Renck: Blaming refs for Broncos’ loss to Colts is just plain dumb. This one’s on Denver

INDIANAPOLIS Time to run mental lapses And extra gassers at the end of practice Here in Naptown a poster with Colts players adorns the J W Marriott paying tribute to late squad owner Jim Irsay It reads For the Boss For the City For the Shoe For the love of God this ending was stupid A series of cognitive disconnects each more costly than the last resulted in a - walk-off loss for the Broncos This wasn t just a Denver loss this was the ultimate brain freeze Like guzzling a -ounce Slurpee through a straw in a single drink Unwisely conceived Darren Rizzi why ask Dondrea Tillman to try to block a -yard field goal from a kicker who has never made a -yarder Poorly executed If you are going to speed even if by one mile per hour over don t get caught and stained by failure The Broncos were dealt their first loss of the season in their first road encounter of the season in a way that as far as the internet can tell was a first In four weeks if your friends ask you how the Broncos special season became ordinary the story starts here When they ask you at the office Christmas party why they have to win out against Kansas City and the Chargers to make the playoffs remind them of the Colts The Broncos put themselves in a dangerous position with upcoming cage matches against the Chargers Bengals and Eagles by squandering a meeting the Colts were begging for them to win Or at least coach Shane Steichen was as he performed his best Nathaniel Hackett Clueless in Seattle impersonation When writing the Broncos history since Super Bowl what unfolded before our wide eyes demands an entry Let s start at the end and work backward Leading - the Broncos took possession at their -yard line with remaining On an afternoon when the offense decisively awoke from its summer hibernation this represented a chance for a message drive in a benchmark meeting Siphon the clock Kick a short field goal and let the beleaguered defense leave with its dignity with a clinching sack of Daniel Jones Related Articles Renck Father knows fast Following my dad to break Bonneville speed record brings life full circle Renck File CSU s Jay Norvell approaches stretch that will determine his future Renck Broncos offensive improvement starts with Sean Payton And he knows it Renck Time to worry about Broncos Bo Nix Check back after this week vs Colts Renck vs Keeler Is pressure of expectations making Broncos Bo Nix tight It set up according to script Until it didn t The Broncos were MacGyver poised for the dramatic ending and suddenly forgot the difference between the blue and red wires They made a series of mistakes that had coach Sean Payton shaking his head and admitting It is going to be painful to watch this film Payton prides himself on building a roster full of smart disciplined and competitive players They got the competitive part right against the Colts The unraveling began with running back J K Dobbins He burst up the middle for yards placing the Broncos at the for a chip shot from Wil Lutz But Dobbins slammed the ball to the turf in celebration not once but twice He was called for delay of competition costing five yards and undermining momentum They just mentioned I can t do that I didn t know I couldn t I have unfailingly done it reported Dobbins who finished with yards on carries I don t know I ve just got to keep my composure and not do that His excess celebration would have been forgotten except tight end Adam Trautman who is clearly getting more snaps than Evan Engram committed a face mask penalty his hands smushing the face of the defender on a block The became a memory The Broncos were pushed back to and needed a -yard tunnel screen to Troy Franklin to claw back into field goal range OK Lutz erase two foolish penalties with one good kick Uh-oh Lutz knew off his foot that the -yarder was in trouble It sliced hard right like every duffer s tee shot and doinked off the upright Indianapolis Colts place kicker Spencer Shrader kicks the game-winning field goal against the Denver Broncos winning - in the fourth quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Indiana on Sunday Sept Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez holds for Shrader Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss tries to block it Photo by Andy Cross The Denver Post Even then the Broncos had one last chance They were Dumb but Steichen was Dumber The Broncos vaunted defense should not have had to rely on help but it couldn t get a stop After the two-minute warning Payton called three timeouts on three consecutive plays a strategy that made sense if Denver was able to get off the field When the Colts converted on third-and- as Pat Surtain II was unable to deflect the ball from Alec Pierce the Broncos deserved to lose Pick a reason The missed assignments on coverage against tight end Tyler Warren and running back Jonathan Taylor Bo Nix who otherwise played well missing on an unnecessary pass over the head of Courtland Sutton on an interception with the Broncos in field goal range early in the fourth quarter Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss walks past the Indianapolis Colts football squad after losing - at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Indiana on Sunday Sept Photo by Andy Cross The Denver Post It should have been over But Steichen wouldn t let them surrender He ran Taylor into the line for one yard on three plays as the clock ticked setting up a -yard field goal It was the return of Hackett Pure idiocy Steichen revealed he demanded to leave no time for the Broncos to get a kickoff return OK But to set up a monster boot for Spencer Shrader who had never even attempted a -yarder as he bounced from three different teams over the last two seasons You all know what happened next Snap Short kick Broncos celebrate and find out they were playing the role of a human Whoopee cushion The bureaucrats released a -yard leverage penalty on defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike After the contest it was assigned to Tillman Replays indicated Uwazurike had a hand on the long snapper and Tillman knifed in for the block This call has been made roughly three times a season over the last years By letter of the law it was a foul even though Rizzi the special teams coordinator described players afterward he did not see the penalty Uwazurike and Tillman were genuinely surprised that it was called wondering what they had done wrong Did the Broncos get hosed Maybe Was the play unnecessary Absolutely When your friends ask you when the offseason bravado became hollow bring up Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium and an ending that was just plain dumb Want more Broncos news Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis