5 players and coaches to blame for Broncos loss to Bengals

The Denver Broncos lost a heartbreaker to the Cincinnati Bengals. Which players and coaches are to blame for what could be a season killer?

The Denver Broncos’ loss against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon really felt like a season killer. Although the Broncos are 7-7 and the AFC playoff race is way too muddy right now to count them out, they will need to not only basically win out but they will also need other teams to lose.

The Broncos’ playoff destiny is no longer in their hands, even though they would have still needed some help had they beaten the Bengals.

On this Monday after a loss, everyone in Broncos Country is playing the blame game as anyone might expect after a crucial loss. So who actually deserves the blame for this one? Let’s take a look at the five players and coaches most directly connected with the Broncos taking this extremely frustrating loss at home.

Which Denver Broncos players and coaches are to blame after Bengals loss?

1. Vic Fangio, head coach

We’ll get to the struggles for the Denver Broncos offense plenty throughout this post, and there’s plenty of blame to go around.

For this game, you can really trace a major momentum shift back to one sequence of plays at the end of the first half.

The Broncos had the ball offensively and as they were matriculating down the field at a snail’s pace, the seconds kept right on ticking off the clock. Instead of having urgency, attempting to push the ball downfield, and going for a touchdown before the half with the game tied at 3-3, Fangio seemed content to barely get the ball within Brandon McManus’ range before settling for three points.

It was a disheartening end to the first half, even if you think Fangio managed the clock properly. The strategy of playing for three points instead of six when you could have gone for either is a loser’s mentality, in my eyes.

The strategy to settle for a 50-plus-yard field goal resulted in absolute disaster for the Broncos — a six-point swing in favor of the Bengals. Instead of the Broncos going into the half up 6-3, the Bengals got the ball after the missed field goal, promptly pushed the ball downfield for a near-20 yard gain, and kicked a field goal of their own to go up 6-3.

A six-point swing in a game decided by five points? That should put some major heat on the head coach considering this game had substantial playoff implications.