Broncos Briefs: Confusion reigned on fourth-down play late in first half

A Broncos discourtesy that failed to summation immoderate bushed successful Sunday night’s 22-9 nonaccomplishment to the Kansas City Chiefs was peculiarly discombobulated connected a cardinal fourth-down play precocious successful the archetypal half.

The Broncos moved from their 3-yard enactment to the Chiefs’ 8 and faced a fourth-and-2, the 20th play of the drive.

Twelve seconds connected the play clock: The Broncos interruption the huddle.

Five seconds: Receiver Tim Patrick shifts to down near tackle Garett Bolles. Williams, lined up successful an off-set I expecting backmost Teddy Bridgewater to beryllium successful the shotgun, looks to the sideline for direction.

Three seconds: Williams moves to his near to enactment up successful a existent I enactment due to the fact that Bridgewater stayed nether center.

On the play, Williams started left, but halfway Lloyd Cushenberry mislaid his block, forcing him to chopped close and into the way of linebacker Willie Gay, who wasn’t blocked by close defender Quinn Meinerz.

“There was decidedly immoderate miscommunication determination betwixt Teddy making the telephone and executing the play,” manager Vic Fangio said Monday afternoon. “Teddy gets nether halfway a batch earlier helium moves backmost to the shotgun and past erstwhile it became evident helium wasn’t going to bash that, it was excessively precocious for maine to tally down determination and telephone the timeout.”

As for opting to spell for it connected 4th down alternatively of kicking a tract extremity to marque it 10-6, Fangio said: “That was 1 of the easier decisions.”

Gordon, Callahan updates. The Broncos reported nary caller injuries from Sunday night’s game. Running backmost Melvin Gordon (hip) missed his archetypal crippled of the play and cornerback Bryce Callahan (knee, connected injured reserve) hasn’t played since Week 8 against Washington.

“I deliberation Melvin volition beryllium backmost to signifier astatine immoderate constituent during the week,” Fangio said. “I person to get unneurotic with (general manager) George (Paton) and (head diversion trainer) Vince (Garcia) to spot precisely wherever Bryce is astatine (physically).”

Callahan has not resumed practicing since his injury.

Purcell decision. Nose tackle Mike Purcell was a steadfast scratch Sunday for the archetypal clip this twelvemonth arsenic the Broncos went with McTelvin Agim arsenic the 5th lineman.

“It was much opponent-based,” Fangio said of the decision. “We were going to play a batch of nickel, which we did. That was the main reason.”

The Broncos played lone 3 snaps of their basal bundle (three linemen) successful the game’s archetypal 50 minutes. Agim played 9 snaps.

Win toss, instrumentality football. Fangio elected to instrumentality the shot aft winning Sunday night’s opening coin toss, going against his accustomed doctrine of deferring.

“It was two-fold,” helium said. “One, it was wind-motivated. We wanted to person the accidental to person the upwind successful the 4th fourth due to the fact that the upwind study was that the upwind would beryllium higher arsenic the crippled wore on. … And we wanted to effort and person a bully archetypal thrust offensively.”

The Broncos went three-and-out connected the opening series. The discourtesy has produced lone 10 opening-drive points this year, tied for second-fewest successful the NFL (New Orleans has three) and good beneath the league mean of 26.

Coaching point. A second-half turning constituent was returner Diontae Spencer’s muffed punt erstwhile Caden Sterns collided with him erstwhile engaged connected a block. The Chiefs turned that into a tract extremity to pb 16-3.

“(Sterns) needs to beryllium to the broadside of the guy; helium can’t beryllium successful beforehand of him,” Fangio said. “We person bash a bully occupation of getting that taught to him intelligibly due to the fact that if you get successful beforehand of the (pursuer), helium tin dump you into the returner.”