Somebody has to say it, so here goes: The Broncos are better off with Matt Prater kicking for them instead of some institution named Jason Elam.
“He’s under a lot of pressure,” Mike Shanahan said Sunday night, when asked about Prater. “We all know what Jason Elam did for this franchise.”
Prater has been under pressure, all right, and he has responded better than the Broncos could have hoped. Through five games, he has been the best kicker in the league.
There’s no other logical conclusion. Prater is 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards. He went into Sunday’s game vs. Tampa leading the league in scoring. He has made 12 out of 13 field-goal attempts.
But enough already with the numbers. When it comes to kickers, it’s all about a comfort level. It’s about the real players knowing, when the game is on the line, their kicker can get the job done.
And trust me, there will be many times when the game will be on the line. Or maybe you haven’t noticed the final numbers from the Broncos’ three home games. They’ve won each by one, two and three points.
Moral to the story: Any way you spin it, this isn’t a dominant team. It’s a flawed team, one whose offense barely overcomes its defensive deficiencies. Given that undeniable fact, the Broncos had better have a kicker they can rely on.
By the way, those four field goals of 50-plus yards? For the record, Rob Bironas, last year’s AFC Pro Bowl kicker, was 4-for-5 from 50-plus.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s sports updates on The Jimmy Page morning and afternoon Monday-Friday. And read his columns on Sundays at .
He can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
