The Denver Broncos not only lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they also made some seriously inexcusable mistakes in the process.
The Denver Broncos not only lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, dropping to 3-2 on the 2021 season, but they were basically without any positive takeaways through three quarters.
Until midway through the fourth quarter, the Denver Broncos were without a touchdown. They had given up big plays in the passing game to the Steelers and allowed Najee Harris to have his best game of the season despite Pittsburgh ranking 32nd in rushing yards and rushing attempts coming into the game.
Aside from a fun fourth quarter run at a tie, it was an otherwise ugly, terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day at the office for the Denver Broncos.
Denver Broncos: 5 inexcusable mistakes in loss against Steelers
After starting the season 3-0, how is anyone supposed to take this team seriously right now? They are still 3-2 and both the Raiders and Chiefs also lost in week 5. The end of the game was positive for the Denver Broncos, but can they carry that momentum into week six with their first divisional matchup of 2021?
We’ll see.
For the time being, let’s look at five inexcusable mistakes that were made in this loss to the Steelers.
1. Noah Fant’s (lack of) involvement in the passing game
Noah Fant was completely inactive in this game as a receiver through the first three quarters.
As a matter of fact, he hadn’t seen a target until the fourth quarter of the game.
Vic Fangio’s explanation on Monday:
#Broncos Fangio on how used Noah Fant. Was used in protection more. "We chipped outside rushers a little more, and that will limit tight in passing routes." #Denver7
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) October 11, 2021
This is as unacceptable of an answer as you will get with this kind of question.
The Denver Broncos are down Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler at the moment. Fant is one of their three best receivers and one of the team’s best offensive weapons in general.
Yet he is out there attempting to “chip” TJ Watt, one of the best pass rushers in the game?
What is the purpose of Andrew Beck being on the roster if not for this exact thing?
Fant should be split out wide and playing a receiver position, blocking only in the running game, not when the Broncos are throwing the ball.
This is a hilariously bad decision and a hilariously bad explanation of an obvious mistake in the game plan.
Denver Broncos: 5 inexcusable mistakes in loss against Steelers
2. Delay of game on the first play for the offense
It wasn’t enough that the Pittsburgh Steelers had just marched right down the field for a touchdown, a long pass from Ben Roethlisberger, and a breakdown in coverage by cornerback Kyle Fuller.
It wasn’t enough that the Denver Broncos entered this game having gone 23 straight games without an opening-drive touchdown.
It wasn’t enough that the Denver Broncos’ offense has been slow-going every single week of the 2021 regular season.
There are plenty of reasons this unit should have come out fired up and ready to run their scripted plays (if Shurmur is a scripted plays guy, it’s impossible to know that based on the lack of success).
Unfortunately, they came out anything but fired up.
As a matter of fact, the Denver Broncos’ offense got a delay of game the first time they lined up to run a play.
How? How does that happen?
How are you not ready to run your first play of the game?
Obviously, the delay of game put the Broncos five yards behind the sticks and the offense ended up going three-and-out on the first series.
After the Steelers scored on their opening possession, a delay of game on the first play was a microcosm of how outcoached the Broncos would be throughout the game.
Denver Broncos: 5 inexcusable mistakes in loss against Steelers
3. Von Miller covering Chase Claypool
Von Miller against a tackle? Advantage Von Miller.
Von Miller against a tight end? Advantage Von Miller.
Von Miller against a running back? Advantage Von Miller.
These are all situations in which Von Miller has an advantage over the offense…in the pass rush department. Anyone attempting to block Von Miller is at a disadvantage.
When an offense gets Von Miller into the slot to cover a wide receiver?
That’s one rare instance where the advantage is not in Von Miller’s favor.
The Steelers exploited a horrendous personnel mistake by the Denver Broncos, who should have called timeout, when they motioned Chase Claypool to the right side of the formation and Von Miller moved out from his edge position to cover the young receiver.
Obviously, the Steelers noticed it and got Claypool the ball for a huge gain.
How does this happen?
Why would you not call timeout?
Ben Roethlisberger was being sacked, on average, about 2-3 times per game coming into this contest. The Broncos came away with one sack, and it was all thanks to the coverage on that particular play.
How could you not have your best pass rusher getting after the quarterback in a passing situation?
I don’t understand this whatsoever. There may be times where Miller is tasked with dropping into a shallow coverage, but to man up against Chase Claypool?
This is another example of how outcoached the Broncos were in this game.
Denver Broncos: 5 inexcusable mistakes in loss against Steelers
4. Another major special teams gaffe
Ultimately, someone is going to have to figure out a way to hold the special teams accountable for their weekly bout with incompetence.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were attempting to increase their lead, at the time, to 20-6 with a field goal. The field goal went through the uprights, but there was a flag thrown on the play.
Dre’Mont Jones committed a “leverage” penalty, which means he used a Steelers player as leverage to try and block the field goal.
This is a 15-yard, personal foul infraction, and is one of the most easily avoided penalties in all of football.
I was surprised to even hear the penalty come out of the official’s mouth. It was almost as though I was hearing of an infraction for the very first time.
The result?
The Steelers accepted the 15-yard penalty, took the points off the board, and wound up scoring a touchdown to go up 24-6 instead of just 20-6.
How different might this game have been had the Broncos only been down 20-6 at that point instead of giving up another touchdown?
We’ll never know.
Denver Broncos: 5 inexcusable mistakes in loss against Steelers
5. Targeting Diontae Spencer in the final sequence of the game
The Denver Broncos made an impressive comeback late in this game against the Steelers thanks to an aggressive, up-tempo passing attack.
Who knew that might work if they tried it?
The offense made its way into the red zone and in a goal-to-go situation as time was running out. It was an extremely favorable situation for the Broncos, who needed just one successful play from a handful of yards out to potentially tie the game at 27.
One of the plays, a third-and-goal from the three-yard line, was a fade across the field to…
Diontae Spencer?
The return man?
Why Diontae Spencer was even on the field in this situation is beyond explanation or justification.
The Denver Broncos have Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick. David Moore has 13 career touchdown receptions. Even Kendall Hinton had a touchdown earlier in the game as well as a huge play on this particular drive to set up the Broncos in scoring position.
Not to mention, the team has Noah Fant and Eric Saubert, two big-bodied targets. Andrew Beck has the ability to win in red zone situations.
Honestly, and with all due respect, Spencer is the last guy I would have been throwing to in this situation. He shouldn’t have even been on the field.
This is yet another sign of the incompetence of the coaching staff to make appropriate personnel decisions at this particular point in time.
Denver Broncos: 5 major changes that need to happen after Steelers loss
The Denver Broncos have slipped to 3-2 on the 2021 season after a tough road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some big-time changes need to be made.
The very next play was an intercepted pass, Teddy Bridgewater’s first interception of the year.