Russell Wilson of the Broncos claims he “let the team down.
DENVER — Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was still preaching the gospel of opportunity and belief Thursday night, but after an ugly 12-9 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in which He threw two interceptions, Wilson didn’t mince words. play.
“It’s very simple: At the end of the day I have to be better, I have to play better,” Wilson said. “The defense played hard tonight, we had some good key drives … At the end of the day, throwing two interceptions can’t happen. Can’t happen. I let the team down tonight.”
Wilson threw his second interception with just over two minutes left in regulation when the Broncos had a chance to close out the game. And his miss on fourth-and-inches from the Colts 6-yard line in overtime, when he missed an open KJ Hamler and tried to pass the ball to Courtland Sutton, was the last play of the game. .
The Broncos, including Wilson and coach Nathaniel Hackett, chose to go for the win with more than two minutes remaining in overtime rather than get a first down and then get a chance to throw for a possible game-winning touchdown.
“We had a good play call … Guy made a good play,” Wilson said. “He was ready to move if I needed to… We went for it. We didn’t want to end up in a tie, we wanted to win the game… I’ve got to find a way to make a play, whatever it takes.”
Wilson, who completed 21 of 39 passes for 274 yards with no touchdowns and the two interceptions, was beside himself for much of the night. He was just 9-of-17 for 69 yards in the first half.
The Broncos’ red zone problems continued as they finished without a touchdown and only scored two touchdowns in their three combined home games. They entered the last night of the league in the red zone scoring and will not move up the rankings after Thursday.
Wilson threw both of his interceptions in the fourth quarter, both on plays that started inside Colts territory when points on either drive would likely have given the Broncos the win.
“We felt like we should have won that game. I felt like we let ourselves down tonight,” Wilson said.
He added: “There’s a lot of season left, a lot of opportunities. [There’s] a lot of good, but the bad is bad. We should have won that game. It’s up to me.”
Wilson briefly spoke to a visibly upset Hamler after the game, and several of Wilson’s teammates also stopped to talk to Wilson as he sat in front of his locker, in full uniform, more than an hour after the game ended. .
“I have to finish, execute,” Hamler said of the offensive struggles. “We just have to execute better. The defense [is] fighting their butt, and we’ve got to back them up better. I did everything I could. I fought my butt. The offense fought their butt.”
Wilson was checked out for a concussion in the second half Thursday, but was cleared to return by on-site medical staff.
“I answered all of his questions and everything,” he said.
Wilson had also been listed on the Broncos’ injury report in the days leading up to the game with a right shoulder injury.
“It’s having these negative plays,” Wilson said. “That’s up to us. It’s all up to us as players. It starts with me. It’s not up to Coach Hackett, it’s up to nobody else.”
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