The Broncos have a special teams problem

Things were going beautifully for the Denver Broncos late in the fourth quarter. They had just seemingly turned the lights out on the Jacksonville Jaguars with a nine-play drive capped by a field goal that put them up by 16 points with just over five minutes to go. Then in 10 short seconds, the Jaguars were suddenly back in it and if the Broncos defense hadn’t come back out to deny the two-point conversion who knows what would have happened next.

This is how special teams can ruin a game and steal a win. That 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against a team like the Kansas City Chiefs would have been a disaster for Denver, but against the Jaguars it was a speed bump to a 2-0 start. Even so, I think we can all agree we have a special teams problem in Denver and it start with Special Teams Coordinator Tom McMahon.

I have nothing against the man personally and this has nothing to do with that single kickoff return in a game Denver ultimately won. It’s a brewing discontent with his special teams unit over the course of the last four seasons. The DVOA rankings for his special teams units have been 31st, 24th, and 24th. It’s also looking pretty bad for 2021.

There isn’t much Denver can do about it now as they committed to McMahon for this season by not replacing him back in January, so for now we just have to hope the damage done is kept to a minimum. It’s just frustrating as a fan to know this won’t be the last time special teams is going to hurt the 2021 Broncos.

Horse Tracks

Broncos’ improved depth helping Denver survive injuries to several starters
Despite injuries to several starters, the Broncos feel confident in their ability to compete because of greater depth throughout the roster.

The Broncos’ win over the Jaguars in dramatic monochrome
After the Broncos' 23-13 win over the Jaguars, we're honing the focus in on the drama of the game with black-and-white photos from our team photographers.

Jets vs. Broncos odds, Week 3: Opening betting lines, points spreads
We’ve got an early look at the DraftKings Sportsbook betting lines for the Jets and Broncos Week 3 matchup as the NFL wraps up Week 2.

How are the Broncos and Raiders AFC's last two undefeated teams?
The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are the only remaining undefeated teams in the AFC after Week 2. How did that happen?

Peyton Manning, John Elway linked to Broncos ownership buzz
If the Broncos are sold, John Elway and Peyton Manning are both expected to have interest in joining a potential ownership group.

Carl Nassib is such a distraction as gay player that Raiders are 2-0
Our distraction meter puts to the test the idea that an openly gay NFL player would be a detriment to his team.

The Jaguars’ ‘Hang In There’ post is even sadder than their record
The Jaguars encouraged their fans to stay positive, and accidentally started a Twitter dunk contest.