Getty EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 01: Diontae Spencer #11 of the Denver Broncos runs against the New York Jets during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium on October 01, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos have a roster that’s as loaded as any in the league, top to bottom. But all that talent won’t matter if they get off to yet another slow September start.
One way to halt that trend — and preserve head coach Vic Fangio’s job — is to make sure the Broncos don’t lose the hidden yardage battle every game. Casual NFL fans and those who primarily watch football for fantasy sports and betting purposes may not know, or care, about the importance of such a statistic. But the die-hard fans, coaches, and players preach about not allowing opponents to stack up such yards.
Special teams coach Tom McMahon might be even more maligned in Broncos Country than Fangio, who is 0-7 as Denver’s lead man in September, and that’s saying something. The reason is because McMahon’s special teams have been anything but special.
Get Off to a Fast Start
One way to improve their September fortune is to get off to fast starts upon kickoff. Whether it’s covering the opening salvo, or returning the kick, Denver can’t afford to start off games in a hole. During those seven losses in September, the average starting field position for the opponent was their own 28 yard line. That’s a plus-three yards off the bat, since touchbacks start at a team’s 25 yard line. And only once in those seven September games has Denver’s average offensive drive start beyond their own 27-yard line (at Pittsburgh, 2020). Meanwhile, four of Denver’s September opponents pulled that off in the last two seasons — Oakland, 2019 (the Raiders’ 29), Green Bay, 2019 (the Packers’ 36), Pittsburgh, 2020 (the Steelers’ 35), and Tampa Bay, 2020 (the Bucs’ 37).
Coaches and players talk about the “hidden yards,” and that’s exactly what they mean. Three yards may not seem like much when starting a drive, but it accumulates as the game extends.
It’s the little things that get bad teams beat — and since Peyton Manning retired in 2016, the Broncos have been commiserating among the dregs. Star defensive lineman Shelby Harris preached the importance of flipping the field, following the September 1 practice, stressing “the little things, they add up to be something big … And so if we just do all the little things right, then we’ll be successful.”
Harris continued, adding those hidden yards are as important as the actual yards accumulated or yielded.
“Hidden yardage on special teams, yeah,” Harris continued. “There’s always hidden yardage on special teams. You take the ball out of the end zone, you end up at the 12, you know, you set the team back. If you take the ball out of the end zone and end up at the 35, that’s the hidden yardage, the positive hidden yardage, I’m talking about.”
Bolstering a Not-So Special Unit
Stressing the importance of special teams excellence was something general manager George Payton put on full display as the league’s cutdown day came and went. It’s why Paton released a good running back in Royce Freeman, on September 1. Freeman was Denver’s No. 3 running back, and is talented enough to be an RB2, at the very least, on just about every other team. But he wasn’t on Denver’s special teams, so Paton added another running back — and a cornerback — to bolster the special teams.
Freeman was a third-team running back who was replaced by another back who may not carry the ball much, but is a stalwart on special teams. Nate McCrary, a 2021 undrafted rookie free agent, was the leading preseason rusher for the Baltimore Ravens, but he’ll earn his keep in Denver covering kicks.
The cornerback, Mike Ford, formerly of the Detroit Lions, is a fourth-year player who has appeared in 31 career games and made seven starts. He’s a serviceable defensive back, but again, he’ll primarily see snaps on special teams.
Paton also added another special teams ace, linebacker Jonas Griffth (and a 2022 seventh-round pick), just ahead of the 53-man roster cut down deadline.
Reserve running backs have to contribute on special teams, no matter how good a runner they are. And judging by Paton’s moves, he’s willing and able to sacrifice backfield depth if it means fixing the mess that is the Broncos’ special teams unit. Despite being a loaded roster, the margin of error is still thin — especially in a division that features Patrick Mahomes and the rising Justin Herbert.
Fangio seemed on board with Paton’s recent special teams maneuvering.
“We’ve got to make it better,” Fangio said, following the Broncos’ preseason finale on August 28. “We’ve got to find the players that we keep to cover kicks better, and if not, we need to find players who will be. Obviously, we need to do a good job of coaching it.”
That nice little grenade launched was aimed at McMahon and his crew. Hopefully the Broncos will be able to cover it.
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Broncos Special Teams Not So Special