Getty JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 19: Linebacker Justin Strnad #40 of the Denver Broncos tackles Jamal Agnew #39 of the Jacksonville Jaguars on a kick return in the first half of the game at TIAA Bank Field on September 19, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos may be unbeaten, one of only two teams in the AFC West to lay such a claim. But that doesn’t mean all is perfect in Broncos Country.
Not only have the Broncos (2-0) lost three defensive starters during this young season, including two in the same game — one of which is on season-ending IR — but they’re also coming off a September 19 win at the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) that left a lot to be desired according to head coach Vic Fangio.
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Not-So Special Teams
Currently, the Broncos are in an uphill battle with their special teams unit. The offense is clicking under new starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The defense, despite some debilitating injuries, is formidable. Yet, what could doom the Broncos and erase any hope of postseason play for the first time since Hall of Famer Peyton Manning retired following the 2015-16 season, is a special teams faction that ranks in the bottom-third in the NFL, per Lineups.com.
Denver is ranked 22nd in the NFL in total special teams performance. That kind of oversight and lack of production gets the good teams beat — and judging by what many pundits think right now, the Broncos are one of those good teams.
The Broncos are tied for such disrepute with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers. The difference with those teams, though, is a proven track record of Future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Tom Brady (Buccaneers) and Aaron Rodgers (Packers), who can mask and erase special teams foibles. As great as Bridgewater is playing right now, he is obviously not on that level yet, so the Broncos need to be as efficient in the kicking game as they are on offense and defense.
The kickoff coverage is allowing a league-high 46.5 yards per return. It’s seemingly a continuation from 2020, when Denver ranked 31st in kick return coverage (yielded 29.9 yards per return).
The current kick return average is a bit skewed, due to one particular play, as there was a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Jaguars’ Jamal Agnew that cut into Denver’s 23-7 lead. Agnew was essentially untouched on his jaunt, as the Broncos’ coverage was laughable.
Pro Football Focus has the Broncos ranked even lower, dead-last.
Whichever metric is used, it’s not too flattering.
The Center of the Storm
The Broncos certainly have the depth to field a solid special teams corps, as general manager George Paton has made stockpiling athletes on the back-end of the roster a priority. That means there must an issue with how the unit is taught and prepared. And standing in the middle of the firestorm is special teams coach Tom McMahon.
The 15-year coaching veteran was hired by the Broncos on January 10, 2018, meaning he pre-dates Fangio, who was hired on January 10, 2019. McMahon has been the bane of Broncos Country’s existence since he was brought aboard.
The Broncos Wire podcast went to great lengths discussing “the team’s underwhelming special teams performance under Tom McMahon.”
On this week’s #Broncos Wire podcast, @RyanO_Leary and @ByJonHeath discuss the team’s underwhelming special teams performance under Tom McMahon. Listen in! 🏈📻🔈
The podcast noted that it’s not all been “sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows” for the Broncos, during the 2021 season. And if that’s the overview, McMahon’s unit has been the thunderstorms, black liquorice, and flash floods of the team.
Not a New Problem
What really irks Broncos Country is that the shortcomings of McMahon’s unit is not new. Denver entered the preseason still in search of fixing the issues in kick coverage.
Hopefully more help is on the way, as Paton went out and again added to the back-end of the roster, hopefully finding a few more special team gems. The Denver Broncos made a practice squad signing, September 23, by adding inside linebacker Micah Kiser off the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad. Kiser, a fifth-round draft choice in 2018, made 77 tackles, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble during his Los Angeles stint. He’ll likely be a rotational linebacker, but will primarily be used on special teams.
The team also signed outside linebacker Aaron Patrick off the Jaguars’ practice squad on the same day. Patrick, 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, is a first-year player out of Eastern Kentucky. He notched six tackles and a sack for the Jaguars during the 2021 preseason.
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