After being consensus underdogs at home to the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos pulled out an 11-10 slugfest win in Week 3. Broncos Wire examines five studs and duds from the game.
Stud: Nathaniel Hackett's coaching improvements
After several tough weeks of coaching gaffes and missteps, head coach Nathaniel Hackett put together the best game of his young coaching tenure with the Broncos in Week 3. During the game, Hackett lost two close challenges which could have gone either way. He used timeouts wisely, played the field position game and led his team to a second-half comeback win. Denver also had five penalties during the game, a significant change from the past two weeks, where the Broncos had over 100 yards in penalties. Not a bad way to win your second straight!
Dud: Drops by receivers
The Broncos had a number of dropped passes during Sunday night’s game. No drop was bigger than a deep ball down the middle of the field that went through the hands of receiver Jerry Jeudy. It would have been a sure touchdown. Running back Javonte Williams also had a dropped pass that might have resulted in a first down. Fixing these drops will help Denver’s struggling offense get downfield during close games. However, the Broncos came up with big plays when they needed them.
Stud: Corliss Waitman
Punter Corliss Waitman flipped the field for the Broncos several times during the game. Waitman punted 10 times, with a 47.6 yard-per-punt average. Waitman put six punts inside the 20, including a few inside the 5-yard line. As a credit to Denver’s defense, the flipped field made an amazing difference in the win. It looks like the Broncos made the right decision picking Waitman from the training camp punter battle.
Stud: Red zone offense
It took three games, but the Broncos got a touchdown in the red zone! The score came in a critical situation, with less than five minutes to go in the game. Quarterback Russell Wilson made some plays with his legs, finding receivers and working the ball down the field. Running back Melvin Gordon then found the end zone to score his first touchdown of the 2022 season.
Stud: Defensive dominance
The Broncos’ defense forced a safety in the fourth quarter and three turnovers from the 49ers. Pass rusher Randy Gregory was among those constantly in Jimmy Garoppolo’s face, as the unit totaled four times. Denver’s defense often swarmed to the ball, not allowing big plays. After allowing a touchdown on San Francisco’s second drive of the game, the defense only allowed three points the rest of the game, including two scoreless quarters. Defensive back PJ Locke punched the ball loose at the end of the game to seal the second 11-10 final score in NFL history.
