5 players and coaches to blame for Broncos loss to Bengals

3. Courtland Sutton, wide receiver

Simply put, this was a tough game for wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

Everyone in Broncos Country has been absolutely begging for the team to get him the ball more, so the Broncos targeted him seven times in this game.

Unfortunately, those targets didn’t all go that well.

On one of Sutton’s first targets of the game, he beat the cornerback to the inside on a slant route and was wide open on a third down that would have extended the drive and then some. Teddy Bridgewater’s pass was right out in front of Sutton, exactly where it needed to be for Sutton to not only catch the ball but create some YAC.

It went right through his hands.

The next massive mistake by Sutton came on the drive where the Broncos got their first three points of the game. Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t attack the ball downfield often, but he did on this particular play, getting Sutton an opportunity to go up over Eli Apple and make a play on the ball.

Everyone on Twitter wants to talk about the great play Apple made on the ball, which he did, but Sutton beat him badly on this particular play and did everything but what great receivers do in these contested-catch situations. He needs to go up and pluck the ball out of the air instead of waiting for it to come to him.

What should have been six points and a turning point of the game will go down in the books as just an incomplete pass for Teddy Bridgewater. It was one of Bridgewater’s better throws of the last few weeks, and a receiver like Sutton should be expected to make that play, especially after getting his new contract.