There were many big plays in the Broncos victory over the Colts on Sunday, but I’ll focus on three of them.
Marvin Mims had a great day as a punt returner. He ended up earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors with 97 yards on punt returns including a 4th quarter return of 61-yards that included some great moves.
The interception/fumble recovery for a touchdown by Nik Bonitto was a thing of beauty from a defensive standpoint. It was a backwards pass so technically it was a fumble recovery for a touchdown. The Broncos had a corner blitz from Nik’s side, so he is supposed to occupy both the tackle and guard to let Pat Surtain come unblocked. Bonitto did his job, then the linemen started releasing away from the ball. The quarterback started drifting his way and Nik knew something was up. He read the double pass play and made a great break on the ball, intercepted it, and ran to the end zone.
In the third quarter with a 13-7 lead, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor took a handoff for 41 yards to the house, but he dropped the ball right before he crossed the goal line. No one was around him. There was no reason to drop it other than he thought he was across the goal line, and he was planning his celebration dance. The ball rolled into the endzone and out of bounds, which is a touchback by rule with the Broncos ball on the 20-yard line.
When I think back on my career, many of the plays I remember most vividly are plays I didn’t make. I’m sure Jonathan Taylor will carry the ball 5 yards into the endzone before giving it up from now on. Acknowledging failure and learning from it is an important part of success. My mentor Barney Chavous used to ask, “What you wooda did?” Not good English, but a great question for anyone scoring a touchdown, finishing a project, or finalizing a sale. Make sure your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed before you celebrate. Go Broncos!
Karl Mecklenburg originally shared this post on his social media pages and it was re-shared here with permission. Mecklenburg played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1994, earning six Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections during his decorated career in the NFL. Mecklenburg is now a motivational keynote speaker. You can book Mecklenburg on his website.
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