Broncos Country... let's ride home early to beat the traffic.
This week's edition of "Thursday Night Football" was an absolute slog, as both the Broncos and Colts struggled to put points on the board. The AFC West vs. South battle had everything except touchdowns — four interceptions, six fumbles, seven field goals and 12 punts.
MORE: Russell Wilson trade, contract go from bad to worst for Broncos
The Colts crawled through the mud and escaped with a 12-9 overtime victory, but plenty of Broncos fans who attended the contest didn't wait to see how it would play out. After Indy kicker Chase McLaughlin hit the game-tying field goal with five seconds left in regulation, several Denver supporters began walking out of Empower Field at Mile High.
"They're leaving. The Broncos' fans are bailing," analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on the broadcast. "It's 9-9. They're like, 'The heck with it. I'm out. I'm out of here.'"
incredible pic.twitter.com/opMhoJp6j0
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 7, 2022
Even before the exodus, fans could be heard booing Russell Wilson and the rest of the Broncos' offensive unit. Denver has now scored 16, 16, 11, 23 and nine points through the first five weeks of the 2022 season, and it has been particularly awful in the red zone.
Wilson has been at the center of the Broncos' struggles after signing a five-year, $245 million extension during the offseason. He has thrown only four touchdowns to three interceptions, and his completion percentage has dipped to 59.4, which would be a career low over a full season.
Perhaps the best encapsulation of Denver's issues came on the final play of the game. The Broncos decided to go for the win on fourth down in overtime rather than attempt another field goal, and Wilson missed a wide open K.J. Hamler for what would have been the game-winning touchdown.
KJ Hamler was slamming his helmet after the game. For good reason... pic.twitter.com/l5BbcyEeGt
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 7, 2022
"We came up with the big fourth-and-two earlier in the drive before, the two drives before. So we went for it. We didn't want to end in a tie. We wanted to try and win the game," Wilson said. "That was our mentality. I think coach made a good call. I've got to find a way to make a play, whatever it takes."
The Broncos will next head to San Diego to face the Chargers on "Monday Night Football," then return to Empower Field at Mile High for back-to-back home games in Week 7 and Week 8.
