Tag: Alex Forsyth

Two months after blocked field goal, Broncos fire special teams coach Ben Kotwica

The Broncos have fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, according to NFL Network.

The Denver Broncos have fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

This is a somewhat surprising move given that the Broncos’ special teams units ranked high in several categories this season and head coach Sean Payton has repeated noted the club’s turnaround on ST over the last two seasons.

The team’s most notable special teams blunder came in Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs when Denver lost 16-14 after a blocked field goal. Kansas City had identified Alex Forsyth as a weakness on the field goal unit and the Chiefs exploited that weakness to block the kick.

Payton defended Forsyth after the incident and instead pointed to the coaching staff.

“This isn’t on the player,” Payton said in November. “This is on all of us. This is on us as coaches.”

Broncos returner Marvin Mims was named a Pro Bowler and All-Pro this season after leading the NFL with 15.7 yards per punt return, and kicker Wil Lutz tied a franchise record with 31 successful field goals. Riley Dixon ranked 10th with 42.0 net yards per punt and sixth with 33 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line this season.

Two days after the blocked field goal in Kansas City, assistant head coach Mike Westhoff — who helped oversee the special teams units — stepped down from his position due to health concerns. Kotwica won’t return in 2025, either.

Chris Banjo, Denver’s assistant special teams coach, has interviewed for the San Francisco 49ers’ special teams coordinator role. Banjo could be an in-house candidate for the Broncos, but a key name to watch is Darren Rizzi.

Rizzi served as the New Orleans Saints’ special teams coordinator under Payton from 2019-2021. After Payton left the Saints, Rizzi was promoted to assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. He served as interim head coach and went 3-5 after New Orleans fired Dennis Allen in 2024.

The Saints are now seeking a full-time head coach, seemingly making Rizzi available. If hired, Rizzi certainly wouldn’t be the first ex-Saint to follow Payton to Denver.

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5 takeaways from Broncos’ 38-6 win over Falcons on Sunday

The Denver Broncos took care of business against the Atlanta Falcons with a 38-6 win on Sunday. Here are the key takeaways from the win.

The Denver Broncos (6-5) took care of business against the Atlanta Falcons (6-5) on Sunday afternoon with a convincing 38-6 victory at home. Here are five quick takeaways from the win.

1. Alex Forsyth bounced back: After not holding up in protection on the team’s crucial blocked field goal last week, Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth was moved from the “tight end” position to the “wing” spot for Denver’s kicks against the Falcons. The switch — and Forsyth’s resilience — paid off as kicker Wil Lutz went 6-of-6 on his kicks against Atlanta.

2. Perhaps Audric Estime isn’t the new RB1: After the rookie dominated the backfield touches last week, we assumed Audric Estime might be the Broncos’ new starting running back going forward. Instead, Javonte Williams was back to leading the team in carries (nine) and rushing yards (59) on Sunday. Jaleel McLaughlin (4/19) and Estime (6/16) mixed in. Denver’s staff seems poised to take a “hot hand” approach for the RB rotation.

3. Bo Nix has arrived: What a performance! Nix went 28-of-33 passing (84.8%) despite multiple drops from his receivers. Nix also posted career highs in passing yards (307) and passing touchdowns (four) before being replaced by Jarrett Stidham in the fourth quarter when the game was decided. Nix has shown incredible improvement from earlier this season and the Broncos appear to have found their new franchise quarterback.

4. Sean Payton swept NFC South: Following the 38-6 win over the Falcons, Denver is now 4-0 against coach Sean Payton’s old division. Earlier this year, the Broncos beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (26-7), New Orleans Saints (33-10) and Carolina Panthers (28-14).

5. Broncos hit the over: Eleven games into the 2024 season, Denver has hit the over on their over/under line of 5.5 wins established by oddsmakers before the season. The Broncos now have six victories under their belt with six games remaining this fall. Up next is a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) in Week 12.

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Broncos vs. Falcons: 5 things to watch for in Week 11

The Denver Broncos are set to host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Here are five storylines to watch for in Week 11.

The Denver Broncos (5-5) are set to host the Atlanta Falcons (6-4) in Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a quick list of five storylines to keep an eye on this week.

1. Justin Simmons returns to Denver: Simmons, of course, spent the first eight years of his career with the Broncos before being cut and joining the Falcons this offseason. He expects to hear some boos when he returns to Empower Field at Mile High, but fans in Denver will likely greet him with a warm welcome instead.

