Upon Further Review: As Broncos search for true identity, end-of-half sequence vs. Baltimore a road map of what not to do

BALTIMORE — There’s no extra credit or demerits in the NFL.

One win is one win, no matter how bad New Orleans might be. One loss is one loss, no matter how resoundingly Baltimore delivers it.

Even though it all counts the same, Broncos wide receiver and captain Courtland Sutton acknowledged that he considers games like Sunday’s 41-10 loss to the Ravens to be in a different category.

“For us, it’s on us to figure out our identity in these playoff games,” said Sutton, referring to the quality of the opponent. “We’ve had success in some of these other games. But I think in this atmosphere and going against a team like Baltimore and then walking into Kansas City next week, we have to figure out the way to maximize our opportunities when they do arise in every phase of the game.

“It takes all three phases to go out there and take care of these teams that year in and year out are in the playoffs.”

None of the three phases did their job Sunday. That sets up a Monday back in Denver that head coach Sean Payton predicted would be unpleasant.

“It’s not going to taste good for any of us,” he said of reviewing the film. “We’re not going to like it, but that’s life.”

There’s no one thing in a 31-point game that could have turned the tide, but Payton didn’t like the Broncos’ final offensive sequence of the first half.

Javonte Williams had just plowed forward 7 yards to set the Broncos up with first-and-10 from the Baltimore 12-yard line with 80 seconds left in the half and the Ravens leading 17-7. The Ravens took their first timeout after that play, angling to get the ball back before halftime.

Payton and the players all week talked about the importance of capturing opportunities when they arose and controlling the pace of the game.

Here were both on a silver platter, especially since the Ravens were getting the ball to start the second half. The task: Get a touchdown. If time comes off the clock, too, all the better.

Jaleel McLaughlin gained 3 yards on first down but, critically, went out of bounds on the left side, saving Baltimore a timeout.

On second-and-7, the Broncos got down to the end of the play clock and rookie quarterback Bo Nix was rushing to get the ball snapped before it went to zero. He handed the ball off to fullback Mike Burton, who had no room, created none with a spin move to nowhere and was dropped for no gain.

That play call was an odd one if it was the intended call: Burton’s got nine carries for 8 yards the past 1.5 seasons in Denver. But if Denver was indeed as pressed against the play clock as it appears, Payton could have called one of the Broncos’ three remaining timeouts.

Instead, Baltimore took its second timeout after the play to stop the clock with 1:10 to go.

Nix nearly bailed the drive out anyway when he scooted in for a touchdown on third-and-7, only to have a terrific scramble nullified because left tackle Garett Bolles held Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton on the edge.

Hamilton’s an All-Pro and would almost certainly say he’d have got Nix to the ground had he not been wrapped up, but Nix’s angle and speed might have gotten the job done even if Hamilton freed himself earlier.

On third-and-goal from the 19, Nix threw the ball out of the back of the end zone. Wanting to take a shot at the end zone is great, though the contingency plan should have included keeping the ball in play and forcing the Ravens to use their final timeout.

Instead, the Broncos kicked a field goal with 54 seconds left in the half and watched the Ravens go 70 yards in two plays, not even bothering to use the one timeout they had remaining, and hit halftime with a 24-10 lead. Two possessions into the third quarter: 38-10.

From that Williams first-down run, the Broncos ran three plays, went backward 7 yards, and worked only 26 seconds off the clock.

Payton pushed back on the notion that Denver needed to try to wind the clock down in that situation.

“I know how to score a field goal slow, but when people talk about scoring touchdowns slow, like, I don’t understand it,” Payton said Monday. “I understand using the clock. The only time I understand scoring touchdowns slow is when it becomes goal-to-go. If it’s not goal-to-go, I don’t know how to score slow touchdowns.

“I know how to milk the clock, kick a later field goal. … Outside the 10, I still haven’t seen the analytics on that. I don’t think they exist, really. So I’m mindful of the time, but we’re trying to score.”

Perhaps Baltimore would have scored regardless. The Ravens probably would have still won the game. But a 17-14 score at intermission was right there for the taking.

Instead, the tsunami hit.

One small thing I liked: Nix did some really good things in the first half. He appeared to trust that the offensive line was going to protect him and for the most part, it did. His play-fake from under center and footwork on a 19-yard dart to Troy Franklin had good timing and rhythm.

A couple of misses were tough — Franklin open for a touchdown on fourth down is a must-have — but Nix made plays with his arm and legs.

Once the Broncos got down big in the second half and got one-dimensional, the counting stats became less relevant.

There aren’t many weeks, of course, where 10 points and no touchdown passes get the job done, but Nix’s play early on left plenty of room for optimism.

There have been games this year where his stats at the end of a game looked rosier than the eye test would suggest. This one was the opposite.

One small thing I didn’t like: Payton showed aggression on fourth down from the start. The first one of the game came on fourth-and-1 from the Baltimore 44-yard line after Nix came up short on a third-down sneak.

Going for it in that situation is defensible, though trusting your punt team to pin the Ravens deep wouldn’t have been out of line, either. After a sneak, it’s natural to want to get to the perimeter, too. But the choice to go outside with Williams rather than Jaleel McLaughlin was too cute by half. And too short by half a yard.

One trend to watch: The Broncos have now turned the ball over on their first offensive possession three of the past four games.

The latest: Receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey having a ball carom off his hands and to Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington.

Humphrey fumbled last week against Carolina and Nix was picked Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

In both of those instances, Nix was intercepted on his first pass attempt of the game.

Not only that, but it’s part of a longer trend of Denver struggling on its opening sequence.

The Broncos got a field goal in their opener against Seattle because the defense set them up at the Seahawks 20-yard line. They had a beauty of a touchdown drive Week 3 at Tampa. Other than that, they’ve opened games with four punts, two interceptions and the fumble. Take out the game against the Bucs and their eight opening drives have yielded just four first downs.

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