Top 5 reasons the Broncos failed in season opener vs. Seahawks

Broncos fumble not once but twice from the one-yard line

If you were wondering, no NFL team has fumbled twice at the one-yard line in the same game since 1987. Not until the Denver Broncos played the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, that is.

Fans on Twitter were absolutely livid over the first fumble from the one, which game on a fourth-down play. Russell Wilson lined up in the shotgun formation, which had everyone frazzled in the first place, but Melvin Gordon was also on the field for this particular play after Javonte Williams had been rolling the entire game. Gordon ended up getting the ball knocked out of his hands and lost control of it before he could reach it over the goal line for a score.

This play had everybody coming on the internet with their pitchforks at Gordon until the Broncos gave the next opportunity at the one-yard line to Javonte Williams, who got smacked in the backfield and fumbled into the end zone where the Seahawks recovered for a touchback. This play also came from the shotgun formation, and at this point, everyone and their dog was wondering what Nathaniel Hackett was doing running these plays from the gun at the one-yard line.

Nobody is even arguing that the Broncos should have taken the three points in the first situation, mainly because the odds and analytics are pretty clear about going for it from the one-yard line. Your chances of converting a one-yard play are pretty good in any instance, so it’s a worthwhile roll of the dice. But the Broncos unfortunately will now have to look back at this one and wonder why the blocking was so bad on these plays, why the backs couldn’t hold onto the ball, and why they decided to run from the ‘gun instead of just plowing it in behind Andrew Beck, who had a great game.