Denver Broncos 'definitely should have gone for it' on critical fourth down, Nathaniel Hackett says

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — On second thought, Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said Tuesday he «definitely» should have let quarterback Russell Wilson run a fourth-and-5 play in the closing seconds of Monday night's loss in Seattle instead of sending kicker Brandon McManus out for a 64-yard field goal attempt.

«Looking back at it, definitely should have gone for it,» Hackett said. «One of those things, you look back at it and say 'of course we should go for it, we missed the field goal.' But in that situation we had a plan, we knew 46 was the mark.»

McManus' field goal attempt sailed wide left and Hackett's decision overwhelmed almost everything else about his regular-season debut as a head coach.

Just two kickers in the NFL, since 1960, have even made field goal attempts of at least 64 yards and the longest field goal in the history of Lumen Field is 56 yards.

McManus, who has one of the strongest legs of any kicker in the league, is still 1-of-5, including Monday night's miss, on attempts of at least 60 yards in his career.

Also, last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, teams converted 48 percent of their fourth-and-5 plays. Hackett said he understood how few kickers have made an attempt of at least 64 yards — only Matt Prater at 64 yards in 2013 and Justin Tucker with the record 66-yarder in 2021 — but that after talking to the special teams coaches as well as McManus in pre-game, they had decided if the team got to the Seahawks' 46-yard line in the end-of-half or end-of-game situation, McManus would attempt the kick.

Wilson had been apprised of the decision a field goal attempt would happen on fourth down if the Broncos got to the Seahawks' 46-yard line on third down before the Broncos faced the