overtime. And he couldn’t move the chains when a first down would have iced a playoff spot.

That’s three strikes, in big moments. And they’re more important than the crazy, game-tying touchdown pass.

Yes, the throw to Mims in the waning seconds was huge. Sure, it showed the Broncos quarterback had some mojo. But it wasn’t enough. And that’s all that matters.

The Broncos needed a field goal in the final minutes of the game. They needed a first down or two in overtime. If they had gotten it done in those situations, they would be on their way to the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Instead, Denver’s postseason fate is still up in the air.

Why? Because one magical moment couldn’t beat multiple missed opportunities.

The Broncos had a chance to punch their ticket on Saturday. Their quarterback made a near-miraculous completion worthy of a playoff spot.

A come-by-behind win would have been a dramatic way to clinch a postseason berth, but it wouldn’t have been telling. That would have hidden the truth.

Denver isn’t in the postseason at this point because they couldn’t shut the door on a Bengals team that was begging to be put on the grass. And that’s a shame.

Blame Bo. Blame it on Sean. Blame whoever is nearby.

The reality is the Broncos had three late possessions to ice the game and get back into the playoffs. They were incapable of that.

It’s up to the head coach. It’s on the quarterback. And until a better postseason performance emerges, that’s the question that will linger.

The Broncos had so many chances to win the game on Sunday but kept falling flat. It’s on Nix. It’s on Payton. And there is no getting around that fact.