NFL Week 12: What We Learned

Denver didn’t stand a chance. Despite not having a quarterback on the roster as a result of Jeff Driskel testing positive for the coronavirus and the team’s three other quarterbacks being ruled out as close contacts, the Broncos were thrown to the wolves against the red-hot New Orleans Saints. Denver running back Phillip Lindsay officially started at quarterback for Denver, but Kendall Hinton, a rookie wide receiver from the team’s practice squad, took the majority of snaps under center despite not having played the position regularly since 2017 — his third year in college at Wake Forest.

Hinton, who took the impossible assignment without complaint, completed just 1 of 9 passes for 13 yards, and was intercepted twice. The Broncos lost, 31-3, and are likely wondering why the N.F.L., which has bent over backward to accommodate other teams that had virus-related issues this season, did not find a way to delay the game until a quarterback could be added to their roster.