2. Denver’s defense vs. Kirk Cousins and Co.: Vance Joseph’s unit ranks fifth in total yards allowed per game (295.7), third in points allowed (17.7) and second in sacks (35) this season. This week, Denver’s defense will face a Falcons offense that ranks fifth in total yards per game (375.1) and fourth in passing yards (250.4). Atlanta’s 124.7 rushing yards per contest rank 12th as Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier have proven to be a dynamic backfield duo. 

3. Broncos running back rotation: Last week, rookie Audric Estime appeared to take over as the team’s new lead running back. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi downplayed that on Thursday by saying the team was riding the “hot hand.” Denver head coach Sean Payton seems to be a big fan of Estime, though, so we expect him to continue leading the way on carries. Javonte Williams will likely remain the RB in passing situations because he is the best blocking and receiving back on the team, and Jaleel McLaughlin will continue to offer a chance-of-pace option. 

4. Alex Forsyth’s field goal protection: The entire kicking unit will be scrutinized this week after a blocked field goal cost the Broncos a win against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Nobody will be watched more closely than lineman Alex Forsyth, who was culpable for the block in Kansas City. Denver special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica seems confident it won’t happen again.

5. Bo Nix vs. Falcons’ defense: Atlanta has a talented secondary that includes Simmons, but they struggle to get after quarterbacks. The Falcons have a league-low nine sacks this season and they have allowed the ninth-most passing yards per game (223.4) this fall. The stats suggest that Sunday could be a big game for Nix. Coming off a strong performance against the Chiefs, Nix will look to continue making strides against Atlanta. 

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on Fox (view the TV map). Playing at home, the Broncos are considered slight favorites in Week 11.

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Wil Lutz and Ben Kotwica give the final word on Alex Forsyth

“Alex [Forsyth] just wants to get better and we’ve gotta do a better job as coaches giving them tools to be successful,” Ben Kotwica said.

The Denver Broncos lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday when their last-second field goal attempt was blocked.

Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth has faced heavy criticism from fans and pundits following the block because the Chiefs penetrated the line by knocking Forsyth down and jumping over him.

Many Denver players — including quarterback Bo Nix — have come to Forsyth’s defense, as has coach Sean Payton. Even former players have defended the lineman and his tough task on field goal protection.

After practice on Thursday, Broncos special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica was asked about Forsyth during his weekly media session.

“First off, Alex is a tremendous football player,” Kotwica said. “Love having him, he’s a great teammate. We’re all part of that. So even though that might be the isolated spotlight, we’re all part of that.

“We’ve had those conversations and mostly it’s been ball. Alex just wants to get better and we’ve gotta do a better job as coaches at giving them tools to be successful. So I think putting that all together, I think I’m excited about the product we’ll see moving forward.”

Denver kicker Wil Lutz also chimed in this week on Twitter/X.

“Team game, we’re all in this together,” Lutz tweeted. “We can all be better. Excited for the challenge this field goal unit has in front of us this week!”

The Broncos’ field goal unit will aim to bounce back when the team hosts the Atlanta Falcons at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 11.

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Broncos coach Sean Payton ‘felt sick’ watching film of blocked field goal

“I felt sick watching it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the blocked field goal. “I felt like, ‘Hey that’s on us [coaches].’”

After the Kansas City Chiefs broke through Alex Forsyth’s protection to block a field goal and beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the offensive lineman faced intense criticism from both fans and pundits.

Broncos coach Sean Payton came to Forsyth’s defense by saying the block was on the coaching staff, not a single player. Denver quarterback Bo Nix also gave a passionate response to the Forsyth backlash on Wednesday, and other teammates (and even ex-Broncos) have had the lineman’s back.

Payton reiterated on Wednesday that it was primarily a coaching mistake.

“I think it’s just — I felt sick watching it,” Payton said. “I felt like, ‘Hey that’s on us.’ In other words, technique and then also, “Are we asking the right players to do the right things?’ [Offensive line coach] Zach Strief played forever in that position and he’s someone after watching it — every one of us felt as coaches that we let the players down and we needed to see that and correct that. That’s difficult when that happens. You as a coach … that’s how we felt.”

Forsyth and Denver’s field goal unit will look to play a clean game when the Broncos host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. There’s no doubt that all eyes will be on Forsyth the next time Denver lines up to attempt a field goal.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix responds to Alex Forsyth backlash: ‘It ticks me off’

“It ticks me off that people can say those things about him and not even see how he works or how he responds or how he plays,” Bo Nix said.

The Denver Broncos suffered a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday after the team’s last-second field goal attempt was blocked.

The Chiefs had identified Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth as being “light on his toes,” making him susceptible to a bullrush. Kansas City rushed three defenders at Forsyth’s spot and ended up blocking the kick to secure the win.

