How red-zone struggles again plagued Russell Wilson, Nathaniel Hackett in Broncos’ OT loss to Colts

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Having a mobile quarterback is generally thought to be a boon inside the red zone. It keeps defenses honest and gives them something else to think about when the field is at its smallest. For Russell Wilson and the Broncos, however, QB mobility has caused nothing but trouble.

The Broncos entered their “Thursday Night Football” game against the Colts being bad inside the opponents’ 20. They had a 30 percent touchdown rate, dead last in the NFL. Then proceeded to leave the field horrific. After an 0-for-4 night, the Broncos now have a red-zone touchdown rate of 21.4 percent, the worst since the 2008 Rams, according to Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com.

Adding insult to injury, the Broncos held the Colts without a touchdown in their two red-zone trips, lowering their NFL-best opposing TD percentage to 27.3. The defense is doing everything it can to help the Broncos win. The offense isn’t answering the call.

Wilson is a big part of the problem. He was 1 for 6 with an interception in the red zone Thursday, and he missed seeing a wide-open K.J. Hamler on the fourth-down play that ended the game. But the play-calling by coach Nathan Hackett was also confusing, to say the least. Stephon Gilmore’s interception in the end zone kept the Colts alive in the fourth quarter, and his pass breakup in the end zone won the Colts the game.

MORE: Colts come away with OT win after Broncos fail multiple times in the red zone

It’s hard to contextualize just how bad this game was for Hackett and the Broncos inside the 20. Here’s a look, series by series.

Series 1: First quarter, field goal

The Broncos’ first red-zone series for started at the Colts’ 13 after a scramble by Wilson. From there, the Broncos went backward with an incompletion, a 2-yard loss and another incompletion. They were forced to settle for a 33-yard Brandon McManus field goal.

Series 2: Third quarter, blocked field goal attempt

The struggles continued here.

The Broncos again got into the red zone about halfway through the third quarter with the game tied 6-6. After an outstanding 51-yard reception by Courtland Sutton, in which he took out a teammate who was too close, a 9-yard carry by Montrell Washington got the ball to Indy’s 13. Things looked promising.

But after picking up a first down on the ensuing play, the offense sputtered once more. Melvin Gordon was stacked up for a 1-yard loss on first-and-goal from the 9, and Wilson was sacked for a 6-yard loss on the next play. Third down was an incomplete pass intended for Eric Saubert, and McManus’ field-goal kick was blocked.

Series 3: Fourth quarter, interception

This was perhaps the most baffling series of all.

The Broncos were in the midst of their best drive of the night as they led 9-6. They had gone nine plays for 66 yards, and they had just done something Hackett should have done in Week 1: gone for it on fourth down. They converted after a perfect play-call, a quick slant from Wilson to Saubert.

The flow chart looked simple: Run the ball a few times, bleed the clock, make the Colts burn their timeouts, and then kick a field goal to make it a six-point game. Trust the defense.

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Instead, the Broncos ran a quick iso to Sutton for 5 yards and a dive to Boone for 1, setting up third-and-4 from the 13. What followed was something that had Seahawks fans tearing their hair out or laughing hysterically.

The Broncos tested Stephon Gilmore two plays after Sutton hit him with a “little man” celebration after a stiff arm. Gilmore undercut Wilson’s slant pass and picked it off, keeping the Colts alive and ending yet another Broncos red-zone drive prematurely.

MORE: Richard Sherman on collapse by Russell Wilson, Broncos’ offense: ‘Run the dang ball’

Hackett said he was trying to end the game on that drive, and that’s why he called for a pass.

“We wanted to be sure we were able to get a first down,” Hackett said in the post-game press conference. “So we were trying to give ourselves a play that could help us with that. We had been running the ball well there, so we went with a play-action pass. . . . Obviously we don’t want a turnover, we wanted to come away with the points, that would’ve helped us there. . . . Russell thought he had a chance at it, and it ended up being a pick.”

Series 4: Overtime, turnover on downs (game over)

Then, there’s the final series — the clincher.

The Colts had gone up 12-9, but the Broncos were roaring back. They got to the red zone in relatively short order, with a first-and-10 from the 14.

They ran the ball three times, so the confidence in the passing game was clearly shaken. Gordon carried for 3, 5 and 1 yard, setting up fourth-and-1 from the Colts’ 5.

After a lot of hemming and hawing by both sides (they both took timeouts after the Broncos lined up on fourth down), the Broncos finally snapped the ball. Wilson’s pass over the middle was broken up by none other than Gilmore.

Hackett explained why he went for it on fourth down.

“We wanted to win the game,” he said. “We hadn’t moved the ball very well the whole night, and I thought we had a spectacular drive to get all the way down there. . . . Called a play that we know that [Wilson] really liked, and it didn’t work out.”

Wilson agreed with the play call.

“We had a good play call on, we went to [Sutton] there. [Gilmore] made a good play. I was ready to move around if I needed to,” he said at the podium. “We didn’t want to end in a tie, we wanted to try to win the game. That was our mentality. I think coach made a good call. I think I’ve got to try to make a play.”

K.J. Hamler was less diplomatic in the immediate aftermath. Wilson failed to see him wide open in the flat after a rub route.

“I could have walked in,” he said, per NFL Network’s James Palmer. Hamler slammed his helmet on the turf in frustration after the pass was broken up. Palmer added that Hamler missed Hackett’s postgame locker-room speech because he was on the field “trying to process everything.”

It was the crescendo of a symphony of nightmares for the Broncos. Wilson finished 1 of 6 passing for 5 yards in the red zone with an interception and a sack. It seemed as if the Colts were keyed into everything the Broncos tried to do inside the 20, and Denver paid the price. It was a perfect storm for the Broncos, and an ugly game ended in the only way that made sense. 

The Broncos’ struggles in the red area are all the more alarming considering what the Broncos gave up for Wilson both in the trade with Seattle and the subsequent $245 million contract extension. Perhaps they’ll be ironed out as the season goes on, but these failures have now played out three times on national TV. Next week, the Broncos play the Chargers in LA on “Monday Night Football.” Millions will watching for the struggle to get into the end zone rear its ugly head again.

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