Single worst play of the season

[TonyR]

Only read this if you're a glutton for punishment like I seem to be...

Denver led 35-28 with 41 seconds remaining in regulation. Baltimore had third-and-3 on its own 30, out of timeouts. The Ravens needed 70 yards in 41 seconds without a timeout, against the league's second-ranked defense, on the road. The sole, single, only way the Broncos could blow the game would be to let a receiver get behind their secondary. And nobody's that stupid, right?

Denver rushed three, meaning eight to cover five receivers. Flacco was flushed from the pocket and stepped up as if to run. As backup receiver Jacoby Jones ran a fly -- exactly the pattern a defense should expect in this situation! -- the cornerback on his side, Tony Carter, just let him run by, covering no one. Carter was busy making the high school mistake of looking into the backfield trying to guess the play, rather than guarding his man. The high safety on that side, Rahim Moore, just let Jones run by. Moore was busy making the high school mistake of looking into the backfield trying to guess the play, rather than guarding his man.

From the standpoint of the Denver secondary, if Flacco ran for a first down, if he threw for 20 yards, so what? All the Denver secondary had to worry about was the long bomb. And the Denver secondary didn't cover the long bomb.

This was one of the worst downs any team has ever staged at any level of the sport. The Denver secondary badly botched the play; defensive coordinator Jack del Rio badly botched the play. Del Rio could have called timeout to make sure his charges understood to keep everything in front of them.

Just to prove it was no fluke, head coach John Fox botched what happened next. The Broncos took over on their 20 with 31 seconds remaining, holding two timeouts, needing a field goal to win. Peyton Manning is among the best quick-strike quarterbacks ever. Fox had him kneel. Fox made this mistake twice! At the end of the first half, Denver took possession on its 20 with 35 seconds remaining, holding all three timeouts. Fox had the Broncos jog to the locker room.

It will be a long, long time until an NFL team botches a good situation as badly as the Broncos botched theirs. Unless this happens again next weekend.

http://espn.go.com/espn/playbook/sto...ng-nfl-tactics

I know, I know. We needed a thread about this as much as we need Orton and Tebow back as our QBs. But I'm making a desperate attempt at trying to find humor in this. Desperate times, desperate measures.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

Single worst play of the season? I contend it's the worst in the history of the Denver broncos

[CEH]

Originally Posted by TonyR

Only read this if you're a glutton for punishment like I seem to be...

http://espn.go.com/espn/playbook/sto...ng-nfl-tactics

I know, I know. We needed a thread about this as much as we need Orton and Tebow back as our QBs. But I'm making a desperate attempt at trying to find humor in this. Desperate times, desperate measures.

They practice this every week. The prevent defense in the last minute.
JDR could have called TO and told Moore directly what to do but Moore admitted himself he wanted to be a hero. That part you cannot coach or change

That play has to be made 100% of the time. Period end of story.

It was Denver's Bill Buckner moment

[WolfpackGuy]

I'd rank it right up there with Jim Marshall going the wrong way, but that was in a regular season game.

Not in a damn playoff game you had in the bag!

[Mediator12]

They are wrong about carter, he had the underneath coverage and played it that way from the get go. What was wrong about that play is they played a coverage they VERY rarely play in practice. It was a rush 3, 5 underneath, 3 deep coverage. I ******g hate that coverage, because there is rarely any pressure on the QB and the DB's are not used to the zone depths or responsibilites.

The playcall absolutely sucked, and it was executed 5 times worse.

[Hulamau]

Truly the Biggest Cluster **** of all time!

I really dont know is Moore will be able to recover from this or if he has the innate intelligence to not make such a bone head mistake trying to saunter over to make a play IN FRONT of a streaking Jacoby Jones .. the fastest guy on their team!

Christ all he had to do was tackle the guy even after he caught it ,, but Noooo .. Im going for the Hero shot! ARGH its still aggravating as hell thinkin' about it!

[Rabb]

I am just happy I was there, freezing my ass off to see it in person.

****ing facepalm

[SonOfLe-loLang]

Originally Posted by Mediator12

They are wrong about carter, he had the underneath coverage and played it that way from the get go. What was wrong about that play is they played a coverage they VERY rarely play in practice. It was a rush 3, 5 underneath, 3 deep coverage. I ******g hate that coverage, because there is rarely any pressure on the QB and the DB's are not used to the zone depths or responsibilites.

