The Broncos QB was frustrated Sunday that Denver’s offense didn’t get a possession against the Seahawks. Manning lost the coin toss, Seattle took the opening kickoff, and it drove 80 yards in 13 plays capped by Marshawn Lynch’s game-ending TD run.
MORE: NFL’s greatest comebacks | Ross Tucker no fan of OT rules
Manning, through Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla, delivered this postgame whine:
But that’s the situation the Broncos faced. And they had more than a little control over the game’s outcome.
To put it plainly, the Broncos’ defense and special teams had 14 opportunities (including the kickoff) to get the ball back for the offense. If they had held the ‘Hawks to a field goal, or forced a punt or a turnover, then Manning would have gotten on the field in OT. If the D had scored on a takeaway or a blocked kick, or had registered a safety, then the game would have been over.
The defense and special teams did none of these things. Too bad. That’s on them, not the rules.
The NFL does not want to adopt the NCAA’s OT system in which each team gets the ball at the opponent’s 25 at least once. That’s OK, because the outcome of the coin flip does not equal the outcome of the game.
