The Denver Broncos are sitting at 10-2 and with one of football's best records, but they are far from a perfect team. If you don't believe me, tune into any sports talk show that discusses Denver: they'll bash the Broncos left and right, pointing out every flaw and criticizing how Bo Nix wears his shoes when he goes grocery shopping. Despite their best efforts to make it seem otherwise, the Broncos are one of the best teams in football.
With that, come a few obvious flaws in their identity and game plans. For one, the Broncos' special teams unit has been one of the worst in football for the entire year, committing their first major blunder in Week 1 by allowing a major kickoff return to set up an end-of-half field goal for a lowly Titans team. Despite leading the AFC West almost all year, the unit has been under fire for the majority of the season, and several key special teamers have been cut and signed through the last few months.
However, the Broncos' special teams unit has been considerably better over the past few weeks. To be specific, the Broncos blocked a punt at home against the Raiders, led by special-teamer JL Skinner up the middle, and you could almost feel the weight lift from everyone involved in the special teams unit.
The group has improved significantly since the colder months began, and they could be turning from a major weakness into an average group, which feels like an answered prayer for many involved with the Broncos.
Darren Rizzi's job may have been saved with recent special teams improvements
Arguably, no coordinator on an AFC playoff-bound team has been criticized more than the Broncos' special teams coordinator, Darren Rizzi. Sean Payton brought Rizzi over from New Orleans following his brief stint as the interim head coach to end the 2024 season, and the Broncos' dismissal of their special teams coordinator, Ben Kotwica, last spring.
Rizzi and Payton go way back, with Rizzi first joining Payton's staff for the 2019 season in New Orleans. Once it became clear that Rizzi was not going to land the New Orleans head gig, it was an obvious possibility that he would rejoin Payton in Denver, but the beginning of the season could not have gone worse for the Broncos. There is still a real chance that their early-season blunders cost them the top seed in the AFC.
However, Rizzi's group has stabalized of late. Kicker Wil Lutz earned a nice new deal after a few AFC Special Teams Player of the Week awards, punter Jeremy Crawshaw is currently leading the AFC in Pro Bowl voting among punters, and returner Marvin Mims has been incredibly solid when not hurt. As the season has gone on, the group has gotten better, plain and simple. For Rizzi, this could be enough to earn him a second season in Denver.