The playcall absolutely sucked, and it was executed 5 times worse.

Well, don't you get the impression they were kinda of playing against the first down? The down/distance was 3rd and 3 correct? Im not saying that was the right course of action, but i get the impression they didnt think Flacco would go all hail mary in that situation. but regardless of that, Moore was in position to make the play, he just ****ed it up

[go_broncos]

Very sad indeed.The season was going so good until that happened..
From Day 1..Moore's attitude was horrible.
Wish he was never a bronco..

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by TonyR

Only read this if you're a glutton for punishment like I seem to be...

http://espn.go.com/espn/playbook/sto...ng-nfl-tactics

I know, I know. We needed a thread about this as much as we need Orton and Tebow back as our QBs. But I'm making a desperate attempt at trying to find humor in this. Desperate times, desperate measures.

So I was right about the kneel down at the end of the first half and the kneel down at the end of the second half. Mind boggling that Fox did this same thing twice, once with 3 TOs still left and once with 2 TOs still left.

For me, this is the most unforgivable coaching mistake Fox made, and he made it twice. With Peyton Manning as his QB.

[Rabb]

Originally Posted by go_broncos

From Day 1..Moore's attitude was horrible

ok, now question his ability to play the position, but I don't think that is fair

[SonOfLe-loLang]

Originally Posted by Rabb

ok, now question his ability to play the position, but I don't think that is fair

go-broncos is actually Champ Bailey.

He's in the huddle

[TonyR]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

So I was right about the kneel down at the end of the first half and the kneel down at the end of the second half.

Well, technically, no, not according to the play-by-play.

Last play of first half:
1st and 10 at DEN 20 J.Hester right guard to DEN 21 for 1 yard (P.McPhee).

Last play of second half:
1st and 10 at DEN 20 P.Manning kneels to DEN 19 for -1 yards.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playby...12007&period=0

[Smiling Assassin27]

Originally Posted by WolfpackGuy

I'd rank it right up there with Jim Marshall going the wrong way, but that was in a regular season game.

Not in a damn playoff game you had in the bag!

ranks up there with Jackie Smith's colossal drop in super bowl 13

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos...kie-Smith-drop

[OABB]

I am surprised a rahim moore photoshop thread never popped up out of it honestly.

[Rohirrim]

I still can't believe it.

[oubronco]

Originally Posted by OABB

I am surprised a rahim moore photoshop thread never popped up out of it honestly.

Well let r rip tater chip

[Punisher]

It felt like someone sucked my soul out my body

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by TonyR

Well, technically, no, not according to the play-by-play.

Last play of first half:
1st and 10 at DEN 20 J.Hester right guard to DEN 21 for 1 yard (P.McPhee).

Last play of second half:
1st and 10 at DEN 20 P.Manning kneels to DEN 19 for -1 yards.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playby...12007&period=0

Yep, unnerving ways to end the halfs in both instances. Really dissappointing IMHO.

[OABB]

Originally Posted by oubronco

Well let r rip tater chip

I will, just recut the lord of the flies for macruder...I'm only one man damnit!

[Captain 'Dre]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

I still can't believe it.

It was like being on the verge of scoring with a beautiful babe, when suddenly you're hit with the worst case of diarrhea you've ever had.

[spiralism]

This is the single play this team will NEVER live down.

It's our 4th and 25, River City Relay (or any other hideous botch of a play that will live long into infamy)

Biggest case of spaghetti spillage in the team's history.

[Broncos dude]

Originally Posted by Tombstone RJ

So I was right about the kneel down at the end of the first half and the kneel down at the end of the second half. Mind boggling that Fox did this same thing twice, once with 3 TOs still left and once with 2 TOs still left.

For me, this is the most unforgivable coaching mistake Fox made, and he made it twice. With Peyton Manning as his QB.

The first half its 21 all, we get ball first in the 2nd half. Holliday returns the kickoff for a td. 28-21, whats your point?

[cabronco]

Even Flacco's expression was like I dont believe they let him get behind them, the Ravens bench couldn't believe what just happened, along with any other person watching the play live or on tv. I hate talking about it, its like a bad fn dream. I used to hate getting blown out in playoff games like against the Colts, that was embarrassing. This was that and gut wrenching, and just unfuchng believable. I still want to throw my laptop into my Bigscreen tv ! I need therapy..

[KipCorrington25]

The sad part is there are people defending Moore in this. The guy will never live it down, not in my eyes at least.