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In the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marvin Mims to make it 24-23 with eight seconds left in the game.
Instead of going for a two-point conversion and a potential win, Broncos coach Sean Payton opted to kick an extra point and play for overtime. The Bengals went on to later score a touchdown in OT to win 30-24.
In his post-game press conference, Payton addressed the decision before fielding any questions from media members.
“We spent some time thinking about — I’m going to answer this now, all right? — going for two. We knew a tie, though, for us, [was] just as beneficial as a win,” Payton said. “We felt like we had the momentum at that point. So, look, it went back and forth and in the end, we didn’t make enough plays; they did.”
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Payton later said, “The decision we made was the right one.” The coach also hinted that he might have gone for it if not for a tie being enough to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs.
“If the tie element didn’t sit in there, it probably would have been a little bit easier decision,” Payton said.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was also asked about the decision after the loss. The rookie backed his coach’s decision, even though it wasn’t what he would have called himself.
“Well me, I have no decision making so I’m trying to go for twos, but at the end of the day it’s probably not always the wisest decision,” Nix said. “[I’m] glad I don’t make the decisions for our team because I would go off straight emotion and what I want to do. But they thought it out, they processed it and in that case it was better to kick [an extra point] and play in overtime.”
After a follow-up question, Nix acknowledged that he wanted a chance to win the game, but he also noted that he got that chance in overtime.
“I definitely want the ball and a chance to win the game, but we had a chance in overtime to do that and I missed that one so, it was a good decision [to kick].”
Nix was diplomatic as usual, but many fans and pundits criticized Payton for the decision. The Broncos will now need a win or tie against the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs. Alternatively, Denver could back into the postseason with help from the Bengals and Miami Dolphins.