ESPN- Broncos choke in historic fashion

[broncobryce]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8839423/nfl-playoffs-peyton-manning-denver-broncos-choked-historic-fashion-baltimore-ravens

DENVER -- There have been plenty of mind-blowing choke jobs in the NFL playoffs over the past few decades, but not many can beat what happened at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Saturday night.

[broncobryce]

Our defense was top 5 and choked big time. Manning had plenty of chances to win and choked. Coaches played not to lose. Unbelievable.

[SR]

I watched the game. Don't need to read that.

[broncobryce]

I watched the game. Don't need to read that.

Sweet.

[chaoticmayhem]

I don't think it was historic. The Pats losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl and ruining a perfect season was historic.

[tomjonesrocks]

Historic choke job. Yep.

[wayninja]

Hard to argue with the article. The only thing I'm still missing is what what up with manning. I don't buy that it was coverage. Either the cold got to him or something else happened.

If it were that easy to contain Manning, teams would have just been dropping safeties all season long.

[NEPatriots]

I disagree. It was only historic because the media was overly praising you to the point of journalistic recklessness, to be honest.
Denver hadn't beaten anyone worthwhile after they were thrashed by New England.

The "#2 defense" in the league is based on statistics, and those statistics were gained on teams like the Chargers and the Chiefs and the Raiders and a lot of horrible football teams. Post season teams don't care how good you are against NFL bottom feeders. That "#2 defense," like all other regular season statistics, are completely irrelevant in the play offs. That's why they call it "a new season" or "the real football season."

Plenty of people were picking Baltimore to win this game.

They just don't all work at ESPN (a network that operates in a herd mentality, parrot each other, and seldom challenge each others opinions)

I was expecting Denver to lose. I can't really count it as a choke job.

[NightTrainLayne]

After Moreno got hurt, the Ravens were able to not only drop their safeties, but also get pressure on Manning. Without Moreno and McGehee, we were sunk offensively.

[wayninja]

I disagree. It was only historic because the media was overly praising you to the point of journalistic recklessness, to be honest.
Denver hadn't beaten anyone worthwhile after they were thrashed by New England.

The "#2 defense" in the league is based on statistics, and those statistics were gained on teams like the Chargers and the Chiefs and the Raiders and a lot of horrible football teams. Post season teams don't care how good you are against NFL bottom feeders. That "#2 defense," like all other regular season statistics, are completely irrelevant in the play offs. That's why they call it "a new season" or "the real football season."

Plenty of people were picking Baltimore to win this game.

They just don't all work at ESPN (a network that operates in a herd mentality, parrot each other, and seldom challenge each others opinions)

I was expecting Denver to lose. I can't really count it as a choke job.

Yeah, we know. You are repeating yourself a lot.

[NEPatriots]

Hard to argue with the article. The only thing I'm still missing is what what up with manning. I don't buy that it was coverage. Either the cold got to him or something else happened.

If it were that easy to contain Manning, teams would have just been dropping safeties all season long.

You do realize that Peyton has had a now NFL record setting eight one and done's in the playoffs right?

Mark Sanchez could have gotten to the play offs in the AFC West this season or the AFC South during the 2000's.

I don't know why some of you were expecting Peyton to be great against great teams in the play offs.
His entire career speaks to the fact that he isnt,

[NightTrainLayne]

You do realize that Peyton has had a now NFL record setting eight one and done's in the playoffs right?

Mark Sanchez could have gotten to the play offs in the AFC West this season or the AFC South during the 2000's.

I don't know why some of you were expecting Peyton to be great against great teams in the play offs.
His entire career speaks to the fact that he isnt,

His career quarterback rating in the playoffs is better than Brady's career playoff rating.

[Northman]

You do realize that Peyton has had a now NFL record setting eight one and done's in the playoffs right?

Mark Sanchez could have gotten to the play offs in the AFC West this season or the AFC South during the 2000's.

I don't know why some of you were expecting Peyton to be great against great teams in the play offs.
His entire career speaks to the fact that he isnt,

Guess you missed our thrashing of Bmore just 3 weeks prior. And no, their injuries were not that detrimental to the team since it was just Lewis who was the main guy out so spare me the lame excuse.

[MOtorboat]

Hard to argue with the article. The only thing I'm still missing is what what up with manning. I don't buy that it was coverage. Either the cold got to him or something else happened.

If it were that easy to contain Manning, teams would have just been dropping safeties all season long.

It's pretty easy, actually. Hard-fought, double overtime, back and forth, field goal games are not "historic chokes."

[wayninja]

You do realize that Peyton has had a now NFL record setting eight one and done's in the playoffs right?

Mark Sanchez could have gotten to the play offs in the AFC West this season or the AFC South during the 2000's.

I don't know why some of you were expecting Peyton to be great against great teams in the play offs.
His entire career speaks to the fact that he isnt,

You do know that Peyton manning has 9 playoff wins, right?

It must be real hard to act smug after the fact. Like somehow if a player has lost in the past, there is no way he can win in the future. The Broncos were the better team, they just blew it. It was more than just manning and you know it, you are just trolling. Good luck against Houston, *******.

