With under two minutes on the clock, the Denver Broncos trailing 24-27 and another field goal on the cusp for the Indianapolis Colts, the orange and blue were going to have a tough time winning the game. But Aqib Talib‘s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for poking Colts Dwayne Allen turned “tough time” into “impossible.”

Talib opened up about what is now being labeled “The eye gouge” after the Broncos loss on Sunday night. Talib told reporters, “I don’t know. I probably have to watch it. From my angle I saw him head butt Von a little bit. I went over there and tried to poke his head. I think my hand slipped there and hit his face.”

This was typical Aqib Talib being open and candid when asked a question. And if you look at it from this perspective, it actually makes sense and you may even give Talib a slight pass. One of the problems is that he shouldn’t even have been poking anybody anywhere for any reason at that particular time.

The other problem is that, based on the video, it looks like he’s lying about it being an accident. But that’s not for me to decide. You can determine that for yourself.

If you were wondering if Talib still holds any angst towards Allen, wonder no longer. “He acted like he got into an 18-passenger car wreck (after the eye gouge). I guess that’s what type of guy he is,” Talib said of Allen.

For some Broncos fans, this may be the exact attitude that they want out of a defensive player. But for others, it’s the exact opposite of what they wanted to hear. “It was just heat of the moment, ” said Talib.

This is a tough, physical defense that has been great all year. They ran into a little bit of a buzz saw on Sunday but they should be just fine down the stretch. I’m okay with this response by Talib because I know that this attitude is what has put the Broncos in this 7-1 position to begin with. Even the greatest teams of all time lost a few games here and there.

On Monday, Talib was suspended one game by the NFL for the incident.

More Broncos vs. Colts stories

• Recap: Defensive penalties doom Denver in 24-27 loss to Indianapolis Colts
• Broncos Kubiak opens up about Aqib Talib: “He has to keep his composure out there”
• “We were just out of whack:” Colts are still Denver’s Achilles heel
• Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward sounds off on NFL about officials
• Ed McCaffrey, Shannon Sharpe drop knowledge about losing
• Watch Emmanuel Sanders score a 64-yard touchdown
• Watch DeMarcus Ware’s sack which makes him No. 10 all-time
• Watch Owen Daniels’ game-tying touchdown catch
• WATCH: Omar Bolden’s 83-yard punt return touchdown