The Denver Broncos went to Detroit to face the Lions on Saturday, and it did not go according to plan. The Broncos allowed five Jared Goff touchdowns and never really got going on offense in an all-around sluggish-looking effort.
We take a look at the studs and duds from the 42-17 loss.
Stud: Lil’ Jordan Humphrey
Humphrey had the first Broncos points of the night, an effort that was reviewed and eventually upheld. It was Humphrey’s second touchdown of the season, his first since Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Along with the score, Humphrey also caught two additional passes for a total of 16 yards.
Dud: Defense
It was a rough game for a defense that has been exceptional for so many weeks. Missed tackles, open receivers and little pressure on Lions quarterback Jared Goff all contributed to a big Broncos deficit early. Nothing went right for Vance Joseph’s crew against the run, or against the pass. The defense also created no turnovers for the second time in three weeks.
Stud: Riley Dixon
Since the Broncos’ offense sputtered for most of the night, Dixon saw the field a lot on Saturday. Dixon had one punt inside the 20, one touchback and five punts for 259 yards, a 51.8-yard average.
Dud: First half offense
Denver just couldn’t get anything going early, and it cost them in the end. The Broncos drove inside the Lions’ 30-yard line before a Russell Wilson fumble. The rest of the drives (four drives not including the kneel-down to end the half) ended in punts.
Stud: Second half offense
We may not know what happened during halftime, but this writer can bet that it wasn’t all rosebuds and rainbows. Whatever head coach Sean Payton said, the offense came out in the second half and performed much better than the first half. The offense scored its first touchdown beginning the second half this season, which was a huge plus against the tough Lions defense. And the offense scored on its next two subsequent drives, a field goal and a touchdown. The drive that ended in a field goal should have ended in a touchdown, were it not for some bad spots from the sideline referee. Despite the questionable calls, a touchdown would not have mattered in the end.
Dud: Broncos’ playoff chances
Winning this game would have been a great boost to Denver’s playoff chances, but instead, they lost. With a win, they would have been in the No. 7 seed, but now they sit at the No. 11 seed. They are not out of contention yet, but it will take a Herculean effort and a lot of help for the Broncos to climb back into the playoff picture. Denver will likely have to win out to get to the playoffs now.
