Five days after kickoff coverage tainted the preseason opener, the kickers caffeinated practice Tuesday with long drives. Locked in a potential battle for a roster spot, Brandon McManus drilled a 70-yard field goal after Peyton Manning’s 2-minute drive stalled. Offensive teammates mobbed him as the defenders groused in disbelief. Connor Barth, who replaced McManus last season, followed with a 65-yarder.
Matt Prater holds the NFL record with a 64-yarder for the Broncos on Dec. 8, 2013. The kicks enlivened the workout and further muddied the competition.
“I knew I had the leg,” McManus said. “But from that distance it has to be perfect because those uprights are far away.”
McManus has benefited from eliminating a jab step in his approach, going to two steps. It has helped his accuracy. Barth made 15-of-16 field goal attempts last season, and after dropping 15 pounds in the offseason, has increased his power.
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“Hopefully it got the guys kind of pumped up. It’s always fun when they see us hit the long ones,” Barth said. “I am sure they didn’t think I was going to make it. It’s nice to kind of show your leg strength off.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or