[Simple Jaded]

This time last year it was the Ravens choking, this year people act like it was the Broncos who were one play from the SB and the Ravens were the up-and-coming team breaking in.

Sweet little pity party, Bryce.......

[wayninja]

It's pretty easy, actually. Hard-fought, double overtime, back and forth, field goal games are not "historic chokes."

I don't see why a field goal game can't be a choke. The final score doesn't determine that, it's not putting a team away when you had chance after chance and every advantage. The Broncos choked. Historically. It's fine if you don't think so.

[Northman]

You do know that Peyton manning has 9 playoff wins, right?

It must be real hard to act smug after the fact. Like somehow if a player has lost in the past, there is no way he can win in the future. The Broncos were the better team, they just blew it. It was more than just manning and you know it, you are just trolling. Good luck against Houston, *******.

18-1

That shuts them up pretty quick.

[MOtorboat]

I don't see why a field goal game can't be a choke. The final score doesn't determine that, it's not putting a team away when you had chance after chance and every advantage. The Broncos choked. Historically. It's fine if you don't think so.

We disagree. When I can think of five true chokes within five seconds that are more historical than this, I'd have a hard time calling an interception in double overtime a choke.

[Northman]

I think was a choke job, but not a historic one. The Buffalo/Houston game in the 90's was a historic choke job based off of the lead the Oilers had. But this, it was just a choke job because we couldnt defend what was basically a hail mary pass.

[MOtorboat]

18-1

That shuts them up pretty quick.

That was a much, much more historic game. The 35-point Buffalo comeback. Scott Norwood. Those are all time choke jobs. Hell, I'd put Denver losing to Jacksonville a whole lot higher on the list of "chokes." Ooh...how about Gary Anderson not missing a field goal until the NFC Championship game?

Not Denver yesterday. Hyperbole always seems to run rampant in the days of social media...

[wayninja]

We disagree. When I can think of five true chokes within five seconds that are more historical than this, I'd have a hard time calling an interception in double overtime a choke.

Fair enough. I think you are looking at it as a single play. If so, I agree with you (although the Moore play was certainly a HUGE choke).

I'm looking at it as just a series of keystone-cops-esque playing and playcalling that culminated into something I haven't seen in a very long time. So, I call it historic.

[MOtorboat]

Fair enough. I think you are looking at it as a single play. If so, I agree with you (although the Moore play was certainly a HUGE choke).

I'm looking at it as just a series of keystone-cops-esque playing and playcalling that culminated into something I haven't seen in a very long time. So, I call it historic.

Let me put it this way...

If NFLN was to do one of their Top 10 lists, that game yesterday wouldn't even make it on the honorable mention that they do at the first commercial break, let alone the top 10.

[wayninja]

Let me put it this way...

If NFLN was to do one of their Top 10 lists, that game yesterday wouldn't even make it on the honorable mention that they do at the first commercial break, let alone the top 10.

Maybe not top ten all time for all teams, but certainly more than a footnote in Broncos history.

[MOtorboat]

Maybe not top ten all time for all teams, but certainly more than a footnote in Broncos history.

Maybe.

1. Jacksonville, '96
2. Leading 10-0 over the Redskins '87
3. Losing to Pittsburgh, '05
4. Sewell fumbles, '91
5. Manning '13

I think we can put it at 5.

[Simple Jaded]

In the end it was as much a fluke as it was a choke, imo. Moore's gaff was Barber running out of bounds or Ponder hitting Andre Goodman between the 2 and the 1 with seconds left in a tie game. This article is written as though the Broncos did nothing right, Manning had one bad throw, the D played well enough to win had there not been pick6 and the ST's kicked ass.

All the breaks that went for Denver last year went against them in this game, funny how last year was the magic of the worst player on the field but this year it's a total team choke job, giving zero credit to the opponent in the process.

What people lack in perspective they make up for in conviction.......

[chaoticmayhem]

everything is historic to the media types, even when it's not.

[wayninja]

In the end it was as much a fluke as it was a choke, imo. Moore's gaff was Barber running out of bounds or Ponder hitting Andre Goodman between the 2 and the 1 with seconds left in a tie game. This article is written as though the Broncos did nothing right, Manning had one bad throw, the D played well enough to win had there not been pick6 and the ST's kicked ass.

All the breaks that went for Denver last year went against them in this game, funny how last year was the magic of the worst player on the field but this year it's a total team choke job, giving zero credit to the opponent in the process.

What people lack in perspective they make up for in conviction.......

Ridiculous. No one took anything away from the ravens. The fact remains that the Broncos had one opportunity after another to put the game away and they did not. It was a total team choke job, I'm not sure how you could see it any other way. A key missed fieldgoal, a key blown safety coverage, a key interception, coaching decisions etc...

What breaks that went for Denver last year went against them in this game? The fact that they played like shit in the 4th quarter?

[Dzone]

Like the article said, we gave the Ravens an unforgettable gift

[MOtorboat]

What the Texans did at the end of the season is a bigger, more historically relevant choke than anything Denver did last night.

[aberdien]

Why are Patriots fans so obnoxious?

[Gamechanger]

it's only a choke job when people lose money in bets.