Tag: Courtland Sutton

Broncos QB Drew Lock told Courtland Sutton what route to run on 1st TD pass

Before he threw his first touchdown pass in the NFL, quarterback Drew Lock told wide receiver Courtland Sutton which route to run.

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock made his NFL debut on Sunday and threw his first touchdown pass to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, a 26-yard toss that was caught with one hand by the talented receiver.

Lock later threw another touchdown pass to Sutton and Denver went on to beat the Chargers 23-20. After the game, Sutton revealed that Lock told him what route to run for the duo’s first score of the game.

“You know what’s crazy, Drew actually told me — I wasn’t supposed to run that route,” Sutton said. “Drew told me to run it, which I was happy that he told me to do, because I’m not going to go off-schedule.

“But him telling me to do it, it was awesome, and it was cool to be able to get a touchdown from him and get us rolling, get his confidence going and get the momentum on our side.”

Broncos coach Vic Fangio explained during his Monday press conference that the play was “tagged” with multiple options. Lock “had the ability to change the route,” the coach said. It turned out to be the right decision — thanks in large part to Sutton’s brilliant catch.

“Amazing is not even a good word for how great of a catch that was,” Lock said Sunday evening. “He’s been making plays left and right for us and I think he is a top receiver in this league without a doubt.”

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Good, bad, ugly from Chargers’ loss to Broncos

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez delivers the good, the bad and the ugly from the Chargers’ 23-20 loss to the Broncos.

The Los Angeles Chargers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 13.

Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from the game:

The Good

WR Keenan Allen and Mike Williams

Quarterback Philip Rivers wasn’t great, but he wasn’t bad. But one of the biggest reasons why he was able to bounce back after an underwhelming start was because he benefited from Allen and Williams.

Allen got the best of cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and the rest of the secondary, winning with his savvy route running, including a beautiful corner route to get behind the coverage for a touchdown. Allen finished with six catches for 68 yards and a score.

Meanwhile, Williams continued to serve as the big playmaker for the offense, reeling in a couple deep passes, including one on a critical 4th-and-11 when he made an adjustment to come down with a one-handed grab to keep to drive going late in the game. He finished with five catches for 117 yards.

Linebackers

The group came together as one on Sunday, with all members making key plays. Rookie Drue Tranquill was all over the field, finishing with three tackles for loss. Second-year Kyzir White, who finally saw the field for an extended period, was a threat in pass coverage, finishing with a pass defended and was close to an interception. Denzel Perryman made the defensive play of the game when he intercepted a pass late in the game to set his team up for a field goal. Thomas Davis finished with six tackles.

Derwin James and Adrian Phillips

The return of James and Phillips was felt right away. James was utilized all over the field, but he was at his best filling in the alley to stop running back Phillip Lindsay, limiting him to 58 yards rushing. Phillips, on the other hand, was delivering hard hits all evening long and was a key contributor on third-down situations.

The Bad

Special teams

The Chargers let running back Troymaine Pope take over as the team’s punt returner after cornerback Desmond King struggled with fumbling the football. But Pope replicated King’s woes by muffing a punt in the second quarter, which ultimately led to a field goal.

Penalties

Linebacker Drue Tranquill’s roughing the kicker call could fall under the special teams category, but it was just one of many costly penalties committed by Los Angeles. In total, they were hit with seven for 82 yards, including a few false starts by offensive tackle Russell Okung

The Ugly

Defensive pass interference penalty

You never want to blame the officiating, but this is what it came down to. Cornerback Casey Hayward was hit a questionable penalty with seconds remaining in the game to set the Broncos up for the game-winning field goal. In reality, Hayward stayed in his tracks to make a play on the uncatchable ball, while wide receiver Courtland Sutton was the one who initiated the contact. They never reviewed the penalty, thus ending the game in what would’ve likely been an overturned call.

Game planning/Play-calling

You can blame one player, area or the penalty for the Chargers’ loss on Sunday but ultimately, it fell on the lack of execution with the planning, especially coming of a bye week and the play-calling as a whole. On the offensive side of ball, it was all vanilla and the red zone efficiency continues to be a problem, as they were 0-1 in a critical situation. The lone turnover by Rivers killed them, as it resulted in a touchdown. The defense played a great game as a whole, allowing only 219 yards. But the lack of pass rush and a few broken coverages bit them hard for two passing touchdowns.

