Denver Broncos stock report after ugly offensive performance vs. 49ers
Denver Broncos Stock Up After 49ers Win
Corliss Waitman, P
Fans were both concerned and confused when the Denver Broncos parted ways with punter Sam Martin after Martin refused a pay cut. Martin had improved steadily in his time with the Denver Broncos, though the special teams unit overall was abhorrent under the direction of ST coordinator Tom McMahon (who the Broncos will face this weekend, as he is now in charge of special teams for the Raiders).
However, George Paton proved once again that he knows what he is doing, as punter Corliss Waitman is off to a hot start with the team. Though overly utilized, he was the difference maker against the 49ers, often pinning the team deep inside their own territory. One of those punts would ultimately result in a safety, giving the Broncos a little bit of life.
Averaging 47.6 yards per punt, the league rewarded Waitman’s performance with AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the first Broncos punter to receive the honor in 17 years. While one can only hope the Broncos offense will be utilizing him less going forward, it is good to know that the special teams unit is effective when needed.
Patrick Surtain
Although PFF criminally undervalued Patrick Surtain’s performance against the San Francisco 49ers, we are not about to make the same mistake here. Though receiving just a 73.7% from PFF, Surtain surpassed expectations after returning from injury. Targeted six times, he allowed zero receptions on the day. Right now, he has the 4th lowest passer rating at 59.8 (per Yahoo! Sports).
Broncos Country could see early on that Surtain is a special caliber of player, and now it won’t be long before the rest of the league takes notice, too. Quarterbacks already show hesitancy in throwing his way.