HEAD COACH JOHN FOX
On the season ending too soon
“Yeah, I think you always feel that way. Unless you’re hoisting that Lombardi Trophy at the end, yeah it is disappointing. So is that game, this game, next week’s game, that has been my experience. We had plenty of opportunities in this game. We just came up short. I think turnovers led to 17 points. I think that was pretty key and critical and has been all season and will be moving forward. I told our guys they battled, they fought a very experienced, tough team. To come here on the road, credit goes to Baltimore. I thought they did a superb job with some adversity and fighting back. You know we did too, but we just came up short.”
On it being a tough day to gain momentum
“Yeah, I think only to the very end, almost the end of regulation to be up seven, it is a pretty good situation to be in. We just came up short. I think right before half, that was a real turning point. We had a chance to go up 10, and didn’t hit a field goal very well. They got the ball back and had a big play. I think big plays were a big part of this game. They are a big reason why they were able to put up some of those scores, with explosive passes.”
On if he is in shock they lost
“There is no shock. You get to playoff season and everybody is good. My hat is off to Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and his staff. His players played well enough to win a tough game on the road. This is a tough place to play.”
QUARTERBACK PEYTON MANNING
On his overall thoughts following the loss
“Well, I mean, two different things. (It was) a very disappointing finish to the game. You can go through a lot of plays—certainly offensively—that you’d like to have back; (that) I’d like to have back. Certainly, we did a lot of good things this season, but as of right now it’s hard to think about anything else besides this loss tonight.”
On why Denver seemed to favor the run more than the pass in the game
“Baltimore was playing back—a lot of two-deep zone (and) man-to-man (defenses) in the second half. Their safeties (Ed) Reed and (Bernard) Pollard both cover a lot of ground. Both safeties were playing some man (defense) underneath, and that kind of takes away some of the deep passes down the field.”
On the mood in the locker room after the game
“Very disappointed, just because of how much effort and work this team put into this season and certainly we had plans of playing next week. Guys were excited, and to get beat in overtime by a field goal at the end, it’s certainly disappointing. I think it’s because of how hard everybody worked. We really have put a lot of hard work into this season and made a lot of strides and accomplished a lot. So, it definitely stings, ending on a loss like we had tonight.”
WIDE RECEIVER DEMARYIUS THOMAS
On his reaction to the loss
“It happens. I thought it was over with but they made a great play and took it to overtime. They played great in overtime and got the win.”
On Head Coach John Fox’s message to the team after the game
“He just said that a great football team came out and it was a close game in overtime and they won but to just keep our heads high. Basically, get ready for next year.”
On coming back with more chemistry next year
“We had a great team this year and hopefully we will next year.”
WIDE RECEIVER BRANDON STOKLEY
On if the loss is more painful because of the team’s potential
“It’s painful no matter what. We had opportunities all game long to finish this thing out. We just didn’t get the job done. That’s really the bottom line. You’ve got to give them credit. They made a few more plays than we did.”
On how this result was so different from Week 15
“This is a different game. It just comes down to making plays. The last time we played them, we made a bunch of plays. We just didn’t make enough (today).”
On safety Rahim Moore taking the blame for the loss
“No, it’s not his fault at all. That’s just one play in a long game. Like I said, we had opportunities offensively to put the game away. We had the ball, we got one first down. If we get two, the game’s over. It’s as simple as that. It’s not his fault at all. Like I said, offensively, we had a chance to put the game away, and we didn’t do it.”
CORNERBACK CHAMP BAILEY
On the disappointment of the loss
“It is tough because we know we played a good football team out there. We felt like coming in, we had a chance to win the game. We preached all week to not give up the deep ball, don’t turn the ball over and that is the way they have been winning games. That is the way they won tonight.”
On if he is surprised by the outcome
“I’m not surprised that we lost. That is a good football team. What I am surprised is how we made it a little easier for them. I’m not going to take away anything from what they did but we can’t do the things we did out there and expect to beat a good football team. They deserved it.”
On safety Rahim Moore taking personal blame for the loss
“We didn’t play one snap tonight. We played about 70 tonight I’m sure. He can’t take all the blame. We all made mistakes in that game and we all wish we could have some plays back. That is why they won.”
LINEBACKER VON MILLER
On the loss
“It is just that all season it took a lot to get to this point. To walk away from it on that note, I can’t even put it into words. It is devastating.”
