There are a lot of moments to criticize from Sunday’s meltdown in Pittsburgh, but Vernon Davis‘ drop on a critical third down in the fourth quarter has unquestionably drawn the greatest amount of ire from Broncos fans.

https://twitter.com/ShaneNFL/status/678732869104107520

And today, when former NFL wideout Mike Pritchard joined Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro on the Afternoon Drive on Mile High Sports Radio, he did not go easy on the Pro Bowl tight end.

“That guy looks scared. That’s what he looks like,” Pritchard said. “I’m sorry, I mean, Vernon Davis, he has a lot of talent, he’s physically gifted and all that, but man, that kind of effort … I don’t know how he has respect.”

Effort is something that hardly gets questioned by those within the NFL; you can question skill or execution, but nearly everybody who’s ever played the game of football will tell you that everyone gives max effort, even if it’s not necessarily true. So for Pritchard to come out so adamantly against Davis’ effort shows how evident it really was.

“There’s no respect of that lack of effort,” Pritchard said. “I don’t know how to put it any better than that, in more plain english. I don’t know if Vernon Davis has an allegiance to the Denver Broncos with what he showed in that game against Pittsburgh.”

And after learning that David Bruton played through a broken fibula against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it makes Davis’ lack of “effort” all the more frustrating. Whereas one player played the majority of four quarters with a broken leg, the other was too afraid to sacrifice his body for one game-defining catch.

It really does make you question how Davis is viewed inside that locker room.

“It was a pathetic effort,” Pritchard reiterated. “I don’t know how the guy is going to earn the respect or trust of his teammates or coaching staff with that kind of effort.”

Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see whether Davis’ effort really has lost himself the confidence and trust of the coaching staff; there’s no question that Broncos fans would be happy to see No. 80 riding the bench from here on out.

To hear the rest of Pritchard’s interview on the Afternoon Drive with Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro listen below.

Catch the Afternoon Drive every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.