The defense let the team down
It’s hard for me to blame much on the Broncos defense after what they’ve done for the team this year, but this one falls on them, more so than in any of the other three losses.
When an offense gives the best defense in the NFL 27 points in the first half and a 14-point lead going into halftime, you have to close it down — no excuses. And unlike last week, where the Raiders’ 15 second-half points were largely a product of offensive miscues, this one was all on the defense; Brock Osweiler or Vernon Davis had nothing to do with Ben Roethlisberger‘s 380 yards and three touchdowns.
What’s even more disappointing, though, is how the defense couldn’t back up their words when they were given the perfect opportunity. All year, we’ve been hearing about the “No Fly Zone,” and yet it looked like clear skies to me on Sunday. And just last week, the Broncos defense made it very clear that they felt the offense wasn’t holding up their end of the bargain, but the very next week, after the offense gave the defense more than enough points, they fell flat.
Honestly, the fact that the offense didn’t score a point in the second half shouldn’t have mattered; if this defense is as good as they’ve been hyped up to be, 27 points should have been more than enough for a victory.