Denver coach Sean Payton has said the loss — and the block — was not the fault of a single player, but that hasn’t stopped fans from lashing out at Forsyth on social media.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had his first media availability of the week on Wednesday and he came to the defense of Forsyth, who played with Nix at Oregon.

“So, I think it’s very unfortunate, very unfair that, ultimately a play comes down to one moment and — something, people can say that it falls under one person and nobody prepares like Alex Forsyth prepares,” Nix said, via Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com. “Nobody goes through the moments throughout the week and gets every set and every look that he possibly can and go out there and put his team in the best possible spot. And I think it’s unfair that — unfortunately, it’s the game we play and all of our mistakes are on national TV and everyone sees them and there’s a lot of negative talk when somebody messes up, but I think it’s — I think it should be known how valuable he is to our team, how much he is respected throughout our locker room.

“It really — it ticks me off that people can say those things about him and not even see how he works or how he responds or how he plays. And I have no doubt that Alex Forsyth’s going to respond probably better than anybody in that situation. He cares more than anybody would in that situation. And I know every single one of our team, every single guy in our locker room believes in him to move on and respond. And what happened to him sucks, it really does. It’s happened to many of us, and you just gotta, unfortunately get over it and you gotta find ways to move past it.

“And he’s mentally tough. He’s been through tougher life moments than probably any of us, and so, he knows how to handle adversity, and I’m excited to see him grow and respond through this. And I can’t imagine as much as he works throughout a week, how much more he’s going to put on himself, but I respect him greatly. I hate that he’s having to go through all this, but sometimes it’s part of the game and it is what we signed up for, but I’m happy to be on his team. I’m proud to call him a teammate, and I know he’s going to respond really well.”

Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles and guard Quinn Meinerz also came to Forsyth’s defense. Bolles said fans shouldn’t pin the game on Forsyth when the offense only scored 14 points.

Meinerz said Forsyth getting blamed was ridiculous.

Former Broncos players have also come to Forsyth’s defense, with ex-lineman Tyler Polumbus and retired tight end Joel Dreessen sticking up for the center on social media.

Forsyth will get his first opportunity to bounce back when the Broncos host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

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Ex-Broncos players defend Alex Forsyth’s field goal protection

“A lot of these clips look more normal than you would think,” Tyler Polumbus said of Alex Forsyth falling down in field goal protection.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos with a last-second field goal block on Sunday, securing a 16-14 victory.

Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth has taken the brunt of the blame for the block because the Chiefs identified that he was “light on his toes” and susceptible to a bull rush.

Following the loss, film junkies noted that Forsyth had been knocked down on eight of the team’s last ten kicks, making it appear that he was an obvious weakness in the field goal unit’s protection.

Forsyth’s apparent struggles, however, might be overblown.

Two former Denver players — offensive lineman Tyler Polumbus and tight end Joel Dreessen — came to the defense of Forsyth on Twitter/X.

“It’s not normal how often he gets knocked down but you get knocked on your ass often,” Polumbus tweeted. “You have to take on 3 guys at once playing TE on FG block. You stick your arms out like an Iron Cross get your pads low and pray to God you fall slow enough that nothing bad happens. A lot of these clips look more normal than you would think.”

Forsyth is the “tight end” in field goal protection and it’s not uncommon (and not necessarily discouraged) if the player in his position falls backward. The key is to fall slowly and to cause a pileup, not allowing rushers to break through the line.

The problem with Forsyth’s fall was that he fell so quickly and straight to the ground, allowing rushers to quickly jump over him and block the kick. The lineman should have been more “stout” (something he admitted), but the outrage over his frequent falling is perhaps a bit overblown.

Broncos coach Sean Payton also came to Forsyth’s defense on Monday.

“This isn’t on the player,” Payton said. “This is on all of us. This is on us as coaches. We’ve got to continue to look at, ‘Hey, are we big enough stature-wise there for that?’ And understanding how the rush was coming.”

Denver is now set to host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. A big storyline this week will be (a) is Forsyth still on the kick protection team and (b) if he is, does he hold up better in protection against the Falcons? We’ll find out Sunday.

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Broncos coach Sean Payton takes blame for blocked field goal: ‘This isn’t on the player’

“This isn’t on the player,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the blocked field goal. “This is on all of us. This is on us as coaches.”

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos on Sunday by blocking a field goal attempt on the final play of the game.

Earlier in the game, the Chiefs had identified that Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth was “light on his toes” and susceptible to a bull rush. With the game on the line, Kansas City put extra players on Forsyth’s side and broke through to block the kick, securing a 16-14 win.

Forsyth was also knocked off his feet on eight of the team’s last ten kicks, as was astutely pointed out by Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com. That was a trend that Denver’s coaching staff should have noticed and corrected, and coach Sean Payton knows it.

