When fans had all their hopes on the legendary quarterback Russell Wilson, he was found nowhere to be seen on the field. This happened during one of the most crucial moments during the match between the Seahawks and the Broncos on 12th September. Let us take a look at why the Broncos coach decided to take a leap and guided the team to go for a 64-yard field goal.
Why Nathaniel Hackett Tried 64-Yard Field Goal
Coach Nathaniel Hackett was making his debut back in the game after working as an offensive coordinator for the Packers for three seasons. With just over four minutes remaining and all three timeouts used up, the Broncos took the ball at their own 22-yard line. With 20 seconds left, Wilson was faced with a fourth-and-5 from the Seattle 46-yard line after the offense took too much time off as they neared midfield. Instead of going for the covert, Hackett went for a 64-yard field goal and lost the game 17-16. When asked during an interview why he took this decision, he said that the team wasn’t working with the ball efficiently and he took this step to improve their chances of winning. He wanted more than just a few chunks here and there.
Was it a Wise Decision?
Well, when Hackett tried the 64-yard field goal, he put his trust in Brandon McManus, the placekicker of the Broncos football team. However, McManus missed the kick to his left and the plan wasn’t a success. During his interview, Hackett added that even though there was enough leg for McManus, he missed. However, he added that this really wasn’t the only reason behind the lost game. The team was already in a similar position. He ended up by saying, “If you’re not gonna score in the red zone, if you’re gonna have too many penalties, they’re gonna lose the turnover battle.”