SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 12: Head coach Nathaniel Hackett of the Denver Broncos seems on earlier than the sport towards the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Area on September 12, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Picture by Steph Chambers/Getty Pictures)
Nathaniel Hackett has been second-guessed into oblivion for kicking the field goal on fourth down in the Broncos opener, including by himself.
If new Denver Broncos head coach and former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett thought he was going to make it through his first game without being put through the wringer, he was sorely mistaken.
Trailing 17-16 on Monday Night Football in Seattle, Hackett and the Denver offense elected to run down the clock on fourth-and-5 in the final minutes to attempt a 64-yard go-ahead field goal rather than take a timeout and go for it. That proved to be an ill-fated strategy as Brandon McManus missed the attempt and the Broncos lost.
Naturally, that decision was heavily criticized by almost everyone. And now we can add Hackett to the people second-guessing his own decision in Week 1.
Broncos: Nathaniel Hackett would’ve gone for fourth-and-5 if he had a do-over
Speaking with the media on Tuesday, the Broncos head coach said that he “should have gone for it” in that situation, essentially admitting to his mistake and wishing he had a redo on his first game-ending situation as a head coach.
There’s no query that Hackett’s resolution all however value Denver the possibility to select up the win in Seattle and ruined the Russell Wilson revenge recreation towards his former staff.
On the similar time, although, it was a bit wild that Wilson and the staff discovered themselves needing that remaining rating to get the win. The protection was problematic as they let Geno Smith cube them up persistently all through the sport. Furthermore, a number of deep red-zone journeys resulted in turnovers as a substitute of factors whereas the penalties have been shockingly ample.
All informed, there’s a lot that the Broncos have to develop from over the ultimate 16 video games of the common season. With that stated, although, Hackett’s late-game decision-making will now be beneath the microscope after the way in which his tenure began.