According to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post, the team decided to move him from outside to inside for this kick and this kick only.
The result was Tillman playing a position he wasn’t used to and doing something, frankly, almost ever player does on a field goal attempt. He leaped into the air with one hand and the other hand was low. Tillman was asked about the play and he admitted that the switch was a coaches decision and all he can do is go back to watch the film to see where he went wrong and try to learn from it.
”Honestly, the coaches called a play and we got a flag on it,” Tillman said. “I’ve got to go back and watch the film to see how I can learn from it. I’m trying to do everything I can to help the team out. I’ve got to be better.”
While it irritates me that the coaching staff decided to get cute by doing something they hadn’t done before, my ire still remains on the officiating crew for even calling that penalty. I have watched it over and over again and while to the letter of the law they can call it, they simply never call it in game. If they did, the field would be littered with flags on every field goal attempt in the NFL.
I’m still angry about this.
However, it is done and over with now. The Broncos lost a game they should have won and, frankly, they should have led by more than two points at the end of this game anyway. This was a team loss on all fronts. The defense couldn’t stop the Colts between the 20s, the offense couldn’t close the deal whenever they had an opportunity to go up by two scores, and the special teams coached their way into a leverage penalty. Truly, this was a team loss in every way.
While it is hard not to feel like the officials were out to get Denver late in this game. From the spiking penalty, to the phantom face mask call, to the nail in the coffin that was this ‘leverage’ call, it certainly felt like the officiating went one-way late. Even with all of that, I would still say that Denver had their chances to take care of business and failed. They need find a killer instinct if they want to become an AFC powerhouse.
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