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The Denver Broncos have lost two of their last three games. Here are the studs and duds from Saturday’s loss.
The Denver Broncos went to Detroit to face the Lions on Saturday, and it did not go according to plan. The Broncos allowed five Jared Goff touchdowns and never really got going on offense in an all-around sluggish-looking effort.
We take a look at the studs and duds from the 42-17 loss.
Broncos holder Riley Dixon silenced cheating allegations by showing a nasty turf burn on the back of his hand from Monday’s game in Buffalo.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills in a wild Monday Night Football game last week thanks to a retaken last-second field goal.
Earlier in the game, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missed an extra point. Later, punter Riley Dixon mishandled a hold, resulting in a second botched extra point attempt against the Bills.
So after Denver had failed to convert a pair of extra points earlier, a 41-yard field goal on a windy night to win the game was no sure thing. Lutz missed his kick, but the Broncos were gifted a second chance after Buffalo was penalized for having 12 men on the field.
After moving the ball up five yards, Lutz converted from 36 yards out and the Broncos walked away with a 24-22 win. What a crazy game!
The drama didn’t end there, though. After the game, fans on Twitter began accusing Dixon of cheating and using a sticky substance to make it easier to hold for Lutz’s game-winning field goal.
The back of Dixon’s hand had a bad turf burn wound that looked like pine tar. Dixon had the perfect response on his Instagram story this week, sharing a photo of his bruised hand with the caption “Does anyone know how to get spider tac off my hand? Asking for a friend.”
Riley Dixon's Instagram story 😅 pic.twitter.com/b0pSqh9pfx
— Broncos Wire (@TheBroncosWire) November 17, 2023
Dixon, of course, was joking. It’s easy to tell from the photo that Buffalo’s artificial turf tore up the back of his hand.
So that should put an end to the conspiracy theories. See a sampling of the accusations below.
Twitter thought Riley Dixon used a sticky substance to help him hold the Broncos’ game-winning field goal, but it’s just turf burn.
Story update: Riley Dixon silenced the cheating allegations by posting a photo of his injured hand on social media. See our original story below.
After getting a second chance from a Buffalo Bills penalty, Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz converted a 36-yard field goal to secure a 24-22 win on Monday Night Football in Week 10.
After the game, there was some controversy on Twitter from fans who think Denver punter Riley Dixon used a sticky substance to be able to hold the ball for Lutz’s kick. Earlier in the game, Dixon mishandled a snap, leading to a failed extra-point attempt.
On the game-winning field goal, video showed what looked like a Stickum-like substance on the back of Dixon’s right hand. NFL rules, of course, do not allow players to use adhesives on their bodies to help grip the ball.
Here’s video of the play that shows the back of Dixon’s hand:
If KJ Hamler returns to the Broncos later this year, he will need a new jersey number: CB Tremon Smith has switched to No. 1.
Several Denver Broncos changed their jersey numbers on Monday.
Punter Riley Dixon, who wore No. 19 in preseason, switched to No. 9. Broncos receiver Marvin Mims, who wore No. 83 in preseason, then switched to No. 19.
Cornerback Tremon Smith also switched to No. 1 after wearing No. 23 in preseason. Cornerback Fabian Moreau, who wore No. 36 this summer, then switched to No. 23 (running back Tyler Badie remains No. 36).
Cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, who previously wore No. 35, now wears No. 29. Defensive back Devon Key, who wore No. 38 in preseason, now wears No. 26 (running back Jaleel McLaughlin still wears No. 38).
Quarterback Ben DiNucci, who wore No. 6 this summer, now wears No. 11 (safety P.J. Locke still wears No. 6).