On if any particular plays will stick in his mind
“It is bigger than just today. I am just thinking what I could have done better in the offseason, plays I could have made. When you lose like that, it gets you to second guess what you could do to help us win more. I could have definitely done a lot of stuff different today and could have done stuff different this year.”
On if the loss will linger in his head
“I’m not in a rush to do anything. Football is all I really do and all I really got. I will continue to take it one day at a time and attack this offseason and get ready for next year.”
DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People can blame rahim moore but at the end of the day … why we weren’t playing prevent D, when a team had to take the ball 70 yards for a TD not a FG, with no time outs … when all there TDs came from deep balls… is beyond me.
not to mention all the other conservative nonsense in the game. When you play not to lose the game, instead of playing to win the game … you tend to lose the game
TRB
Conservative play calling killed us tonight. What was all the “run up the middle” crap on those 3rd downs? Is Mike Shannahan back in charge there? Let your star quarterback do what he does, throw the ball and make plays! Why didn’t they try to get into field goal range as the 1st half ended? The ravens drove the field and scored in 39 seconds, with no timeouts. We had 31 seconds and 2 timeouts. Instead of trying to get 3 points before the end of the half, and then getting the ball back after halftime, they just quit and walked off the field. Who, and their “never quit” attitude, called that? The play calling was weak, conservative, and not anything like the play calling that got them to this game. I agree with 1nOnly also. Where was the help for Champ, and coverage deep?? How many times do they have to score on long bombs before the coach says “Maybe we should cover that area”? So disappointed.
Broncos were pretty clearly a better team than the Ravens. Harbaugh looked at how best to reduce that, and successfully neutralized our pass rush. Del Rio didn’t make the necessary adjustments, even at halftime, and they shredded us. Thirty eight points? Really? I don’t think you need to look any further than this to figure out what went wrong here.
Looked like prevent D to me. 3 rush.. 3 deep.. and all prevent does is PREVENT YOU FROM WINNING THE GAME. Wish one coach would agree with that statement and then we would hire him. OUr coach was a huge loser tonight. Champ was a huge loser tonight. Peyton beat us out of the play offs again, and Rahim Moore belongs no where near a football feild again in his life. Bill freaking Buckner was like, man.. what an idiot. Rahim Moore is the Bill Buckner of Football FOREVER. Bill never lived it down and neither will you. Too bad we didn’t have ole number 27 back there playin in our secondary. I GUARENTEE he never would have let that happen. Maybe you 2 should switch spots. No, not Knowshon.
13-3 1984 Loss to the 9-7 Steelers Divisional Round
13-3 1996 Loss to the 9-7 Jaguars Divisional Round
13-3 2012 Loss to the 10-6 Baltimore Ravens Divisional Round
All week I did not have a good feeling about this situation. I seem to hate when the Broncos go 13-3
I will not single out a player for the reason for the loss …. I will however single out the coaches for some very conservative play calling when the chips were down. I’d rather see a loss where we were trying to win rather than to blow opportunities , take a knee, and play for a win in OT. We had ‘em where we wanted and we did a tactical retreat.
Bill BUckner of football rahim moore.. what do you have to say for yourself? “im speechless.. DER”
Take that glove off of manning it hindered him from throwing the ball you know you guys should have had that game and what was up with him running the ball with a min left in the 4th quarter peyton would have threw the ball not under standing that
Though disappointed we didn’t win this game, our Denver Broncos gave us a great season of football despite having so many new faces on this team. With a season under their belts and a few new faces in key positions , next seasons Broncos will be that much better. The 2012 team made us proud to be Bronco fans once again, for which I am grateful for their dedication and desire. The 2013 season can’t start soon enough! Go Broncos!
HoD
don’t know what that was but didn’t look like prevent D. The goal of prevent D is that no one ever gets behind you and everyone drops all the way back. Rahim should not have been the only one that deep. Should have been about 4 that deep. Including Carter who said he was assigned with the underneat coverage. On prevent D everyone is going deep.
TRB
The Bronco’s conservative coaching staff gave this game away. Shame on you coach fox. The Broncos had this won late in the 4th quarter. All they needed was one more 1st down and lights out, but no, they run Hillman in several prtictable plays that the Ravens easlier stopped. Hillman is not Ray Rice or any number of big bruzzer type running backs with a chance of getting another 1st down. So coach Fox goes to their weakest link, Hillman, instead of letting Manning pass for a 1st down too anyone of 7 or 8 weapons. What was he thinking? Elway should fire Fox and get a more dynamic and less conservative and predictalbe coach and a strong running back with an equally strong backup.
