Despite hiring a big-name coach to fix the problem, the Broncos find themselves spiraling into the same black hole that has helped claim several of their recent seasons.
You know where I’m going here. The special teams stink again.
Mike Shanahan has one of the NFL’s best kickers (Jason Elam), one of the league’s best punters (Todd Sauerbrun), and one of the best special-teams coaches (Scott O’Brien). But so far, the results have been largely the same as years past. Which is to say, poor.
“We’re the worst in the league,” Champ Bailey said amid the doom and gloom of the RCA Dome.
Here are your numbers: The Broncos last season ranked last in the league with an average starting field position of 27.0. That included all possessions after punts, kickoffs and turnovers. Their opponents started on average at the 33.5, leaving Denver 31st in the league.
A year ago, the Broncos’ average starting field position after kickoffs was 23.5, 31st in the league. Their opponents after kickoffs started at the 27.1, leaving the Broncos 18th in the league in kickoff coverage.
This season? The Broncos are last in average starting field position at 21.5 after kickoffs, and have allowed an average starting field position of 28.4, leaving them 25th in the league in kickoff coverage.
When factoring in all change of possessions, the Broncos are next
to-last, starting on average at their own 24.3. Their opponents? They’re starting on their own 33.6, meaning Denver is giving up 9 yards after every change of possession.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s the residual effect they create, not to mention the dissension in the locker room. When your opponent has 9 fewer yards — essentially one fewer first down — to get into scoring position, it wears a team down.
Sure, stopping the run and losing the field goals are at the top of the Broncos’ list of priorities. But unless the special teams start showing up, they’re moot points.
In today’s NFL, where parity rules, you have to win the field-position battle before you can win the game.
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
