After reviewing the tape of Sunday’s 44-13 win at Kansas City, Head Coach Josh McDaniels came to a quick conclusion as to why the Broncos were able to snatch the game’s momentum early and hold onto it until the final gun.
“I think it started with our performance in the kicking game,” McDaniels said. “We knew that that had been a strength of Kansas City’s. I felt like we really challenged them in every phase of our special teams.”
Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer’s units were stout from start to finish. Matt Prater went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts. Mitch Berger boomed three punts for a 51.7 yard average. Between punt and kick returns, Eddie Royal notched 149 return yards.
Perhaps most importantly, the team’s kickoff coverage was superb. On nine Matt Prater kickoffs, Kansas City was limited to an average return of 20.9 yards, the longest being a 26-yard run by Quinten Lawrence.
To McDaniels, special teams plays do not take a backseat to any other plays. Stressing complementary football from day one, he views all special teams units as equally critical to the club’s success on offensive and defense possessions.
“I think the kicking game is a huge phase for us, and very important,” he said. “And we don’t treat it any less than offense or defense. We would like to have the best players we can on the field.”
To show just how important McDaniels feels special teams is to the success of the squad, he has not hesitated to send defensive starters Champ Bailey, Andre’ Goodman and Mario Haggan out onto the field for kickoff coverage.
“We have a very unselfish team,” McDaniels said. “I don’t think there is one player on our team that wouldn’t do anything we asked of him in the kicking game – and those (starters) are good examples.
“They enjoy it, they accept the challenge, they want to be out there,” McDaniels continued. “I think a lot of time in the kicking game that is part of it – wanting to be out there, run down on the kickoff, block people and sometimes take on double teams.”
McDaniels said some teams elect to place more starters on special teams coverage than others, but that is by no means uncommon to see a position player run down kickoffs. He pointed out that Chiefs starting running back Jamaal Charles lined up for kickoff coverage as well.
Priefer has no complaints about using starters such as Bailey, Goodman and Haggan on his coverage units. He believes players like those three make for a more effective unit.
“Well if the head coach is going to let me use them, I’m going to use them,” Priefer said. “I think they’re experienced guys. They’re good tacklers. You just feel more secure with a Champ Bailey and an Andre’ Goodman out there on your kickoff team. Or a Mario Haggan or Darrell Reid on your punt team. I think especially on the coverage units, you need those type of guys that if they do break one, you’re going to have one of those guys step up and make the play if you need them to.”
– Zach Eisendrath, DenverBroncos.com
Good read, and yes the ST did play well, Prater and Berger were great.
I was really hard on Berger, for good reason. But it looks like he’s back in game shape and it couldn’t come at a better time. Field position will be crucial next week against the colts. Giving Manning a short field will be a recipe for disaster! I can’t wait for this game. I hope they prepare really hard this week and silence the damn critics once and for all that we are a playoff team!
GO BRONCOS!
i know who we should get in the draft suh he is a beast we u guy think
It was a dominant preformance from the lads on D and ST!!! Keeping the dangerous Charles at bay.
Consistancy is all a coach can ask for from all the parts of this Bronco machine which will be tested severely next week in the RCA Dome, which hasn’t been a happy huntng ground for us in regular season and espcially in Wild Card games **Shivers at the thought of 2003 and 2004**
broncos504-
I agree that it would be nice to draft Suh, but I think he’ll be gone by the time the Broncos pick. I guess I am used to Shanahan, who NEVER traded up (or at least extremely rarely, but NEVER sounds better) and often tried to trade down if he could get a good deal. Suh would definitely be a good addition, but I don’t think our NTs get enough credit for how well they’ve played. They may not have superb statistics, but the fact that they’ve been able to keep Dumervil from being double teamed and that our linebackers so frequently get great penetration goes a long way towards showing how effectively they have been able to move the OL around.
I remember 2003 and 2004 too samoanbronco. You’re not alone : ) I think that, in addition to the fact that they always do well, is why I root against the Colts in most games. Though I will admit, I wanted them to beat the Bears in the Super Bowl. I had a couple classmates who were Bears fans and were quite cocky, and I’d told them the whole time that the Bears weren’t as good as their record.
Why aren’t my posts showing up?
Weird
killerkod I was very hard on Berger too. I guess we are both eating crow now.
tna: Well, he still has to keep it up. lol The critisism was well deserved as his kicking was god aweful! But hey, if he keeps it up and we make it to the post-season…I’ll gladly eat crow all the way to the super bowl baby! haha
GO BRONCOS!
samoanbronco, I was at that 2nd wild card meeting and what a difficult game to sit through. The RCA dome was always a difficult place to play. However, it was closed this year giving way to Lucas Oil Stadium. Or whatever its called, will prove to be just as difficult as years past. We have an enormous challenge ahead of us. Nobody outside Broncos Country is giving us a chance.
I’m keeping my eye on Ty Law this week. I know Manning certainly will be aware of his presence. AT ALL TIMES! He should open things up for Champ and Goody to make plays.
The media will have to take notice. We’ve knocked off all Division leaders to this point. Splitting with San Diego of course! Taking down Indy will do BIG things for our playoff chances. And our beloved Broncos will have to be considered serious Superbowl contenders! GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!