I can not believe they flushed this game away when they had it won. Fire Coach Fox and get somebody else.
Disappointed in Las Vegas
I’ve been a dedicated Broncos fan for over 4 decades…since before Craig Morton was at the helm. I’ve gone through season after season, putting my faith in the team and the talent and experience we’ve had each year…and I’ve always been a believer…paying upwards of $4k now for my season tickets that have been in my family since 1966. And all that being said, being forever loyal even through the “Brister”, “Griese”, and “Plummer” years, figuring we’d never again see another “god amongst men” like John Elway, and finding a way to love my team through the duldrums anyway, because they always represented their city and loyal fans as best they could, in spite of their lack of leadership since Elway. But then, we were delivered a savior…a new leader, who could once again take my beloved heros to the promised land, at least one more time (and likely the last) in my lifetime…and it gave me hope…hope that I’ve not had in almost two decades (since Elway)…and I have to believe it gave well over a million other loyal, fiancially and spiritually supportive fans the same hope and belief too…Peyton was the answer that we’ ve all been looking for since St. John. But I have to say, that for the first time in my entire life, I’m ashamed to be one of the most loyal fans, and I truly feel like I’ve been slapped in the face for putting my heart, soul, and tens of thousands of dollars into this franchise. I’ve never considered turning in my season tix until now (only a few rows behind the Broncos’ bench). But for the first time in my loyal patronage of my beloved team, I truly feel that despite the effort, talent, and leadership that was displayed on the field yesterday by my “brothers in orange”, the coaching staff put handcuffs and hobbles on our boys, and focused on “playing not to lose”, instead of playing to win. I don’t care what anybody says about Rahim or Champ, or especially Peyton….watch the game again, and you’ll see that those boys were playing and performing the best they could to win, but were put in positions by the play calling to handicap their efforts…in almost every play of the game. Long story short…boys in orange, I’m so proud of you, and so sorry that you weren’t given a fair chance to win…coaching staff, I can’t express the disappointment and disgust that I and millions of other loyal and dedicated fans feel about your play calling, and your decisions that (seemingly deliberate) destroyed our chances to hoist the Lombardi once again. You delIberately forced our team “not to lose”, instead of guiding them and supporting them to “play to win”…we’ve played to win for the last 10 games, which we won…so I can’t believe, and cannot understand or comprehend why, in our most important game of the year thus far, why you chose to change everything that had gotten us this far. I’ve never posted before, and I’m sure I never will again…but I couldn’t let you (John Fox and Del Rio) do something so devastating and deliberate to sabbotage the life-long heros for millions of us who bleed orange and blue throughout this state and across this country. You don’t seem to care or understand, that it’s not just about your own job…it’s about the loyal, dedicated fans who expect you to guide our team to victory, not sentence them to defeat…and thats exactly what you did yesterday. I’m disgusted, offended, and now embarrassed to think what I’ve done and given to support my team, just to watch you make a mockery of it…shame, shame, shame on you. I feel horrible for all of your players who did their level best for you, and followed you all season long…and believed in you to the very end, when you led them directly to defeat, by not “letting” them win. They deserved much much better…and so did we. I sincerely hope there are some significant changes in the coaching staff next year…it’s the least the organization can do for all of us who support and pay for our team to “be allowed” to win for us.
Sincerely disrespected and disgusted,
Fan_Since_1966
I found myself before this game also thinking back to ’96 when the Jaguars came to Mile High from the Wild Card game and kicked our #1 seed a$$e$ out of the playoffs… But this was different, as noted above. There was a philosophy of playing it safe that did not work throughout the game but we kept coming back to it. The decision to kneel out at the end of regulation put another nail in the coffin, saying “We’d rather take our chances with a coin toss than let our future HOF QB move us into field goal range”… Perhaps the frigid air caused a brain freeze in J Fox’s head.
It’s also sobering to note that despite the fantastic season and the building process undertaken by Peyton Manning in 2012, his playoff record as a Bronco is overshadowed by Tim Tebow – both QB’s gave us an AFC West championship, both took us to the Divisional Round before losing out, but Tebow has one more playoff win! OMG, a sad statistic to say the least!