DENVER — And in his first game as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Sean Payton called for an onside kick on the opening kickoff.
Payton is nothing if not bold and brash. He is also 0-1 in part because the trick play didn't work.
Sure, it surprised the Las Vegas Raiders. It surprised everyone among the announced crowd of 76,299 orange-towel waving fans on a comfortably cool, cloudy-turned-rainy Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High.
But the gimmick play backfired. Even though the Broncos' recovered, Wil Lutz' intentional grounder only traveled about 9 yards before it hit teammate Tremon Smith in the arms. Rules says it has to go 10 yards before a kickoff team player can touch the ball. Penalty. Raiders ball with a short-field possession.
The Raiders scored a touchdown off that opening opportunity and went on to beat the Broncos, 17-16, in the 2023 season opener. It was tough day for new Broncos' kicker Wil Lutz who missed an extra point and a 55-yard field goal.
"It's tough. I was brought here to win close games and today wasn't my day,'' said Lutz, who was given the Broncos' placekicking job even though he never kicked for the team during the offseason, training camp or preseason. He did kick well for Payton in New Orleans from 2017-20. "I've been in this position before and come out of it. We'll get back to work and focus on next week."
Get 'em next time, Or maybe the next seven times to make it even. The Raiders have now defeated the Broncos in seven consecutive games, a streak -- or skid depending on point of view -- that is now 3 1/2 seasons long.
Payton said the onside kick to start the game -- he famously did it to start the second half in Super Bowl XLIV in a stunning New Orleans' victory over Peyton Manning's Colts -- came after spotting a vulnerability on film and working on it in practice.
"It wasn’t like a random (decision),'' Payton said. "We just felt like we saw a leverage opportunity we wanted to take advantage of. Obviously, we didn’t want to contact the ball before 10 yards.
"So it was kind of being aggressive and yet we felt like we came to win a game. It was something we discussed if we won the toss. We were going to defer and then we wanted it kicked over on our sideline. It was just one of those things that we felt, percentage-wise, we felt pretty good about the onside kick.”
Even if the Broncos only scored 16 points after they finished last in the league last season with a 16.9-point per game average, and even if the Broncos lost by the same 17-16 losing score they opened with last season at Seattle, the most encouraging aspect of this game was how Payton, an offensive guru as well as a head coach, has already coached up an improved Russell Wilson.
At halftime, Wilson was 17 of 19 passing for 125 yards and two touchdown passes.
"I think the relationship I have with Sean and understanding offensively what we want to do and the creativity and the diligence of all our coaches ... but I feel great,'' Wilson said. "The only thing that's disappointing is we didn't come up with a win tonight. That's all that really matters. We'll get better next week."
The operation of the Broncos both offensively and defensively was mostly clean. (Special teams, though, had a rough day). The Broncos moved the ball decently. They only had six offensive series -- lasting 14, 8,9, 10 and 16 players before saving their only three-and-out for last. They just didn't score enough.
And while the Denver defense held the Raiders to 17 points, they didn't play winning defense. See the final 5 minutes, 8 seconds of the game. After the Broncos' offense went three-and-out, the Raiders ate up every last one of those 308 seconds to preserve their 1-point win.
"That's on us,'' said Broncos defensive tackle Zach Allen, whose tackle for loss on Raiders' running back Josh Jacobs set up third and long. "We pride ourselves that when the game is on the line being out there and we couldn't get it done.''
"Playing in these one-score games, trying to get a stop, trying to use the time, obviously it's frustrating they were able to run the clock out,'' Payton said. "The third down conversion, obviously with the penalty behind it. It was disappointing. We had our opportunities offensively as well.''
Talk about a close game. The Broncos had 22 first downs and the Raiders had 22 first downs. The Raiders had five first downs rushing; 11 first downs passing and 6 first downs via penalty. The Broncos had five first downs rushing; 11 first downs passing and 6 first downs via penalty.
The Raiders had 261 yards in total offense and the Broncos had 260 yards. The Raiders were 5 of 11 on third-down conversions. The Broncos were 5 of 11 on third-down conversions.
It came down to 3:00 remaining, the Raiders had the ball third and 8 at their own 44 yards line and protecting their 1-point lead. Garoppolo, the Raiders' new quarterback, hit new receiver Jakobi Meyers, the former Patriot, for 7 yards, which would have set up fourth and 1 at the Raiders' 47.
PHOTOS | Broncos vs. Raiders
Broncos safety Kareem Jackson came up to lower the boom on Meyers. Jackson was flagged for unnecessary roughness -- it appeared to be a high-speed, shoulder pad blast to the helmet hit -- as Meyers lay frighteningly motionless on the field.
Meyers eventually got up and was able to walk off the field with assistance while the penalty gave the Raiders a first down and an opportunity to run the clock out -- which they did after Garoppolo scrambled for 8 yards to convert a third-and-7 just after the 2-minute warning.
"First and foremost, I hope he's all right,'' Jackson said. "We don't play this game to hurt guys. It's a tough sport we play. Hopefully everybody comes out healthy but unfortunately stuff like that happens. So definitively my thoughts and prayers are with him and hope he's fine.
"A lot of times on bang-bang plays, it's an unfortunate situation. I'm not really sure if I got him with my shoulder or hit him head-to-head. Hopefully he can come back healthy."
In a first half of chaos that included the failed onside kick to open the game, the opposing quarterback sprinting out of the medical tent to throw a touchdown pass, and a defensive teammate going down early with what appeared to be a serious knee injury, Wilson calmly showed the home crowd he is Russell Wilson again.
Wilson got the ball with 2:30 remaining in the first half, the ball on his own 25 yard line and the Broncos down 10-6. Wilson seemed to have fun executing a 75-yard touchdown he culminated with his second 5-yard touchdown pass deep on the right side of the end zone, this one to Courtland Sutton, with 12 seconds left until intermission.
That put the Broncos up, 13-10 at halftime but a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Garoppolo to Meyers -- their second scoring connection of the game -- put Las Vegas up, 17-16 with 6:34 remaining.
Wilson was 27 of 34 for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns. Garoppolo was 20 of 26 for an even 200 yards and two touchdowns. An end zone interception by Kareem Jackson to waste a first-and-goal at the 1 opportunity didn't hurt Garoppolo or the Raiders in the end.
To begin his first game as Broncos head coach, Payton, no doubt in consultation with special teams assistant head coach Mike Westhoff, tried an onside kick. Westhoff is known as a special teams gambler and it was going to pay off, too, as the Broncos recovered, setting off pandemonium among orange-shirted players on the field and sideline.
Hold on. Yellow flag. Lutz’ intentionally kicked grounder bounced up into the arms teammate Smith, apparently before the ball traveled the necessary 10 yards (it was close. So close TV analyst James Lofton said the ball traveled 9 and 9/8ths.). Smith couldn't corral the ball as it popped and a mad scramble resulted in a recovery by the Broncos' Essang Bassey. Bedlam ensured on the home sideline but referee Bill Vinovich delivered the mood-popping news. Penalty, Raiders ball at the Broncos’ 44.
Garoppolo came through with a clutch, fourth-and-1 alley-oop pass to Davante Adams for 13 yards to the Broncos’ 22. Garoppolo was forced to the concussion tent for two plays after a late hit by Broncos safety Justin Simmons. But he returned on third-and-goal from the 3 and threw a nice fade to Meyers for a touchdown. Meyers taunted cornerback Damarri Mathis after the score and drew a penalty.
But even while drawing a second special teams penalty on a holding call during Marvin Mims Jr.'s kickoff return, the Broncos answered on their first offensive possession thanks to Wilson. Beleaguered last season, Wilson superbly directed the Broncos on a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took up 8 minutes and 44 seconds of game clock.
