The Broncos’ home opener in Week 2 against the Texans was a much-anticipated contest. It was Russell Wilson’s first start in Denver as a member of the Broncos, and it was supposed to be an easy win for the team.
Instead, the contest turned into a struggle from which Denver barely emerged with a win.
The fans on hand at Mile High Stadium grew frustrated as the Broncos struggled to get things going on offense. They scored just 16 points in the contest and didn’t get a touchdown until the fourth quarter.
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The team also had plenty of issues with clock management. They struggled to get the play off on numerous occasions and suffered a couple of delay of game penalties. One proved costly, and after that point, the fans decided to take action.
During the second half of the game, the Denver fans began counting down the end of the play clock when it ticked below 10 seconds.
So, what prompted that move from Denver fans? Here’s a breakdown of the play that inspired it.
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Why do the Broncos fans count down the play clock?
The play clock chants began after a mistake Hackett made late in the third quarter. The sequence started with a bad play call — a tight end sweep on third-and-1 that the Texans stopped with ease — and was compounded by Hackett’s indecision.
Hackett was faced with a choice of going for it on fourth-and-2 or attempting a 54-yard field goal with Brandon McManus. Eventually, Hackett chose to attempt the field goal, but he waited too long to get the field goal team onto the field.
As a result, the play clock ran out before the Broncos could kick. They were then forced to punt instead of trying a 59-yard field goal, much to the dismay of the Denver faithful.
Please watch this entire sequence. Nate Hackett has officially lost it. Denver went from 3rd and inches, a TE rush attempt, a long FG attempt, and then a punt. Lord pic.twitter.com/3Eugrn7sHG
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 18, 2022
The frustration of the Broncos fans boiled over after that sequence. On ensuing possessions after that, they began counting down the play clock when it dipped under 10 seconds. That served as a reminder to Hackett and Russell Wilson to get the play off.
Broncos fans are helpfully/mockingly shouting out the play clock on every play as Denver struggles to manage the clock. pic.twitter.com/53p339HGME
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) September 18, 2022
It was an embarrassing moment for Hackett in his home debut. However, he acknowledged after the game that he didn’t blame the fans for that or for showering the team with boos.
“I don’t blame [the fans],” he said. “I’d be booing myself. I was getting very frustrated.”
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To his credit, Hackett has taken action to mitigate this issue moving forward. He hired former Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg to serve as an assistant coach on his staff and help him with in-game management.
Maybe that will prompt Broncos fans to stop trying to help him out from the stands.
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