A Mack truck in motion tends to stay in motion; Denver Broncos offensive lineman Michael Schofield learned that the hard way. So did his teammate Ryan Harris.
The Broncos came into today’s matchup at home against the longtime rival Oakland Raiders with one thing on their collective minds; win and be in control of their own destiny. Maybe it was that pressure that caused the fourth year quarterback Brock Osweiler and the Denver offense to fail to score a touchdown for the third time this season.
“We just came up short,” Osweiler said after the 15-12 loss Sunday in Denver. “As an offense, it all starts and stops with me. I have to find a way to get our offense in the end zone scoring touchdowns.”
Denver, who is now 10-3 on the season, seemed to not be in rhythm the entire game. Broncos receivers were dropping passes all afternoon, and none bigger than veteran Vernon Davis, who was wide open and dropped a ball on fourth down late in the contest. “We weren’t doing anything from a momentum standpoint,” Kubiak said. “We were playing great defense and getting the ball back, I just felt like we needed to do something to go out there and make a play.”
A catch from Davis would have extended Denver’s drive and possibly given kicker Brandon McManus a chance to tie the game. McManus had been the only positive for the scoring side of the ball for orange and blue, going 4-5 with a long of 41 yards.
Davis was visibly upset in the locker room after the loss. “The ball was thrown; I got super excited because I knew I was going to be wide open,” Davis told Denver media. “I took my eyes off the ball and wasn’t able to pull it in.”
“I’m not discouraged by the drops,” Osweiler said. “No reason to point any fingers and you have to have a short term memory.”
The deputy himself knows this loss hurts more than some and “will look at tape extremely hard tomorrow.” Osweiler also added at the end of his press conference that “This will not happen again.”
On a positive note, Denver’s defense was impressive throughout the day, holding Oakland to a total of -12 yards in the first half, the fewest since 1991. Osweiler knew he and the offense had an off day.
“Any time a defense holds a team to 15 points, I believe you should win that game,” he said.
Osweiler managed to have a decent stat line, despite being sacked five times by Raiders all-star Khalil Mack. Osweiler went 35-51 with 308 total yards in the loss to the Raiders. Denver’s offensive line had no answer for Mack and the rest of the silver and black as they were in the backfield all afternoon. “I felt pressure, I knew it was coming,” Osweiler added. “Mack made great plays, credit to the Raiders.”
Osweiler was also asked how he felt with 18-year veteran Peyton Manning watching from the sidelines and if he found it helpful.
“Absolutely. Manning sees when he’s playing or not playing just as well as anybody,” the understudy said. “It’s nice to have an extra set of eyes, especially his eyes, out there helping me and coaching me is something I appreciate a lot.”
Denver, who had not been beaten at home by Oakland since week one of the 2011 season, has some glaring issues to deal with as the regular season comes crawling to an end. Up next is a streaking Pittsburgh Steelers team fighting for a playoff spot.
If Denver wants to rest and watch the first week of the playoffs, Osweiler and company need to right the ship. Fast.
