Noah Fant Addresses Broncos' Inability to Involve him in Second Half vs. Titans
Among the many missed opportunities that consigned the Denver Broncos to an opening-week loss to the Tennessee Titans was the failure to continue riding Noah Fant's hot hand after an explosive first-half performance. The second-year tight end was still the top offensive player on the night for the Broncos, catching five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown in the first half but curiously, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur went away from him in the second half.
After catching all five of his first-half targets, Drew Lock only looked Fant's way once after the half. The Titans' three consecutive clock-eating drives of 10-plus plays in the second half derailed much of the Broncos' offensive momentum but failing to keep Fant involved hindered the unit down the stretch.
Following the game, Fant was in a calm and reflective mood as he shared his thoughts on the game-plan shifting away from him after the intermission.
“I think we just kind of went in different directions on the offensive side,” Fant said. “Tried to take advantage of some other matchups which was a good idea. I think it was kind of one of those things. Sometimes you don’t get the ball on time, but I try to take advantage of every opportunity I’m given. I’m sure we’ll get it figured out and keep pressing forward from there.”
Diplomacy and looking at the bigger picture without jumping to conclusions is still the order of the day as the Broncos pick up the pieces after their home-opener. The failure to go to Fant after the half was symptomatic of Shurmur’s play-calling as the veteran offensive coordinator seemed to waver between playing power football and pushing the envelope through the air.
The desire to incorporate the explosive talents of rookie receiver Jerry Jeudy might have led to Shurmur overlooking his tight end's hot streak. Jeudy has unsurprisingly garnered headlines for his two costly drops rather than the four receptions he made in his NFL debut.
Fant kept things in perspective as he supported his new teammate, recalling some of the ups and downs he went through as a rookie last year.
“I think Jerry’s a very talented player for us,” Fant said. “Obviously, in the game, we need plays. Nobody wants drops, but coming from me, I understand it. I’ve been a rookie, been in that spot before. For me, it’s not really alarming. I think Jerry has all the ability in the world and he’s a very good player for us, so it’s just one of those things that he has to focus in on and lock in on. He has all the ability to catch those balls and I’m sure he’s going to do that.”
Moving on to the even bigger challenge next week of playing at the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Broncos need to define their offensive identity and rather quickly. Finding what works and fitting it to the personnel is still a work in progress for Shurmur and the very young group under his purview.
As the Broncos continue to grow and find their collective feet, when in doubt, perhaps the tried-and-true method of sticking with the hot hand should be the order of the day.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.