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Chargers displeased with game-changing penalty in loss to Broncos

Fans, players and coaches couldn’t believe that defensive pass interference call.

NFL referees have been big question marks for years now, calling head-scratching penalties in which has led to the difference of winning and losing. You can add the Chargers-Broncos matchup to that list.

With seconds remaining, quarterback Drew Lock tossed up a bomb in the direction of wide receiver Courtland Sutton. The pass sailed over Sutton’s head, who collided with Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward as the ball hit the ground out of reach.

It was a 37-yard penalty which set up kicker Brandon McManus for a 53-yard field goal as time expired, sealing the deal and sending Los Angeles to last place in the AFC West.

When watching the replay, Hayward cut off Sutton and there was contact, but it seemed like the wideout initiated the contact. Hayward was turning to find the ball and the ball did not appear to be catchable, which meant that it should have been a no-call.

“I thought it was a non call. I was trying to find the ball myself. I think I got the same rights to the ball that he do. But (the ref) made the call. We live with it,” Hayward said.

The NFL elected to not review the penalty, even though they had an opportunity to do so with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Had they done so, it would’ve likely been overturned, sending the game to overtime.

After the game, head of officiating Al Riveron said the “defender cuts off the receiver while the ball is in the air; therefore, it is pass interference.” Even then, it is still questionable that they didn’t take a look at it while the game was still in play.

A lot of people were frustrated with the call, including coach Anthony Lynn.

“Officials are not perfect, but I did not like that call at the end of the game. I don’t think that’s the way you end a football game. To make that call, it’d have to be clear and obvious,” Lynn said.

Not being able to close out games has been the narrative for the Chargers this season. 17 of their last 25 games were decided by a single possession. But it’s an unfortunate feeling when one of those losses comes down to a blown call.

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4 takeaways from Broncos’ 23-20 win over Chargers

The Denver Broncos were able to get Drew Lock a win in his first career start in NFL with a 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

You often hear that the NFL is a “week to week” league. That is a true statement.

In one week, you can go from feeling like your team is as bad as it gets to being quite excited after one small change. However, switching quarterbacks should not be considered a small change, particularly when the quarterback is a highly-drafted rookie.

Drew Lock took over as the Broncos quarterback on Sunday and his rookie debut was met with tempered expectations, mainly because the organization seemed hesitant to put him on the field.

He came through with flying colors against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13, leading the Broncos to their fourth win of the season. Here’s what we took away from this game.

1. Drew Lock showed flashes

(Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

This is the obvious place to start. Lock wasn’t sensational by any means but he showed flashes while completing 18 of 28 passes and throwing two touchdowns. He did have one interception but for his first start, against a defense that features the likes of Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and Derwin James, this effort was more than sufficient.

It’s also exciting for fans to see a quarterback that the team used a high draft pick on getting off to a good start in his career. This team is starving for a “quarterback of the future” and has been for years.

While that may or may not be Lock, this was a good way to start things out on the right foot.

2. Courtland Sutton is a star

(Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Sutton is quietly having a tremendous season for the Broncos and is quickly blossoming into one of the game’s top young receivers. He really likes to play the Chargers too.

In two games against Los Angeles this year, Sutton has eight catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

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WATCH: Broncos QB Drew Lock throws first NFL touchdown pass

Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock connected with wide receiver Courtland Sutton on a 26-yard touchdown pass on Sunday.

In his NFL debut on Sunday, Broncos quarterback Drew Lock connected with wide receiver Courtland Sutton on a 26-yard touchdown pass. Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter page:

Sutton made an excellent catch, as he has done multiple times this year. Denver currently leads Los Angeles 7-0 late in the first quarter.

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6 things to watch in Chargers vs. Broncos

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out six things to watch when the Chargers take on the Broncos in Week 13.

The Chargers return to action on the road as they’re set to take on the Denver Broncos following their bye.

Here are six things to watch in Sunday’s bout.

1. Will Philip Rivers turn things around?

Rivers isn’t having the season that he was anticipating in the final year of his contract, as he’s tossed 14 interceptions, seven in the last two games. The veteran quarterback is eager to overcome his woes, but it won’t be easy facing a Broncos defense that picked him off twice in their first meeting this season. In his last three games against Denver, Rivers has thrown three touchdowns and six interceptions.

