Far-be-it from every good-time Charlie with a television to question a professional coach's decisions week in and week out, but it isn't a stretch to say Nathaniel Hackett's debut with the Broncos was less than stellar.
Despite some good-to-even-great play-calling throughout the game, including a solid 8-of-15 conversion rate on third down, the Broncos' inability to make big plays in high-leverage situations cost them in a 17-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Russell Wilson's Broncos debut. To make matters worse, Wilson didn't even get a chance to truly close the game out.
The Broncos offense, despite moving the ball well all night, never looked comfortable getting to the line of scrimmage. The Lumen Field crowd had the pre-snap operation of Denver completely discombobulated, resulting in false starts and delay of games throughout, including a false start that erased a touchdown late. Indeed, it didn't look like Denver moved to a silent count until later in the game, despite the crowd noise being a known quantity with Wilson returning.
MORE: Seahawks vs. Broncos final score, results: Broncos stunned by Seahawks
All things told, it was an inauspicious debut for Hackett, who comes from the Packers as their offensive coordinator as a branch of the Matt LaFleur tree. That branch, however, is looking awfully weathered early on.
Expectations are high for the Broncos this year, and they're looking to contend in the AFC West after giving up a small fortune to get Wilson. One things this game proved, however: You can't skip steps.
Hackett learned that the hard way. Here are six decisions from him that doomed the Broncos to an 0-1 start in relatively embarrassing fashion.
1. Not adequately preparing for Lumen Field's crowd
The Seahawks' home field advantage may have lost some of its luster in recent years, but anyone who believed for a moment the 12th Man wouldn't be out in full throat for Wilson's return hasn't been paying attention. Seahawks fans felt wronged, and they wanted Wilson to know it.
It is, frankly, shocking the Broncos didn't start this game in a silent count. The Broncos had two false starts in the first quarter, and the Broncos linemen were acknowledging in the huddle they couldn't hear the count. This is exactly the kind of thing it's better to be proactive against than reactive, and it led to numerous issues at the line for the Broncos throughout the game.
MORE: Jamal Adams injury update: Seahawks safety carted off
2. Getting calls in late
Tied into No. 1, the Broncos weren't getting up to the line of scrimmage until there were around 15 seconds on the playclock regularly. Wilson was rushing his checks, and the timing was off all night.
As a result, the Broncos were antsy at the line of scrimmage, which continued to lead to problems before the ball was even snapped. Hackett is no stranger to working with a veteran quarterback. He spent significant time with Aaron Rodgers, so he knows the importance of going through pre-snap reads. The fact Wilson played as well as he did -- 29 of 42 passing for 340 yards and a touchdown -- is a testament to how good he can be. Hackett has to do more to help him.
3. PENALTIES
Penalties are the fastest way to doom a football team. The Broncos had over 100 yards in penalties Monday (12 for 106 yards), several of which extended drives for the Seahawks.
The first half was particularly egregious, although the Broncos were repeatedly up against the play clock all game.
While some of the flags are just bang-bang plays and at least one was questionable (Jonathan Cooper's taunting call for standing over Dee Eskridge), there were multiple unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness plays that hurt the Broncos.
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Those need to be stamped out by Week 1. They weren't, and it hurt the Broncos.
4. Play-calling in the red zone
The Broncos made three trips inside the Seattle 10-yard line in the second half. They got three points. They got down to the Seattle one twice. They got none.
On the first fourth-and-goal from the one, the Broncos ran what looked like an RPO that was handed to Melvin Gordon (look at the rub route on the bottom of the screen). Gordon got stuffed and fumbled the ball, and the Seahawks recovered.
GOAL LINE STAND. @Seahawks
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2022
📺: #DENvsSEA on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/54o9fOPBKO pic.twitter.com/NqXgyAYAk9
The Broncos got down to the one again, and it looked like this time they decided to run a dive to Javonte Williams that was fumbled again, this one because everything was ahead of schedule due to not being to the line of scrimmage on time. The Seahawks defense had stood stout in short-yardage situations all game, and running the ball twice on critical downs only exacerbated the problem.
ANOTHER goal line fumble forced by the @Seahawks!
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2022
📺: #DENvsSEA on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/54o9fOPBKO pic.twitter.com/mQeRxMeKIt
The Seahawks, of course, are no strangers to goal line play-calling costing them a game. It's undoubtedly nice to be on the other side.
5. Attempting a 64-yard field goal
The context of this makes the decision-making that led to this moment insane. Take, for example, the Falcons on Sunday. They trotted Younghoe Koo out for a 63-yard attempt against the Saints because there was no time to do anything else. The kick was blocked.
With around a minute left and all three timeouts, Hackett faced a fourth-and-5 with a Broncos offense that was moving the ball well between the 20s at the Seahawks' 46. Brandon McManus has a good, even great, leg. But his career long is 61 yards, and he was 1 of 7 coming into Monday's game from 60-plus yards.
MORE: Broncos' Russell Wilson receives icy, boo-filled reception
Rather than taking the timeout with a minute left, Hackett ran the clock down to 24 seconds before burning his first timeout of the game. Even that could have been excusable. Denver had two timeouts left at that point, so 24 seconds was plenty of time to get the 10 or so yards it would have taken to be comfortably in McManus' range.
Instead, however, McManus took the field for a 64-yard attempt and missed it wide left, continuing the woes of Week 1 kickers through no fault of his own.
This close.
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2022
📺: #DENvsSEA on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/54o9fOPBKO pic.twitter.com/aFh1JlpasF
"I thought Javonte made an incredible play and put us in the field goal range -- the mark that we were looking for," Hackett said after the game.
6. Burning timeouts on the kneel down
If a coach makes the call Hackett did there with McManus, sometimes it is what it is and they have to live with it. Hackett seemed unwilling to do so after the McManus miss.
Hackett took the Broncos' last two timeouts, and the impulse there is understandable -- maybe another Miracle at the Meadowlands happens, and you can't take them home with you -- but the last coach who made waves with the victory formation was Greg Schiano at Tampa Bay. Not company you want to keep as a new coach.
What's more, Hackett looked like he was reading the side judge the riot act as he took the timeouts. Again, not an ideal look.
It's just insult to injury on what was already a brutal game for Hackett, and now the Broncos go back home with their tail between their legs looking for answers. Some things were out of Hackett's control. If that second third-and-goal doesn't end in a fumble, maybe he kicks a field goal and things are different. But the reality is even though the Broncos were often outplayed, they had a chance to win. And great coaches win those games. Hackett wasn't able to do so Monday. The Broncos will just need to treat it as a learning experience.
