HOUSTON — The Broncos messed around with the Texans and found out.
The arms of Denver quarterback Russell Wilson are too short to fight with emerging Houston star C.J. Stroud. Even worse: Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton got clowned by Stroud for trying to intimidate a brash NFL rookie who refuses to blink.
“I’m going to stand on business,” Stroud said Sunday, when he led Houston to a 22-17 victory.
For Denver, this loss hurt far beyond the heart-wrenching end of a five-game winning streak and the damage done to its improbable playoff run. If the Broncos fall short of the Super Bowl tournament, this failed comeback will be a prominent and ugly chapter in their book of regrets.
“You hate losing,” quarterback Russell Wilson said.
For a full 30 minutes after he threw an interception in the end zone during the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Wilson sat on a chair in front of his locker, wearing his stained No. 3 uniform and cleats, and refused to hit the showers to wash away the bitter taste of defeat.
He threw zero interceptions during the winning streak, but three against the Texans, with the final one on an ill-advised 50-50 ball to the end zone with 16 seconds remaining on the clock. Even worse: Instead of throwing to Courtland Sutton or somebody we all know, Wilson decided to chuck it in a small window to tight end Lucas Krull.
Say what? And more important: Who?
At the most crucial juncture to this point in the season, the best available option was Krull, who had been targeted with only one other pass all year? Really?
With all the options on coach Sean Payton’s big play card, what was Krull even doing in the game? Far be it for me to challenge the offensive genius of Payton, but did the coach maybe listen too much to his inner giant and got a little too Annexation of Puerto Rico with that call?
“I feel like I definitely could’ve attacked the ball a little more … It’s frustrating,” Krull said after losing the jump ball in the end zone to Texans safety Jimmie Ward, whose pick iced the outcome.
As Wilson sat in his locker long after defeat, teammates and staffers came by to give an encouraging slap on his shoulder pads. But Father Time also lingered nearby, noting that for all Wilson has accomplished in a brilliant NFL career, he was outplayed on this December afternoon by Stroud, who threw for 274 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s going to have a great career,” Wilson said. “He’s really super talented.”
A team with such a slim margin for error can’t afford stupid football. Once again, Denver defenders irked by the suspensions to safety Kareem Jackson let testosterone get the best of them.
During the final seconds, the Broncos would’ve needed only a field goal instead of a touchdown if not for a mistake by Singleton that cost Denver four points way back in the first quarter.
After Houston coach DeMeco Ryans ordered a gamble in the red zone on fourth down, the Texans were flagged for a false start that would’ve certainly sent the field goal unit on the field. But Singleton refused to let well enough alone, stalking the rookie quarterback in the backfield and offering a push in a lame-brained effort to intimidate Stroud.
Stroud, however, is no ordinary rookie. He makes throws few QBs this side of Patrick Mahomes would even contemplate. And when asked about Singleton, he dropped a reference to comedian Druski about standing on business and not backing down.
“I’m a man,” Stroud said. “And I’m not going to just let somebody come push me, especially in my house. You’re not going to touch me after the whistle (when) you clearly hear it.”
Like it or not, this is a league that protects quarterbacks, not linebackers. The NFL is no longer the league of Dick Butkus or Mean Joe Greene. Instead of doing the smart thing by walking away, Singleton let a 22-year-old quarterback use a head butt to bait him into an unnecessary roughness penalty.
“I mean they’re not … they’re going to call it on the quarterback,” Singleton said. “You know how this league is.”
Yes, we do. So why can’t the Broncos get it through their thick skulls?
Jackson and teammates might cry foul about inconsistency in officiating, while the denizens of Broncos Country bemoan how soft the game has become, but a Denver defense that tries to play the macho man football of 20 years ago is going to cause itself unnecessary trouble in 2023.
Singleton’s loss of composure contributed heavily to a Denver “L” in the standings it can ill afford.
Given a new set of downs at the 3-yard line, Houston punched in a touchdown by running back Dameon Pierce two plays later. Singleton’s choice to use his macho instead of his mind dropped the Broncos in an early 10-0 hole that ultimately proved too deep in the desperate final seconds.
This defeat kept Denver stuck in ninth place of the AFC standings, behind Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Houston in the race for three wild-card berths.
“With the way season started, and where we are right now, the margin for error is slim,” Payton said.
Whether it’s a reckless interception or an inexcusable penalty, stupid gets you beat.
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