New Denver Broncos' kicker Will Lutz had a rough game in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season, but cutting Brandon McManus was the right decision. I saw many people complaining on social media about the Broncos' kicker situation. They parted with long-time kicker Brandon McManus after he had a horrid 2022 season, making just 77.8% of his kicks.
McManus latched on with the Jacksonville Jaguars for 2023, and he had a perfect 5/5 performance in Week 1, making all four of his extra points and one field goal. Will Lutz, who Sean Payton employed in New Orleans and who he also traded for a few weeks, ago, had a rough night on Sunday, missing one extra point and a field goal, which did cost the Broncos the game.
Lutz's Broncos' teammates will obviously come to his defense and say that it was a team effort in the loss, but if we're being real, Will Lutz should probably shoulder the blame for the loss. Anyway, why are we using just one week of the 2023 NFL season to say "I told ya so" about Brandon McManus? McManus was truly awful last year, and there was no reason for Denver to keep an inefficient kicker on the roster.
In fact, I observed many in the fanbase cheering that the team parted with B-Mac. I really don't understand what the McManus crowd in Broncos Country is trying to prove here. He's not on the Denver Broncos anymore and was bad last year.
Using hindsight to further this weird agenda is just silly and is not something that needs to be a thing within the fanbase. Do I think the team made a mistake in parting with Brett Maher for Will Lutz? Yeah, probably, but also, come on now, Brandon McManus was not kicking at an NFL level.
And you never know, maybe it was the Week 1 jitters for Will Lutz and kicking in a brand-new environment. I think he'll probably end up being fine, but if not, Sean Payton may have to look somewhere else to find competent kicking for 2023 and beyond.
Robbie Gould is a fine kicker and is still a free agent, so perhaps Payton might consider bringing him in if Will Lutz continues to struggle as he did in Week 1.