Tag: Wil Lutz

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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No, the Chiefs’ blocked field goal against the Broncos was not an illegal play

Unfortunately, the Chiefs’ formation on their field goal block against the Broncos was a legal play.

On the play final of a 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs blocked a last-second 35-yard field goal attempt to seal the game.

The Chiefs stacked six players on one side of the long snapper at the line of scrimmage and overloaded offensive lineman Alex Forsyth, who was overpowered and fell backward, allowing the block.

A seventh player also lined up on the left side of the line, but he was not on the line of scrimmage. Because Kansas City only had six players on the line of scrimmage, it was a legal play.

“I haven’t seen it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the game. “I knew there was penetration on the left side. I will watch the film.”

Denver’s offense did everything right leading up to the kick, eating up 5:57 on the game clock to leave no time for KC after a field goal attempt.

“Every team in the world practices your 4-minute offense,” quarterback Bo Nix said after the game. “You know they’re going to blitz zero, they’re going to bring everybody, and they know you’re running the ball. I thought as far as that drive taking five or six minutes off the clock was what everybody wants to do. We gave ourselves the chance. They just made one extra play.

“When we thought it was in our hands, it wasn’t. There’s plenty within the game that you have to avoid to not get in that situation. Don’t get down by two to where you have to have that drive – be up by two scores and you can waste the clock. It’s tough. It’s two good football teams out there playing against each other and one day, it’ll go our way.”

There were some questionable calls on Sunday, but the Chiefs’ blocked field goal was a legal play. The Broncos will now attempt to bounce back at home against the Atlanta Falcons (6-4) in Week 11.

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Broncos kicker Wil Lutz reacts to blocked field goal vs. Chiefs

“I’ve been a part of some tough losses and this probably takes the cake,” Wil Lutz said after the Broncos lost to the Chiefs on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos lined up for a 35-yard field goal attempt on the final play of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a chance for Wil Lutz to kick a game-winning field goal.

The kick was blocked and the Broncos lost 16-14.

After the game, Lutz addressed media members in the locker room.

“I’ve been in a lot of tough games,” Lutz said. “I’ve lost games in tough ways and that one’s up there. So hopefully we can learn from it and be able to finish off the next one.”

Lutz also had a 60-yard field goal attempt fall just short right before halftime. Going into Sunday’s game, the Broncos were 9-of-9 on field goal attempts within 40 yards, as the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel pointed out on X. Being perfect before the block is no consolation for Lutz.

“Nothing will make you feel better about this situation,” Lutz said. “Like I said, I’ve been a part of some tough losses and this probably takes the cake in recent memory. At the end of the day, two opportunities and two misses.”

Broncos offensive lineman Alex Forsyth was driven back on the play, leading to the block. He took responsibility after the game.

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

With the loss, Denver dropped to 5-5. Up next for the Broncos is a home game against the Atlanta Falcons (6-4) next week.

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Chiefs block last-second field goal to beat Broncos 16-14

A heartbreaking loss for the Broncos, who had a last-second field goal attempt blocked in a 16-14 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) hung on to defeat the Denver Broncos (5-5) 16-14 on Sunday afternoon after blocking a last-second field goal attempt on the final play of the game.

After the Broncos and Chiefs exchanged punts on their first two drives, quarterback Bo Nix led a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with his six-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele to take a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Kansas City answered that score with a 36-yard Harrison Butker field goal to make it 7-3.

Nix then went 70 yards on five plays and connected with Courtland Sutton on a 32-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-3.

Following a questionable illegal contact penalty called against safety Brandon Jones that kept a Chiefs drive alive, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes later threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to make it 14-10. Broncos kicker Wil Lutz later attempted a 60-yard field goal that fell just short going into halftime.

In the third quarter, Butker converted a 28-yard field goal to cut KC’s deficit to 14-13. Butker later kicked a 20-yarder to take a 16-14 lead in the fourth quarter.

Denver then got the ball back and went 43 yards on 13 plays to set up a 35-yard field goal attempt that could have won the game. Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal blocked the kick, securing a KC win.