2. Offensive tackle situation

Despite playing their best game with two backup tackles in Week 11, we saw Rivers look uncomfortable and rushed, largely due to the fact that he doesn’t trust them. If the Chargers want the most out of Philip Rivers, he has to trust the guys up front, and that means that his security blanket will have to be playing — left tackle Russell Okung. Okung and right tackle Sam Tevi are both questionable. Regardless, stopping linebacker Von Miller will be key to their victory since the offense has struggled recently.

3. Change at quarterback

The Broncos will likely have their third quarterback change this season, as rookie Drew Lock is set to take over under center. Lock is coming back from a thumb injury, which landed him on the injured reserve to start the season. In the three preseason games he completed 31-of-51 passes for 254 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Lock should have a warm welcoming from the presence of defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, who face an offensive line that’s struggled to find consistency.

4. Derwin James and Adrian Phillips

The Chargers officially activated James and Phillips off the injured reserve on Saturday, which means that they will play tomorrow. With James back in the lineup, he will take over for Jaylen Watkins at strong safety. Phillips will resume his duties as the team’s dime linebacker. As for Watkins, he will still get snaps. It’s possible they could put him in the slot, and utilize Desmond King outside.

5. Slowing down Phillip Lindsay

The Broncos may take a little bit to get into a groove in the passing game with Lock making his debut, which means that they will resort to their offensive playmaker to find success. Lindsay had his best rushing performance of the season, amassing 111 yards rushing and 147 total yards in Week 5. But the Chargers have been stout against the run in their last three games, allowing 84.3 rushing yards per contest.

6. Wide receiver-cornerback battles

All eyes will be on wide receiver Keenan Allen and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. as Allen is looking to bounce back from his underwhelming performance in which he only had four receptions for 18 yards. But the matchup between WR Courtland Sutton and CB Casey Hayward deserves your attention.

Sutton finished with four receptions and a touchdown for 92 yards in the first meeting. He currently has 16.6 yards per catch, ranking 10th in the NFL. Meanwhile, Hayward has allowed only one catch over the last four games and has given up a reception on just 47.2% of his targets this season.

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Instant analysis: Bills make easy work of Broncos

The Buffalo Bills had their way against the Denver Broncos, improving their record to 8-3 after a 20-3 victory Sunday afternoon. 

The Buffalo Bills had their way against the Denver Broncos, improving their record to 8-3 after a 20-3 victory Sunday afternoon.

You might wonder, “How could a team dominate but win by only 17 points?” In reality, the game was not really as close as the score indicated.

Buffalo’s defense dominated a weak Broncos offense. Denver quarterback Brandon Allen was under duress all afternoon. Shaq Lawson recorded two sacks, while Star Lotulelei and Ed Oliver each added a sack to the team total. Lawson was in Denver backfield all afternoon, blowing past the Broncos offensive tackles with ease.

Tre’Davious White was a blanket on the Broncos best player, Courtland Sutton, all afternoon. Sutton only reeled in one pass out of eight targets, a catch on Denver’s first drive. White was credited with five passes defended on the day.

Linebacker Matt Milano was all over the field as well, registering six tackles and three passes defensed.

As a unit, the defense completely shut down the aerial game for the Broncos, allowing the fourth-year pro to collect only 82 yards through the air. Erase the yards lost via sacks by the Bills, and the Broncos gained only 49 net yards through their passing game.

Offensively, it took some time for Buffalo to put some distance on Denver. However, they stuck to the plan, and it turned out favorably for the team.

The Bills ran wild on Denver’s defense, gaining 244 yards on the ground as a team. Devin Singletary totaled 106 yards on 21 carries, while Frank Gore gained 65 yards on 15 rushes. Josh Allen added 56 yards on nine runs on the day.

Gore, the consummate professional, added another record to a memorable career. On a six-yard carry in the fourth quarter, Gore passed Barry Sanders for third all-time on the career rushing list.

Singletary also reached a milestone, as he eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career.

Josh Allen had another solid game for the Bills, throwing two beautiful touchdown passes. He went 15-for-25 and 180 passing yards on the day. His streak of games without an interception ended with an errant pass in the second quarter. However, that miscue did not hurt Buffalo, as the defense eliminated any progress of the Broncos on the subsequent derive with a Tre’ Davious White interception.

Cole Beasley reeled in an 18-yard drive. His route was perfect and Allen put a throw on a rope to complete the score. The worries of Allen’s deep ball were put to rest in the fourth quarter, as the quarterback delivered a perfect pass for 34 yards to John Brown. The play initially was ruled incomplete, but the call was revered as Brown’s dive into the back corner of the end zone showed a clean catch.