No. 1: CB Tremon Smith (previously 23)
No. 9: P Riley Dixon (previously 19)
No. 11: QB Ben DiNucci (previously 6)
No. 12: WR Tim Patrick (previously 81) [injured reserve]
No. 19: WR Marvin Mims (previously 83)
No. 23: CB Fabian Moreau (previously 36)
No. 26: DB Devon Key (previously 38)
No. 29: CB Ja’Quan McMillian (previously 35)
New practice squad players also received their numbers: WR Phillip Dorsett (No. 13), ILB Ben Niemann (No. 57), TE Lucas Krull (No. 85) and WR David Sills (No. 87).
Additionally, defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster is wearing No. 96. That’s not a new change — Lancaster switched from No. 62 to No. 96 after defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike was suspended indefinitely for gambling.
During the offseason, players are allowed to share numbers if they play on different sides of the ball (such as McLaughlin and Key both wearing No. 38 in preseason). With the regular season now right around the corner, though, numbers 0-99 can only be worn once on the 53-man roster and 17-player practice squad.
The Broncos are considered 4-point favorites against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1. View the team’s full regular season schedule here.
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“He played quarterback in high school,” Sean Payton said of punter Riley Dixon. “We’ll have a plethora of plays where we can utilize that.”
FAKE PUNT ALERT: Riley Dixon finds Cody Latimer on the fake to give the #Broncos a first down. pic.twitter.com/GWgjT7DIbS
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) December 11, 2016
Riley Dixon is a punter, but he has a quarterback background. Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes that QB background could prove to be useful on special teams this season.
“He has a really good leg, he’s smart, and he can throw it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said on Aug. 7. “He played quarterback in high school. Knowing [Mike] Westhoff, we’ll have a plethora of plays where we can utilize that, and I think it’s important. … He has really good leg talent, and then, athleticism.
“When you have a former quarterback, what it does, maybe, is simplify some of the rush plans you get. If you have a punter that can throw, you have to give thought to how you’re going to rush him, knowing that he’s talented enough and that we’re certainly going to be willing to do that.”
Broncos fans might wonder why Payton is willing to give away trade secrets, but Dixon’s passing history is no secret.
Last season alone, Dixon was 2-for-2 passing for 18 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. Before that, Dixon attempted two passes with the New York Giants, but neither of them were completed. He went 1-of-1 passing for 16 yards and a first down with the Broncos in 2016.
So in his career, Dixon is 3-of-5 passing with all three of those completions going for first downs. It’s always risky to run a trick play on special teams, but if Denver wants to run a fake punt, Dixon’s passing history improves the odds of picking up a first down.
And now every team that prepares to play against the Broncos this season will have to be ready for the possibility of a throw in punting situations, which could lead to better kick coverage for Denver. Dixon’s passing ability could prove to be very useful this fall.
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Based on their ratings, Broncos punter Riley Dixon is a better option for field goals in ‘Madden 24’ than kicker Elliott Fry.
EA Sports released player ratings for “Madden NFL 24” last week and the ratings are not kind to the Denver Broncos’ specialists.
Broncos kicker Elliott Fry has a low overall rating of 64. He actually has a high kick power rating of 90, but his kick accuracy is only 66.
Meanwhile, Denver punter Riley Dixon is rated 75 overall. He has a decent kick power rating of 93 and a kick accuracy rating of 79. By those metrics, Dixon would actually be a better option for field goals than Fry if playing with the Broncos in the video game.
Dixon’s overall rating is tied for 18th among punters in “Madden” this year. Fry has the second-worst ratings among kickers in the game, only ranking above Trey Wolff (63 overall) of the Tennessee Titans.
Elsewhere on special teams, the club’s long snapper, Mitchell Fraboni, is listed as a tight end in the video game with a terrible rating of 32 overall. “Madden” doesn’t include long snapper as a position so all of the NFL’s long snappers are listed as tight ends with terrible ratings.
To view all of the Broncos’ “Madden” ratings from 2022, click here.
Note: The Broncos are expected to sign kicker Brett Maher, but his one-year deal is not yet official.
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Here are the Broncos’ projected starters on special teams ahead of OTAs.
