AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post
The Denver Broncos lost Saturday’s thriller to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime, but could have won it in regulation if head coach Sean Payton had rallied for two after Marvin Mims Jr.’s stunning touchdown catch with eight seconds left. Point conversion would have decided.
However, Payton hit the extra point to force overtime and told reporters after the game, “The decision we made is the right one. I think that has a lot to do with it.”
Denver would have secured a playoff spot with a win or a draw, and he also said the possibility of a “tie” played a role in the decision-making.
It wasn’t the only questionable coaching decision late in regulation, as Cincinnati’s poor clock management meant Denver only had the possession that ended in a Mims touchdown.
The Bengals scored on 1st and goal from the Broncos’ 6-yard line in the final two minutes and could have taken advantage of Denver’s final timeout with three knees and kicked the game-winning field goal. Instead, head coach Zac Taylor decided to make plays that led to running back Chase Brown getting injured and quarterback Joe Burrow scoring a touchdown.
That gave quarterback Bo Nix almost a minute and a half to operate, and he found Mims for the touchdown. He also raised two fingers to indicate that the team should go for a two-point conversion after the pass, although he told reporters after the game that he did so out of “pure feelings” and understood that it was “not “Always the smartest decision” is to score two points.
Maybe it would have been in this case, though, because Burrow was on the other sideline and had an incredible performance, throwing for 412 yards and three touchdowns while running for another score.
Cincinnati got into scoring position twice in overtime, although Cade York missed the game-winning field goal the first time. Luckily for the home team, Burrow found Tee Higgins for the winning touchdown at the next opportunity, keeping the Bengals alive in the playoff race.
Now the Broncos must defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 15-1 in their final game to clinch a playoff spot, although that may be easier than it looks on paper. After all, the Chiefs have already secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC and can rest Patrick Mahomes and other players in preparation for the playoffs.