Beasley led the Bills with six receptions for 76 yards.

Stephen Hauschka hit both of his field goals and point-after-touchdown attempts, helping put to rest some of his struggles from earlier in the season. Andre Roberts had a good day in the return game, averaging 8.2 yards on punt returns. He also returned a kickoff for 25 yards as well.

It was a complete game for Buffalo. The team followed the game plan by putting pressure on Denver through the Bills run game. They also played strong defense, forcing the Broncos to rely on their passing game, which was obviously not a strength this afternoon.

This are looking good for Buffalo, as they move to 8-3 for the first time since 1996.

Buffalo has a quick turnaround, as the team will get ready for their Thursday night Thanksgiving tilt against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. It will be a big game for both teams, as the Bills are working toward solidifying their second playoff berth in three years while the Cowboys are facing a challenge from the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East.

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4 things to watch for when Broncos face Bills in Week 12

The Denver Broncos will be looking to get back in the win column in Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills. Here are four things to watch for.

The Denver Broncos will look to get back in the win column on Sunday but must do so but winning a tough rough game against the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos have not won in Buffalo since the 2007 season.

The Bills sit at 7-3 and are looking to solidify themselves as a true playoff team this season but the Broncos have been a tough, scrappy team despite a poor record. Will the Broncos be able to put together a full game and pull out a victory on Sunday?

Here are four things to watch for.

1. Josh Allen’s running ability

(AP Photo/David Richard)

Allen, the quarterback for Buffalo, has a cannon for an arm, but don’t sleep on his ability to run as a passer.

Though he’s far from the threat that Lamar Jackson is, Allen has gained 331 yards on the ground this year. More importantly, he’s rushed for seven touchdowns.

As a rookie, he ran for 631 yards and eight touchdowns and in 22 career games, he is averaging just under six yards per carry. The Broncos must be ready for this.

2. Isaiah McKenzie

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Remember this guy? The former Broncos draft pick is now a member of the Bills roster and he has actually found a way to be somewhat productive.

He has caught 33 passes in 16 career games with the Bills and he has a touchdown reception. He had just four catches in 11 career games with Denver.

He likely would love to stick it to his former team in this game.

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Behind enemy lines: Bills Q&A preview with Broncos Wire

The Bills host the Broncos in Week 12 at New Era Field. To learn more about Sunday’s visitors, we spoke to our Jon Heath, Managing Editor at Broncos Wire, for more info: 

The Bills host the Broncos in Week 12 at New Era Field. To learn more about Sunday’s visitors, we spoke to our Jon Heath, Managing Editor at Broncos Wire, for more info:

1. What’s your brief analysis of Vic Fangio this year? He was a veteran coaching hire when most of the league has gone the youthful way and there’s those rumblings of discontent that have been floated about him recently as well.

Several players — veterans and rookies — have disputed those rumblings, as has GM John Elway. So make of that what you will. Fangio’s biggest strength is his work on the defensive side of the ball and he’s delivered there. The offense still hasn’t arrived but Fangio can’t help what players Elway put on the roster (cough, Joe Flacco, cough). Denver’s record is poor but they’ve have four close games — including a near-upset against the Vikings last week — so I think most Broncos fans are optimistic about the future under Fangio.

2. Only five sacks this year, is Von Miller still playing at a high level? Expecting him to have plenty of opportunity against rookie Cody Ford on Sunday.

Some pundits have pointed to Miller’s “low” sack total as evidence that Vic Fangio’s scheme is not getting the best out of the team’s star pass rusher. What those pundits don’t mention is that Denver hasn’t gotten much production from their interior pass rushers in recent years. This season, Shelby Harris and Derek Wolfe have totaled four and five sacks, respectively, due in part to teams giving extra attention to Miller. DeMarcus Walker has totaled four sacks as well. If Miller stole three sacks from each of those players, he would have 14 sacks so far. That would be a great season for Miller but the team’s sack total would remain the same. It doesn’t really matter where the sacks come from in Fangio’s defense, just as long as they do come. Miller’s not the player he once was but he’s still a great edge defender and dangerous pass rusher.

3. Courtland Sutton makes me shake my head. He was drafted in the same second-round area as ex-Bill Zay Jones but just a year later. Is he as legit as it seems?