Up next for the Broncos is a home game against the Atlanta Falcons at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 11.

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Former Saints kicker reacts to Darren Rizzi’s promotion

In a since-deleted social media post, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz praised the Saints’ promotion of Darren Rizzi to interim head coach

Wil Lutz since-deleted reaction to Darren Rizzi promotion

The New Orleans Saints firing of Dennis Allen and promotion of Darren Rizzi to interim head coach has prompted former and current players to speak out about the move. One such player was former Saints kicker Wil Lutz, who obviously worked with Rizzi for a substantial period of time and got to know him over the course of a few years. In a since-deleted tweet, Lutz said:

“📍 Well deserved! Great leader, and a coach that guys want to succeed for.”

Lutz kept his initial retweet of the promotion on his account, however the quote is no longer on his account. Regardless, he clearly approves of the Saints’ promotion of Rizzi on Monday morning, which is a positive sign as he is one of the few people who are most qualified to speak on the new interim head coach. We will see if Rizzi retains his job beyond this season, and makes a lasting impression, or if they look to another candidate instead.

Wil Lutz had a perfect response after being booed by Saints fans

Saints fans booed their former kicker during ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Wil Lutz had a perfect response after the game.

Sean Payton wasn’t the only one who faced his former team when the Denver Broncos took on the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.

Payton’s staff includes 14 coaches/personnel members plus eight players who used to work for the Saints, including kicker Wil Lutz.

Lutz was called into action four times for field goal attempts at the Caesars Superdome and fans in New Orleans welcomed him back to the stadium with loud boos. That didn’t stop Lutz from going a perfect 4-of-4 on FG attempts.

Lutz, 30, played for the Saints from 2016-2022 before being traded to the Broncos ahead of the 2023 season. The decision to boo him was a curious one.

Lutz finished the game perfect on field goal attempts and 3-of-3 on extra point attempts, giving him 15 points in a 33-10 victory.

After the game, Lutz had a perfect response to the booing.

“Ehh, I think we know who was getting booed out the building 🤣,” Lutz tweeted. “All love WhoDatNation 🖤”

Lutz is now 17-of-18 on field goal attempts this season and 12-of-12 on extra point attempts. He has accounted for 63 of Denver’s 145 points in 2024.

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Wil Lutz responds to boos from the Caesars Superdome crowd

Wil Lutz did not exactly receive the warmest welcome in an emotional night at the Caesars Superdome, but he isn’t convinced all that booing was directed at him:

Wil Lutz did not exactly receive the warmest welcome in a night filled with all of the pageantry and about as much embarrassment as the New Orleans Saints could have suffered in their 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on Thursday.

And there’s good reason for that.

Lutz himself scored 12 of the Broncos’ points by his own accord with four field goals attempted and made in the victory. That is more than the Saints managed to put together as an entire team in the game.

If it were not for the garbage time touchdown made by pass-catcher Cedrick Wilson Jr. on a pass from quarterback Jake Haener in the final two minutes of the action, the Saints would have had just one field goal to show for TNF at all.

Lutz heard the boos from the New Orleans crowd and responded to a post on social media from fans pointing out that they thought the disdain being expressed was directed at him.

That’s very possible, but the responses to Lutz’s quote post of the comment seem to take a shot at the Saints themselves. After all, it was a plenty boo-worthy performance from a team that seems to lack direction and control now on a five-game skid that they will hope doesn’t turn to six games as they face the Los Angeles Chargers on the road next on the schedule.

“Ehh, I think we know who was getting booed out the building,” Lutz wrote. “All love WhoDatNation.”

Lutz had previously praised the Saints environment earlier in the week and said that he still had a lot of love for those associated with the team, so it seems he’s just having a little fun with this one.

“A lot of love for people in that building,’’ he said in an interview with 9News. “Made a lot of big kicks there. Spent more than half my career there, so excited to get back there but excited to be on the other end of things as well. I think it will be fun for a lot of guys on the team.”

