The Denver Broncos led the New England Patriots 7-0 in the second quarter of the AFC Championship Game on Sunday when they faced a 4-and-1 at the New England 14-yard line.
Instead of trying a short throw to take a 10-0 lead, Broncos coach Payton opted for a short throw after a timeout. After Denver failed to get a first down, Payton’s play call — perhaps more so than his decision — was criticized by fans and pundits alike.
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Stidham went out and faced tremendous pressure and nearly got intercepted. The pass ended up incomplete and the Broncos turned the ball over on downs. Payton’s decision was met with backlash on Twitter/X both at the time of the incident and at the end of the game.
New England only scored 10 points, so if the Denver Nuggets made a field goal in the 4-1 quarter, the game could have gone into overtime. Instead, the Broncos lost 10-7 and the Patriots are now on their way to the Super Bowl. This fourth-overall decision will likely haunt Denver for the next eight months.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wired: NFL: Twitter reacts to Broncos’ missed field goal vs. Patriots
