ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As a player, nobody knew a 2-minute drill quite like John Elway.
The Hall of Fame quarterback was known the King of Comebacks.
As general manager, however, Elway’s Broncos have struggled -- on both sides of ball – in the final 2 minutes of the half and final 2 minutes at the end of the game.
Through frustrating repetition, Bronco fans are aware their offense has struggled after the first quarter. It may be worse than they thought. 9News has confirmed research by Andrew Mason that revealed the Broncos rank 32nd, or last, in nearly every offensive statistical category after the first quarter beginning with week 5 of the regular season. No. 32 in total offense. No. 32 in points. No. 32 in touchdowns. No. 32 in third-down conversions.
And on it goes with the No. 32 offensive rankings.. The Broncos have the NFL’s worst offense after the first quarter since their 0-4 start.
The Broncos’ offense has been pretty good early. Gotta hand it to the Scangarello Script.
Off script, the Broncos’’ offense stinks when it’s not early. And 9News has further discovered the Broncos are putrid when it’s late in the half or game.
The Broncos are tied for 28th in points scored in the 2-minute offense (end of half/end of game) – with 3 points. They would be tied for last with 0 points had Brandon McManus not drilled the 53-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired last week against the Chargers. That was the result of a fortuitous 9-second drive – a 37-yard pass interference penalty and a 53-yard boot.
Those 3 points are it for the Broncos’ 2-minute offense this season. The breakdown of the Broncos’ 15, 2-minute possessions: They have punted five times (hard to do when the possession starts at 2 minutes or less)and there has been one interception. Eight possessions ended with halftime or end of game. And there was the one McManus’ long-range field goal set up by a 37-yard penalty.
Imagine the frustration that Elway, the King of Comebacks as a quarterback, feels as he watches from his upstairs general manager’s box as his offense continuously folds at crunch time.
The Broncos’ 2-minute struggles aren’t limited to their offense, however. It’s widely agreed Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has done yeoman’s work with a defense that has often been undermanned at the crucial positions of cornerback and edge rusher this season.
But Denver’s D has not been good at finishing. In fact, the Broncos are ranked 32nd, or dead last, in 2-minute defense, allowing a league-worst 28 points in such crucial situations.
The Broncos have lined up to defend 16 possessions that started with 2 minutes or less this year. Of those 16, Denver has allowed one touchdown and a league-most 7 field goals. They did force two punts, come up with an interception and got to the end of the half or game unscathed five times.
But overall, the Broncos’ offense and Denver defense have only been good for 28 minutes of a 30-minute half. No wonder the Broncos have suffered so many final-second, heartbreaking defeats in their 4-8 season.
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