“I read all the comments afterwards, and I think that it’s tough to lose a game that way,” Payton said during his conference call with reporters on Monday. “This isn’t on the player. This is on all of us. This is on us as coaches. We’ve got to continue to look at, ‘Hey, are we big enough stature-wise there for that?’ And understanding how the rush was coming. It’s disappointing, and yet it’s not something that’s new when a big play is made at the end of a game.”

Following Sunday’s loss, the Broncos are now 5-5 with seven games remaining.

“This team has been resilient,” Payton said. “The sky isn’t falling relative to our season and the schedule.”

Denver will aim to bounce back when the Atlanta Falcons (6-4) visit Empower Field at Mile High in Week 11.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ 16-14 loss to Chiefs in Week 10

The sky is not falling. Here are five quick takeaways from the Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 16-14 on Sunday after their last-second field goal attempt was blocked. Here are five quick takeaways from the loss.

1. Audric Estime in, Javonte Williams out: Hopefully fantasy football managers listened when coach Sean Payton hinted last week that Estime would be more involved in the second half of the season. Estime dominated the team’s backfield on Sunday with 14 carries for 53 yards. Jaleel McLaughlin mixed in with two carries for 12 yards and even wide receiver Marvin Mims got three carries for 17 yards. Williams only received one carry (for one yard) and just two targets as a receiver out of the backfield. Estime might be the new RB1 going forward.

2. Bad officiating did not cost Denver the game: Yes, there were some questionable calls on Sunday, but the Broncos can’t blame the officials for the loss (more on that in a moment). KC’s formation on the field goal block was legal, and Denver squandered opportunities to win the game in the second half. Blame for the loss falls on the Broncos, not the referee.

3. Denver’s offense disappeared in the second half: After taking a 14-10 lead into halftime, the Broncos’ offense proved to be mostly ineffective until the final drive of the game. Denver’s defense continued to hold up, allowing just two field goals, but the offense didn’t do its part.

4. Alex Forsyth cost the Broncos the game: Listen, this is not a green light to harass players on social media, which is never acceptable. But there’s accountability in professional sports, and players are spotlighted for mistakes (in a professional manner). The Chiefs identified Forsyth as a weak link on kicks earlier in the game, noting that he was too light on his toes and susceptible to a bull rush. KC exploited that on the final play of the game and drove Forsyth back to block the field goal attempt. Forsyth accepted blame after the game, and he’ll probably never make that mistake again.

5. Denver is oh-so-close: After the game, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix said, “I feel like we’re right there, just have to get over that hump.” He’s right. The good news is that Denver just went toe-to-toe with the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team, the defending Super Bowl champions. The bad news is that the Broncos weren’t able to complete the game. “It really played out exactly how we wanted it to, like exactly with the ball, the clock, in complete control of everything,” Payton said. “We just couldn’t finish it.” If the Broncos get over the hump that Nix referenced, they will be a legitimate playoff contender this fall. And they’ll see KC again when the Chiefs visit Empower Field at Mile High in Week 18. Denver was knocked down on Sunday, but the Broncos weren’t knocked out. There’s a lot of football left to play.

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Chiefs targeted Alex Forsyth on field goal block, and it worked

The Chiefs identified that Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth was “light on his toes” and bull-rushed him on the final play of the game.

The Kansas City Chiefs clinched a 16-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday when they blocked a 35-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game (and, yes, it was a legal play).

Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal was credited with the block. After the game, Chenal revealed to Mike Florio of NBC Sports that he had identified a weakness in Denver offensive lineman Alex Forsyth’s stance on kicks earlier in the game.

“Chenal said that the earlier field goal attempts and extra points showed him that the guy assigned to him was, ‘Light on his toes,’ and the bull rush would work,” Florio said during “Football Night in America” on Sunday night.

The Chiefs bull-rushed Forsyth and broke through the line to block the kick.

 

After the game, the Broncos’ lineman accepted blame for the play.

“I have to be stouter,” Forsyth told The Denver Post. “They had four guys on that side. But it didn’t surprise us. I have to be stouter.”

As Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com has pointed out, Forsyth has been forced off his feet on eight of the team’s last ten kicks. The last play of Sunday’s game was the most egregious, and it will undoubtedly spark a correction (or at least an attempt to correct it).

Kansas City timed the snap perfectly and penetrated the line of scrimmage immediately.

Florio also reported that Chiefs defenders considered allowing the Broncos to score a touchdown to give KC’s offense a chance with the ball, but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo ruled out that scenario.

It seems safe to assume that Forsyth won’t be light on his toes going forward.

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