DENVER -- The Broncos are no longer one of the few remaining undefeated NFL teams. The team fell Sunday to the red-hot Atlanta Falcons.
One of the few fatal flaws for the Broncos was the disappearance of its solid starting quarterback in Trevor Siemian. His coaches allowed him to sit a week as the Broncos faced a short week, looking ahead to Thursday Night Football.
The defending Super Bowl 50 champions also struggled in three key phases of the ball. The offensive line, the running game and the run defense.
Here are a few key plays which factored into the deflating game for the Broncos.
1.) Huge run sets up early score.
The Falcons established their running game early, with a 48-yard rush up the side allowing the Falcons to nab an early lead.
Matt Ryan and his Falcons would use that run, and Devonta Freeman to muscle through a particularly stout Broncos defense, going up 7 points.
Devonta Freeman.
6 points!#ATLvsDEN #RiseUp https://t.co/5NgnxZrpFJ
— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2016
2.) Pressure on Lynch leads to a faltering Broncos offense.
Lynch's first start came with several snafus, including a set of sacks that may have shaken the young quarterback's confidence.
One such sack led to a fumble. Thankfully, Lynch did recover the fumble.
Lynch stripped as he’s sacked, but he grabs it on the ground. #Broncos drive stalling.#ATLvsDEN
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) October 9, 2016
3.) Broncos defense secures some room for the Broncos to attempt a recovery.
The Broncos defense had a hard time against the run, but they still made their presence known. Both Shane Ray and Von Miller came away with sacks, saving several drives for the Broncos.
Got ‘em!! pic.twitter.com/ymGqCHxLLF
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 9, 2016
4.) Lynch tosses his first NFL interception.
Trailing with a still-manageable score, the journeyman quarterback suffered a setback when he tossed a pass deep into his own endzone.
The interception would lead to an Atlanta score that would put the game too far out of reach for the Broncos.
.@Ricardo37Allen with the pick! Our ball on the Bronco 42-yard line. #ATLvsDEN pic.twitter.com/yqs6BDh6dO
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 9, 2016
5.) Broncos fail to capitalize on the takeaway.
When T.J. Ward took away a pass from his defender in stoic fashion, he opened his team up to a potential response.
When the offense took over, however, they failed to capitalize. The Broncos settled for a field goal, setting the team up for a 20 to 6 deficit that would not be overcome.
He got RIPPED!
T.J. Ward takes the right out of Mohamed Sanu's hands. Wow. #ATLvsDEN https:https://t.co/vy3tANajYO
— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2016
.@BossWard43 MAKING PLAYS!
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 9, 2016
In the end, the Broncos did find the room to score a touchdown, but the team failed to put enough points on the board to come out with a win. The game ended 23 to 16.
The team is now 4-1 and looks forward to a chance for redemption on Thursday Night Football against the Chargers in San Diego.
See more coverage from the Broncos defeat here.
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