Broncos fire special teams coach Kotwica

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos have fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, who improved a middling outfit in his two years on Sean Payton's staff only to see his tenure blemished by a breakdown in Week 10 that cost the team a vital victory at Kansas City.

Kotwica was widely credited with transforming Denver's special teams units into one of the league's best since his arrival in 2023. But what loomed large over the last two months of the 2024 season was the blocked field goal as time expired that preserved the Chiefs' 16-14 win over Denver at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 10.

The Chiefs overloaded the left side of Denver's special teams coverage unit after identifying a weakness in the Broncos protection and a wave of Kansas City defenders bulldozed Alex Forsyth and linebacker Leo Chenal blocked Wil Lutz's 35-yard attempt.

A day later, Payton insisted it wasn't Forsyth's fault, saying, “This is on all of us. This is on us as coaches.”

On Friday, Kotwica paid the price.

The Broncos (10-8) fixed the protection problem by flipping Forsyth and Matt Peart on the line. Yet, that debacle hung over the Broncos until they beat Kansas City's backups on the final weekend of the regular season to clinch the AFC's final playoff berth and end their eight-year postseason drought.

After the block in Kansas City, Lutz converted his next 41 attempts, including extra points, before missing a 50-yard field goal attempt in Denver's 31-7 wild-card playoff loss at Buffalo.

The K.C. breakdown aside, the Broncos had another solid season in the kicking game. They led the league with a 15.7-yard punt return average, punt returner Marvin Mims Jr. was one of five Broncos named All-Pro and Denver ranked seventh in the league with 33 punts pinned inside the 20-yard line.

Aside from Riley Dixon's 15-yard throw to Mims on a perfectly executed fake punt, however, the special teams had a rough playoff performance.

In addition to Lutz clanking his 50-yard try off the left upright as the first half expired, the Broncos surrendered 59 yards on a pair of punt returns by Ty Johnson.

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