4 Broncos most responsible for Week 13 loss to Ravens

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The Denver Broncos dropped their fourth straight game after falling short in a low-scoring affair against the Baltimore Ravens, 10-9, on the road in Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season. The Broncos actually led early in that game but couldn’t score a single touchdown throughout the game. The Broncos are now 3-9, bringing up the rear in the AFC West. Here, discuss well the four Broncos most to blame for their disappointing Week 13 loss to the Ravens.

Denver was ahead, 9-3, with less than four minutes left in that game. That was until the Ravens marched down the field and scored the only touchdown of the contest with 31 seconds left to walk away with a win. The Broncos’ offense, including quarterback Russell Wilson, failed once again in this game. Denver’s offense gained just 235 total yards, with Wilson passing less than 200 yards and getting sacked twice.

Keep in mind that Denver only scored nine points. It was the third time this season they failed to score a touchdown and the fifth time this season they scored 10 points or less.

For now, let’s look at the four Broncos most responsible for their Week 13 loss to the Ravens.

Final. pic.twitter.com/0cGbBdzlXN

Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 4, 2022

4. Broncos Special Teams

The Broncos’ special teams failed in this one. Denver punter Corliss Waitman averaged a decent 41.1 yards per punt, but he also recorded three punts under 40 yards, including one for just 35 yards. It’s just not good enough at this level of football.

The Broncos also need to improve their return game. Montrell Washington, their fifth-round draft pick this season, hasn’t really helped in that regard. In that contest, he returned three punts for just 19 yards and two kickoffs for just 26 yards. Both are bad totals. The team may not want to give up on Washington just yet, but they need to find a better kick returner for the 2023 season.

3. Endgame Defense

The Broncos defense was counted on to maintain their six-point lead after Waitman pinned the Ravens deep in their own territory with 5:02 left in the fourth quarter. However, Baltimore converted on several third and fourth downs. Also note that Denver’s defense allowed 32 penalty yards. This included a pass interference call on a crucial third down near Pat Surtain’s two-minute warning.

It was the second time in three games that the defense lost a second-half lead. It’s odd since the Broncos are atop the league in several defensive metrics this season. Yet they repeatedly failed to perform at crucial moments.

2. OC Klint Kubiak

The Ravens’ defense may not be particularly strong this season, but it still held the Broncos to nine points and no touchdowns. While all of this can’t be blamed on offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, some of his playing decisions were questionable. This included a 3rd and 5 run through the middle by Mike Boone on the Ravens side of the field that went nowhere.

Keep in mind that the Broncos offense scored fewer points per game under Kubiak than under head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Despite the playcalling move to Kubiak a few weeks ago, the offense just hasn’t improved.

Take note, however, that star QB Russell Wilson seems to play better out of the pocket. We saw it through his use of deployment passes and action play on Sunday. However, the attack is still struggling to score. Denver’s high-priced quarterback was unable to lead his team into the red zone. Meanwhile, Baltimores’ backup quarterback led a game-winning touchdown. While Kubiak isn’t entirely to blame, he has so far failed to address the issues in this sluggish offense.

1.QB Russell Wilson

Speaking of Wilson, he completed 17 of 22 passes for 189 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. It’s the second straight game he has failed to reach for 200 yards and the fourth time this season he hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass. They just don’t look good for such an expensive QB.

Wilson’s struggles contributed to the Broncos taking a late lead against the Ravens. Remember Baltimore lost Lamar Jackson to a knee injury early in the game and was missing key receivers. Despite that, Denver still struggled to score points, and Tyler Huntley helped Baltimore score the game-winning touchdown on a 16-game drive. Wilson was able to put the Broncos in position to attempt a 63-yard field goal with two seconds left, but the kick fell short.

There are numerous issues on the attacking side of the ball, making it difficult to pinpoint a specific player or problem that is causing Denver’s struggles. However, Wilson’s huge contract becomes a significant liability, and he deserves a significant portion of the blame for the team’s problems.

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