Footballmaniac and broncos504 ya’ll might get your wish. I was at the game versus TEX. Their were 10 NFL Teams Scouts their. One were the Broncos and most of their notes was on him.
Sorry They block me out of the live game blog now. So I don’t be on here as much. lol Why they did is a good a guess as mine.
Great win!!! Josh tried to run up the score on KC ova Cassel. Their GM didn’t like Cassel at NE. When he heard Josh wanted him though. He made a deal quick for him that missed up Josh’s plans. So he tried to stick it to them.
A very good game all the way around, I thought. I would’ve liked to see Hillis a lot earlier, but at least he got some repetitions. I believe that this team can actually finish out the season with 4 straight wins if they’ll apply everything that they did in Sunday’s win. Also, the Chargers could lose to the Bengals, Cowboys, Titans, and Redskins. We still have a chance at the division title. And the Bears still have a chance to finish 6-10. A win win situation for me.
GO McD.NOLAN CRUSH
yea man this weeks game is challenging, indy always has our number in indy, yada yada yada. Folks, if I were a weather man, I would be predicting hurricanes and tornados. Common wheres the positivity?
I haven’t been able to look over all the posts from the postgame and whatnot but I feel like our running game has steadily improved ever since Larsen took over at fullback and we ran out of the I formation. The guy is an absolute beast, and selfless player.
it would be great to see the ravens lose tonight, 1 game ahead of the jags and 2 games ahead of everyone in the hunt. GO PACKERS
Dude, Randy Moss you need to shave the beard. I mean common man, you look homeless.
dbroncos6…. You got your wish. Ravens lost. Packers played a great game. I’m like the rest of the fans on the Board…. when we brought in Berger…I wanted to see some good things and after the first couple of games… I was not impressed. I’m not down to eating crow yet, but I will say that he has improved steadily.
Are the Broncos going to win against the Colts and send a message to the league? Now is the time. Let’s control the ball and play some smash mouth (Raven’s) type football. We can win this game.
i think we can win this game…however, peyton is the games best…soooo… i think that we have a 50 50 chance lol.
Nolan will be dialing up rare blitz packages and rest assured, Manning will be doing his signature audibles. dont give in D. when ever he calls an audible its usually a short comeback route…IMO…Our Ryans (Clady & Harris) will have their hands full with Mathis and Freeney. this will be an interesting match up.
I have confidence in Goodman to lock up his side. We all would love to see Ty Law do the same at the Nickel position. WOW! Bailey, Goodman, and Law, who to pick on?..lets blitz the heck out of em’!
hmmm. i choose denver over indy simpley becuz we beat kc in kc… also throught out the year the broncos never had anybody comeback agasint them in the fourth quarter…and if we can stop payton in the first 3…then its over in the fourth the broncos will be 9-4 and indy-12-1….trust when i say this indy vs denver in afc champship ….cant wait…..sorry i mean denver vs san diago round 3… denver wins
We need to have consistent drives that score TDs this week. I’d be happy if I didn’t see Prater on the field except to kick XPs. Manning is one of the greats to play the game. You would think if you can make a team one dimensional you could shut them down. Well with the Colts and Manning it is completely the opposite. Manning can beat you by himself. That’s why our D needs to play steller. Those two “almost INTs” last week for Goodman have to be INTs this week. That blown coverage by the D has to be fixed. The Colts WR don’t drop passes like KC, so I don’t know how “lucky” we’ll get. They are missing some key players so running the ball will again be the center point. Even though Manning doesn’t need a lot of time to score the less time he has the better. So running the ball, eating up time, making the D stay on the field longer and Manning on the sidelines is totally what we need to do. This is the week we can get some more INTs. Manning is a great QB but he does throw INTs too, so lets make some big plays. We can blitz him into mistakes and force some turnovers because our D is that good. This game is huge…HUGE for us. Manning and the Colts are mortal and we’ll need to show that to the rest of the leage this week.
Go Broncos!!!!
never before has there been two 12-0 teams…but one of those teams has to go through us to make it 13-0…give em hell broncs!!
I know I’m not saying anything you all know or the coaches for that matter but it is what it is…..There is very little if any margin for error here.
@ Brian_schneider
I agree 150% well said! Run the ball! Sustain drives and you have to score TD’s. Keep Manning off the field is huge but let’s face it! What sustaining drives does more than keeping Peyton off the field is keeping our D off the field.
Look at when we have been lights out! It’s when the offense is plugging away, plugging away and then scoring. THEN, the D comes out rested and HUNGRY and shuts them down….then once again…drive, drive, drive score! D comes out and shuts it down again.
My point is YES, keeping Peyton Manning off the field is always a good thing but you know he will be under center at some point!
This game is going to come on the shoulders of the D! Honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. TONS of veterans and talent!
GO GET EM’ BOYS! DROP THE HAMMER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think if we play like the first 6 game we can beat them and the d need to play good
The chances that the Broncos draft Suh aren’t even slim to none. He’ll be one of the first five drafted, and possibly number one. St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Cleveland don’t have a crying need for QB and that leaves a running back as the other number one possibility and no running back is head and shoulders above all the others. At least that’s the way Mark Schlerith sees it and it makes alot of sense.