Denver Broncos first-quarter report card: Solid start sets up bright future

Special Teams Report Card

The special teams unit has been rock-solid since the start of the 2023 NFL Season, so it's clear that Sean Payton brought in the right coaches here. Denver's ST group is a legitimate weapon, and we have seen some stellar punt coverage especially. Kicker Wil Lutz has gone 10/11 field goals this year, and his lone miss was that 50-yard attempt in shaky weather in Week 4.

But Lutz has also gone 40/45 on his field goal attempts while in Denver, so the Broncos have had some stellar kicking over the last year and change. Riley Dixon is also having himself a nice season. Dixon began his career with Denver and returned to the team in 2023.

Dixon is averaging 47.5 yards per punt, and his net yards per punt is 43.8, which is the best mark of his career. Riley Dixon also has a career-high percentage of punts landing inside the 20-yard line, at 45.8%. The punt coverage has been great and Dixon's right leg has been solid as well.

We're at a point with the Broncos' special teams unit where the worry is just gone. In prior seasons, the Broncos' had among the worst ST groups in the NFL, but now they're truly among the best and most reliable, and this is a huge part of a winning franchise.

Coaching Performance and Adjustments

It's really hard to find any sort of major coaching adjustments that need made on defense or special teams, but offense could use some changes, I think. Vance Joseph needs to keep doing what he's doing, and both Bet Kotwica and Mike Westhoff on the special teams side also need to keep doing their thing.

In my opinion, the Broncos' offense could benefit from some shorter play calls, or perhaps even putting a wrist band on Bo Nix. Sean Payton does have longer play calls, so the Broncos have dealt with that at points in the season where they break the huddle with very little time on the play clock.

The playmakers are what they are and I trust that Payton and the staff are putting the players in their best position to succeed, but it would be nice to see some plays drawn up to get the ball in the hands of explosive players like Marvin Mims Jr and Troy Franklin, and I am not sure why tight end Donald Parham has seen the field yet.

Most of the adjustments that need made are personnel-related.