So much went wrong with the Broncos‘ Week 17 game against the Bengals! For instance, in his first game back from injury, CB Riley Moss was exploited by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. The latter eventually caught the game-winner in overtime. But the worst of it was Sean Payton’s decision to play for overtime rather than deciding the game on a two-point conversion. They thought they could move the ball. However, let us not forget how the Bengals missed a 33-yard field goal in overtime and the Broncos were unable to move the ball and wasted quite some time.

Then, they also had self-inflicted wounds. They had seven penalties for 35 yards, while Cincinnati had three for 15 yards. The Broncos also gave up several third and longs and big plays. Even the time of possession, 26:57 for Denver, 41:56 for Cincinnati, shows the Broncos were doomed with a 24-30 loss.

Fans had plenty to say, but legendary WR Ed McCaffrey’s reaction caught the spotlight. The Broncos legend didn’t mince words and let’s just say he wasn’t thrilled with what went down.

McCaffrey kept it real as he took to X and wrote, “Great effort! Just not good enough. We need to get better at finishing drives and finishing games. I’ve decided I’m going to @Broncos WK 18 Game against the @Chiefs. Tailgate starts 2hrs before kickoff. Hope to see you there! #BroncosCountry.”

Ouch, but he has got a point!

The Broncos still have a shot at making the playoffs (a 59% chance to make the playoffs after their Week 17 loss, according to The Athletic’s playoff prediction model), but first, they have to clean up their act. This team has all the talent in the world but keeps tripping over the same issues. Missed opportunities and inconsistent play have been killing their momentum.

Top Comment by pepplerpatrick7

It seems to me that Denver should be calling shorter high percentage plays. Ed is right. Clean it up!

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Debate

They need to stop stalling out in the red zone and start playing like they mean it. The Broncos’ habit of settling for field goals or coming up empty on promising drives isn’t going to cut it if they want to hang with teams like the Chiefs. Ed McCaffrey’s words weren’t just criticism, they were a wake-up call.

Here is how the Broncos clinch the NFC’s No. 7 seed:

• They win or tie against the Chiefs in Week 18.
• The Dolphins lose one of their final two games and the Bengals lose to the Steelers in Week 18.

Lessons for Denver Broncos ahead of Week 18 game!

The Broncos’ loss to the Bengals in Week 17 was a major L, but it also gave them some eye-openers, so they can see what they missed and use it against the Chiefs. They just couldn’t capitalize when they needed to. Also, the tight end remains one of Denver’s biggest problems based on performance: TE Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull.

Bo Nix threw for 276 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He kept it close, but that pick came at the worst time, stalling a drive that could have been a game-changer. Coming to Sean Payton, he had some questionable play-calling, timeouts, and decisions in the game. The conservative play-calling on the final offensive drive annoyed many fans.

On defense, they got shredded by Joe Burrow, who threw for 412 yards and three TDs—all caught by Tee Higgins. If the Broncos want to make any noise against the Chiefs in Week 18, they need to clean up their red-zone struggles and stop giving up big plays in the air.

At the end of the day, the Broncos couldn’t close it out against the Bengals. They need to get way more consistent, especially with finishing drives and keeping leads. If they want to make a playoff push and finish strong, they better close the deal in their next game.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.