[jwplayer 0ugMqu52-dH7yyuP5]
If not for a career-long 58-yard field goal from Brandon McManus, the Denver Broncos would not have scored any points against the New Orleans Saints in Week 12’s rare matchup between NFC and AFC stalwarts. A sudden quarterback crisis due to COVID-19 took all four Broncos quarterbacks out of the game, and the Saints defense refused to give Denver’s patchwork offense any help in a 31-3 road win.
Practice squad wide receiver and former part-time collegiate quarterback Kendall Hinton gave it his best effort, but he was put in an impossible situation. Getting thrust into the starting gig for a position he hasn’t played in years on 24 hours’ notice shouldn’t be held against him.
Still, it’s good to see the Saints defense did their jobs on a day when the offense was a little sleepy. Defensive backs Janoris Jenkins and C.J. Gardner-Johnson each intercepted passes, and defensive end Cameron Jordan bagged a sack while his teammates notched half a dozen tackles for loss. They allowed just 113 yards of offense from the Broncos, most of which came from running back Royce Freeman’s 50 yards on the ground.
For comparison, No. 2 Saints running back Latavius Murray racked up 123 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown runs. He averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry and shouldered the load for the Saints offense in the second half after pass-happy play calling from Sean Payton went nowhere in the first half. Credit Payton for changing his approach at halftime to put his players in the best position to make a difference.
[listicle id=40814]