It was fun for Lutz and many of the ex-Saints on Denver’s squad. As for the Saints themselves and their fans? That’s another story.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ win vs. Saints on ‘TNF’

The Broncos defeated the New Orleans Saints 33-10 on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos got a 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

1. Cody Barton had himself a day: The journeyman linebacker ended the game with eight tackles, one sack, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery he returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Barton also had another score earlier in the game negated by a defensive penalty. He’s been a key part of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s squad.

2. The Broncos had a historic day on the ground: Denver finished the game with 225 rushing yards, the team’s best single-game total since 2013. Javonte Williams led the way with 14 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Going up against a hapless Saints defense, Williams arguably looked the best he has since his 2022 knee injury. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix also had a big day rushing with 10 carries for 75 yards. The only hiccup on the ground came when rookie Audric Estime fumbled in the fourth quarter, marking his second career fumble on just his eighth career touch.

3. Ex-Saints came up big for the Broncos: Denver kicker Wil Lutz went 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 3-of-3 on extra point attempts, accounting for 15 points. Broncos linebacker Kwon Alexander also started against his former team after being elevated from the practice squad. The veteran linebacker had one tackle and recovered a fumble.

4. Bo Nix needs to calm down: Nix did a great job making plays with his legs, and he seemed to be more composed and accurate when Denver had built a lead, but he had an ugly start to the game. Nix seemed to have anxious feet in the pocket and he threw a few ugly inaccurate passes early on. He also had a bad throw that should have been intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu just before halftime. Nix got better as the game went on and finished the day with a 61.5% rate and no turnovers, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

5. That meant a lot to Sean Payton: Leading up to the game, Broncos players downplayed it as “just another game,” and Payton didn’t make a big deal about facing his former team, at least not to the media. It clearly was an emotional night for the coach, though, and the players had some extra motivation to win one for Payton in New Orleans. The night could not have gone better for Denver’s coach.

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Broncos blitz Saints in Sean Payton’s homecoming

Sean Payton and the Broncos rolled over the Saints

Revenge was served twice on Thursday. Once for Sean Payton. Once for Wil Lutz. The former coach and kicker for the New Orleans Saints savored the Denver Broncos’ 33-10 victory at the Superdome.

Payton became the eighth coach in NFL history to have beaten every team in the league. After being given the game ball, he said that “meant a lot.”

After two weeks of the season, the Broncos were winless. The Saints were on top of the NFL with two resounding wins.

Scripts have flipped with Denver winning three of four and New Orleans losing five straight.

Injuries have played a role in New Orleans’ collapse. Against Denver, Chris Olave. Rashid Shaheed and Derek Carr were among those out.

However, the defense has crumbled. Denver got 389 yards of total offense, 225 on the ground.

Lutz, meanwhile, had four field goals and three extra points, outscoring New Orleans by himself.

He kicked for six seasons with the Saints before moving on to the Broncos last season with Payton.

Ex-Saints kicker outscored his old team by himself with the Broncos

Wil Lutz tallied more points than the New Orleans Saints themselves on Thursday night. The Broncos kicker outscored his old team all by himself:

The New Orleans Saints told their former Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz to kick rocks in 2022, and Lutz joined Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos. All eyes were on Payton returning and Drew Brees being inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.

But the forgotten storyline was Lutz coming back to town to kick the Broncos to victory. Lutz outscored his old team all by himself.

Okay, that’s not technically what happened, but it could have happened. The former New Orleans Saints kicker put four field goals through the goalposts on Thursday evening, meaning he totaled 12 points in his own right for the night.

That’s more points than his former team was able to score all night long. In fact, the Saints had not even scored more than a field goal themselves in ‘TNF’ action until within the final two minutes of the game.

It was a much different story for the Broncos, who have had their fair share of struggles this season that include some ups and downs on offense, but tallied 33 points over that same stretch of time.

Denver scored in every quarter of the game, doing its most damaged in the second quarter with 13 points and the third quarter with 10 points.

Lutz and the Broncos will look to only build upon this win as they face the Carolina Panthers up next on the schedule at Mile High next Sunday. Whether the Saints regret trading him to Denver is anyone’s guess.

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