Wilson was 7 of 8 for 68 yards on the season-opening drive he finished with a scramble right, throw-on-the-run, 5-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Humphrey is a former New Orleans Saint who was called up from the practice squad to replace top Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy, whose hamstring strain was given another week to heal.
It was 7-6 with 44 seconds left in the first quarter and stayed that way when Lutz missed the extra point, shooting it wide right. Lutz was acquired in a trade from New Orleans two weeks ago.
The Raiders answered with a 70-yard march that ended on the Denver 5 yard line but a goal-to-go stop forced a short field goal by Daniel Carlson, who spent his high school years at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs.
It was 10-6 Raiders just inside 11 minutes remaining in the first half. It stayed that way until Payton burned his final two timeouts on defense to give Wilson the ball with 2:30 remaining.
The Broncos got the ball first in the second but after a sustained drive, Lutz' 55-yard field goal attempt pounded the back of the net but was wide right.
"It doesn't matter where it hits if it doesn't go in,'' Lutz said. "It's frustrating. I thought I hit that ball well. Just spinned on me at the end.''
The Raiders took over with great field position at their own 45. They used 18 plays, counting penalties, and had first and goal at the 1 when the Raiders self-destructed to Vance Joseph's determined defense.
Garoppolo fumbled the first-and-goal snap. Then the Raiders were flagged for an illegal formation. After an incomplete pass brought up third and goal from the 6, Garoppolo forced a pass to a well-covered receiver, the ball was tipped by Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton, and it ricocheted into the arms of safety Kareem Jackson.
Touchback. No Raiders points. Broncos took over at their own 20. The Broncos' offense did a nice job moving the ball as they went 75 yards in 16 plays. But when they failed to convert a first-and-goal at the 8 opportunity, they settled for a chip-shot field goal by Lutz for a 16-10 lead.
Garoppolo, though, answered with a quick, 75-yard scoring drive, completing passes of 18 yards to Adams, 16 yards to Meyers, and then after 15 more yards were tacked on because Broncos' blitzing nickelback Essang Bassey was flagged for roughing the passer, Raiders' tight end Austin Hooper caught a lofted 20-yard pass. Hooper barely beat a closing Simmons on the play and the Raiders had first and goal at the 6.
Garoppolo then hit Meyers for the 6-yard touchdown and Carlson's extra point turned out to be the difference.
“One game is not something that will turn this locker room into a bunch of sulkers,'' said Broncos' right tackle Mike McGlinchey. "We’ll be all right. We’ll keep our heads down to the grindstone and get ready for Washington next week.”
Sterns, Dulcich hurt
The Broncos suffered what appeared to be a serious injury in the first quarter when safety Caden Sterns went down clutching his left knee in the kneecap area. A 9NEWS camera showed what appeared to be a patellar tendon injury. Sterns was visibly frustrated as he was carted off the field. While the injury is believed to be serious, it appears his ACL is intact, according to sources.
Sterns missed all but the first five games last season with a hip injury that required surgery. Sterns joined Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons as the three safeties who were introduced during the starting lineup presentation.
Late in the first half, the third play after the 2-minute warning, Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich reached back to grab his right hamstring on a pass play to running back Samaje Perine. Dulcich left the game at that point and was declared out at the start of the second half.
Bronco Bits
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby sacked Russell Wilson in the second quarter, extending his sack streak against the Broncos to eight consecutive games dating back to 2019. …
The Denver defense did not record a sack in the game. ...
Sutton not only had four catches for 32 yards with a touchdown at the half, he also drew two pass interference penalties on third down that kept the Broncos’ two scoring drives alive. Sutton did not have a catch in the second half. …
Javonte Williams, in his first game back from last year’s ACL surgery, had 51 yards rushing off 13 carries. Backup running back Samaje Perine at that point had 41 yards rushing on 10 carries.
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