Our pre-OTAs positional depth chart review series wraps up today with several positions lumped together under the special teams category.
The Broncos did not draft any kickers or punters this spring, so this special teams depth chart projection is pretty straightforward.
The Broncos brought in a new ST coordinator and an assistant HC with a ST background and made changes at punter, returner and long snapper.
Last year, the Denver Broncos’ special teams units were nothing special. Let’s go over some of the “highlights” from 2022.
Not only did they lead the league in punts (96), kicker Brandon McManus also missed the most field goals in a season of his career (8) and rookie return specialist Montrell Washington fumbled five times.
Suffice it to say, the Broncos are in major need of a special teams makeover. During free agency, Denver signed punter Riley Dixon, who returns to the Broncos after most recently playing for the Los Angeles Rams. After signing Dixon, they released Corliss Waitman, who, despite leading the NFL in punts, had one of the shortest punts of the season among qualifying punters who booted at least 25 kicks (57 yards). Comparatively, Dixon’s longest punt in 2022 was 67 yards.
The Broncos also made a change at long snapper, letting Jacob Bobenmoyer walk in free agency. Mitchell Fraboni, who filled in for an injured Bobenmoyer in four games last year, now appears set to become the team’s full-time long snapper in 2023.
In addition, the Broncos also acquired cornerback Tremon Smith, who was a kick returner for the Houston Texans to compete with Washington as a specialist. Will this competition bring out the best in Washington? Or will Denver be looking for another returner in the draft?
This new-look special teams unit has some great potential. It would certainly be nice to rank near the bottom of the league in punts, and near the top of the NFL in return yards. With new special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and new assistant head coach Mike Westhoff leading the charge, the Broncos should take a big step forward on special teams this fall.
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Broncos punter Riley Dixon will have a salary cap hit of $1.465 million this season.
It’s official: Riley Dixon is a Denver Bronco (again).
Dixon has returned to the city where his NFL career began, signing a two-year deal with Denver earlier this week. Thanks to various reports, the details of that contract are now known.
Dixon, 29, received a $600,000 signing bonus that will be prorated as $300,00 salary cap hits over the next two years. He will have a $1,165,000 base salary this season with $400,000 guaranteed. That gives him a total of $1 million guaranteed (signing bonus and guaranteed salary) in 2023.
Dixon will have a total 2023 salary cap hit of $1.465 million.
After that, the Broncos could get out of Dixon’s contract in 2024 with a $300,000 “dead money” cap hit and not owe the remaining $1.735 million. If the team does pick up the final year of Dixon’s contract, the punter will have a $1,735,000 base salary in 2024.
Dixon’s total 2024 salary cap hit is set to be $2.035 million.
Dixon ranked 11th among punters with an average of 48.4 yards per boot last season. He had a long of 67 yards and none of his punts were returned for touchdowns.
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After signing Riley Dixon, the Broncos rescinded their ERFA tender for Corliss Waitman, making him a free agent.
It appears that the Denver Broncos’ punter competition has come to an end before it even started.
After they signed punter Riley Dixon on Tuesday, the Broncos rescinded their exclusive rights free agent tender for punter Corliss Waitman, making him a free agent.
The ERFA tender would have paid Waitman $940,000 this season. That offer is now off the table and Waitman is set to become a free agent.
With Waitman off the roster, Dixon now faces no immediate competition for the team’s punting job in 2023. It’s still possible that Denver could bring in another punter later this year, but it won’t be Waitman.
The Broncos also brought in a new special teams coordinator and a new returner this offseason, and they made a change at long snapper. Fixing the special teams units was clearly a priority for new coach Sean Payton.
Elsewhere on the NFL’s transaction wire, former Denver cornerback Lamar Jackson cleared waivers on Tuesday after being cut by the Broncos on Monday. Jackson and ex-Denver outside linebacker Wyatt Ray are now both unrestricted free agents.
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