Denver dropped to a lowly 2-6 on the season after suffering a late 15-13 loss at Indianapolis on Sunday.
Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco told reporters after the game he wasn't a fan of the team's conservative approach down the final stretch in the fourth quarter, marking the third time this season Denver had a game decided in the final 30 seconds of play.
"I just look at it like, we are now a 2-6 football team and we’re like afraid to go for it in a two-minute drill," Flacco said. "Like, who cares if you give the ball back to the guys with a minute and 40 seconds left. They obviously got the field goal anyway. Once again, we’re a 2-6 football team and it just feels like we’re kind of afraid to lose a game.
"It’s third-and-5 at the end of the game, who cares if they have a timeout there at the end or not. Getting in field-goal range isn’t that tough. So you’re just putting your defense in these bad situations. I just felt like, what do we have to lose? Why can’t we be aggressive in some of these situations? That’s kind of how I feel about a lot of the game today."
The Broncos had their opportunities, but when asked if he could object to the decisions, Flacco continued: "Well of course. You talk on the sideline and if that was happening, then yeah. But there’s only so much that you can do and we just, as players, have to go out there and execute what’s given to you.
"We’re playing situational football and as players, we’re just trying to execute the best we can to get those situations over with and help our team win. I just feel like sometimes those situations are tough and we can make it easier on ourselves by not being afraid to be aggressive."
Even former Ravens teammate and wide receiver Torrey Smith noted Flacco's frustrations on Twitter.
This is Joe’s version of being pissed. He’s fed up https://t.co/K7LiuI2U0o
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) October 27, 2019
Thanks largely in part to first-year offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello's more cautious playcalling approach as the game went on, the Colts sealed their third straight win off the foot of veteran Adam Vinatieri, who hit a 51-yard field goal with 22 seconds left.
The Broncos will look to get back on track when they host the 2-5 Browns in Week 9 action.