Seahawks - Broncos Game Ends With Most Questionable Decision of Nathaniel Hackett's Life

The Seattle Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos, 17-16, in Russell Wilson's return to Seattle to end Week 1. The game will be remembered forever as the time that Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett chose to let the clock run down so Brandon McManus could attempt (and miss) a 64-yard field goal instead of letting Wilson attempt to pick up five yards with a minute left in the game.
This close.
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2022
📺: #DENvsSEA on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/54o9fOPBKO pic.twitter.com/aFh1JlpasF
This might be one of those things where you had to be there watching live because it was absolutely insane. The Broncos just spent a ton to acquire Russell Wilson, presumably for moments just like this. And instead they decided to let the seconds tick off the clock so they could attempt one of the longest field goals in NFL history. And it missed. The decision was so bad the football gods didn't even grant them a heartbreaking DOINK.
Yes that is the correct face to make pic.twitter.com/T8qdC52rTx
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) September 13, 2022
This honestly has to be a decision that has never once been made in an NFL game. The Broncos didn't even take a timeout to discuss the possibility of going for it on fourth down! This decision was made without Wilson's input with a full minute remaining in the game!
The Seahawks have literally never played in a normal game.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) November 12, 2019
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were understandably confused. As were the rest of us. Good lord.
Update: And here is Peyton Manning spending about 40 seconds trying to call a timeout for the Broncos. Peyon, Eli and Shannon Sharpe were also very confused (and frustrated!) by the decision.
It's safe to say that if Peyton Manning were at QB he would have called timeout 😅
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) September 13, 2022
pic.twitter.com/BkCkSiGnRW