Through the first three weeks of the Nathaniel Hackett era of the Denver Broncos, things have not gone smoothly. The offense looks like a mess and Hackett has struggled to adjust to his role as head coach.
Despite all of the negativity surrounding the franchise currently, they are sitting pretty in the AFC West with a record of 2-1. They will certainly be tested more in the coming weeks, but having a winning record is always an impressive feat in the NFL.
Their second win of the season came against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in what was a tough game for fans to watch. Both offenses were abysmal as Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo both struggled to get their teams into position to score.
Denver ultimately won the game 11-10 in a game that set NFL offenses back decades. In the process of the victory, the Broncos actually accomplished a very rare feat. They won a game scoring exactly one touchdown, field goal and safety.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, that is the first time that has happened in a game since 2008 when the Minnesota Vikings did it against the Detroit Lions. Coincidentally, both safeties occurred because a quarterback stepped out of the back of the endzone.
For years, Dan Orlovsky has lived in infamy over what he did as the starting quarterback for the Lions. Facing a pass rush led by Jared Allen, Orlovsky ran out of the back of the endzone for multiple steps. While Garoppolo’s was not as egregious as Orlovsky’s, it is still an embarrassing play to be a part of.
In Garoppolo’s case, running out of bounds was beneficial. Yes, the Broncos scored two points because of it, but his losing his barrings saved the team at least four, if not five or six points.
Garoppolo’s pass intended for running back Jeff Wilson Jr. was intercepted by Bradley Chubb and returned for a touchdown. But, because the play is dead once he stepped out of bounds, the interception and subsequent touchdown did not count.
The Broncos eventually took advantage of the blunder, as they scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter that iced the game. They have to get things figured out on offense eventually or this is going to be a long season in the Mile High City.