It really is surprising that Sutton fell to the second round — the Broncos must have been delighted about that. He’s the reason why the team was comfortable with trading away Demaryius Thomas, the second-best WR in franchise history. So it seems like Denver certainly believes he’s legit. Sutton has been a great asset for first-year starter Brandon Allen and he looks like a guy would could be one of the Broncos’ best offensive players for the next decade.

4. Phillip Lindsay or Royce Freeman? Who should we expect to see more of? Buffalo’s run defense is suspect.

Lindsay for sure. Freeman will get his share of carries but Lindsay is without question the team’s lead running back. Lindsay got 52 snaps to Freeman’s 24 snaps last week and he’s on pace for another 1,000-yard season. Freeman is on pace for about 650 rushing yards.

5. What’s your prediction for Sunday and why?

It’s hard to call this game. Denver’s coming off a heartbreaking loss in Minnesota, which should give the team some extra motivation. The Broncos’ defense might be able to hold up against the Bills’ offense but Denver’s own offense hasn’t played a complete game all season. It’s probably going to be a low-scoring contest. Broncos, 17-14.

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Bills opponent outlook: Broncos history, statistics and more

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field.

Denver Broncos quarterback Brandon Allen. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field. Buffalo is riding high after it’s best offensive endeavor of the season against the Dolphins in Week 11. Denver is one of the better teams in the NFL with a sub .500 record, and will be a handful to compete against.

Here is everything that you need to know about the history between Denver and Buffalo:

  • Buffalo and Denver first met on September 18, 1960 in the inaugural season of the AFL. Denver won that game 27-21.
  • Buffalo won nine straight against Denver between 1962 and 1967.
  • Buffalo and Denver met in the 1991 AFC Championship Game. The Bills narrowly defeated the Broncos 10-7.
  • Their last meeting was on September 24, 2017. The Bills won 26-16.
  • The Bills have the all-time record lead, at 20-16-1 against Denver in the regular season.
  • The Bills also lead in scoring all-time versus Denver, outscoring them 891-818

2018 Season

Denver, much like this year, was a relatively competitive team in 2018, despite their record. Case Keenum was signed in the offseason, in hopes to solidify their quarterback woes since Peyton Manning retired. It wasn’t enough, as the Broncos offense didn’t have a lot of star power, and the defense, although very talented, gave up some losses for them.

Denver finished the season 6-10, missing the playoffs for the third-straight year. They earned wins over Seattle, Arizona, Oakland, Cincinnati, Los Angeles (Chargers), and Pittsburgh.

Another disappointing season for General Manager John Elway, who would look to bring about more change following the 2018 year.

Last season, Denver finished 19th in Total Offense, with 5,602 yards. 24th in scoring, with 329 points. 19th in passing yards with 3,695 and 12th in rushing with 1,907 yards.

Case Keenum, coming off of his miracle season with the Minnesota Vikings, actually threw for a few more yards with Denver. His touchdown to interception ratio is what hurt him and his tenure, as he was traded to Washington after his year with the Broncos was over.

Keenum was ranked 14th in passing yards in 2018, with 3,890 yards to his credit, along with 18 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

Rushing was a strong point for Denver in 2018,. After losing C.J. Anderson, who had regressed, quarterback wasn’t the only hole that the Broncos faced. Led by drafted rookie Royce Freeman, and undrafted rookie Philip Lindsay. One of the more underrated one-two punches in the NFL, the pair finished very well, and helped carry struggling offense.

Lindsay finished the highest as far as yardage, ranking ninth in the NFL amongst rushers, with 1,037 yards. He also accrued nine rushing touchdowns. His backfield partner, Freeman, finished 38th in rushing yards, with 521 and five touchdowns.

Receiving hasn’t been one of Denver’s strong aspects either, as they have lost a few weapons over the years since Manning left. Emmanuel Sanders was their leading receiver in 2018, finishing 27th with 868 yards and four touchdowns.

Emerging receiver Courtland Sutton, was next in yardage totals at the receiver position, with 704. He came in at 51st in the NFL. No other Broncos receiver or tight end finished in the Top 100.

Defensively, the Broncos were 13th in total defense, allowing 5,842 yards, as well as in points allowed with 349 points scored on them. Their passing defense came in 20th, giving up 3,929 yards by air. The rush defense, 12th with 1,913 yards given up on the ground.

2019 So Far

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