Marquette King has put up ridiculous numbers in Denver
The Denver Broncos upgraded at the punter position this offseason, bringing in veteran Marquette King, whose numbers in Denver are amazing…
Why did the Denver Broncos decide it was worth getting rid of Riley Dixon and upgrading to Marquette King after he was cut by the Oakland Raiders?
King’s booming leg combined with the thin air of the Mile High City sounds like a great combination on paper, but the two paired together have been even more productive than many may have even thought.
Since 2013, King has played in Denver obviously a total of five times. I broke down the numbers from those five games:
Punts: (a whopping) 39
Average length: 50.5 yards
Net average (after return yardage factored in): 44.02 yards
Punts inside the 20-yard line: 16
More from Predominantly Orange
- Broncos chances of landing Sean Payton dwindling, but not gone
- Denver Broncos dream coaching staff for DeMeco Ryans
- Denver Broncos: “Sleeper” David Shaw checks every box
- The Broncos’ coaching search likely has not gone to plan
- Special Chiefs Suck Offer: Bet $5, Win $150 if Joe Burrow Passes for ONE YARD vs KC
Those numbers are only over the course of five games, obviously, but realistically King would probably punt around that number of times in eight home games in Denver.
Brett Kern led the NFL in 2017 with 49.7 yards per punt and 44.6 net. King would obviously be on pace to lead the NFL in those categories if he continues to kick that well in Denver.
Sam Koch of Baltimore led the NFL last season with a whopping 40 punts inside the 20, but league average was below 30 and King’s pace in Denver would put him at 32 or more.
Having King around could be a major weapon for the Broncos’ special teams, and for the team’s defense. Pinning opponents deep and flipping field position will obviously result in the defense being able to pin their ears back and hopefully create more opportunities for a short field for the offense.
Everything has to work out properly, but King’s abilities in the thin Denver air could cause a ripple effect that leads to Denver’s offense being far more productive this year than it was a season ago.
If King is this efficient in his job as a punter, we might get to see him a lot more on extra points than anything else.