The Denver Broncos are standing by their kicker after a tough moment on Sunday. Wil Lutz missed a potential game-tying 42-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts, a miss that sealed a 29-28 loss. While fans were quick to voice frustration, special teams assistant head coach Darren Rizzi had a simple message via Denver Broncos beat reporter Zach Stevens on X, formerly Twitter: the Broncos aren’t losing faith in Lutz.
“I have the utmost confidence in Wil,” Rizzi told reporters this week. “Wil Lutz is a really good kicker that missed a kick.”
It was a tough spot for Lutz, who had already connected on two field goals earlier in the game. But with the Broncos driving for a late chance to tie things up, the veteran kicker pushed his attempt wide right. It was his only field goal attempt of the game, and his miss ended his perfect NFL kicking streak.
The ending was a roller coaster. A costly leverage penalty on Denver gave the Colts a second chance, moving the ball 15 yards closer. With the game on the line, Schrader lined up again from the 45 and made the game-winning field goal. Indianapolis ran out the clock from there, handing the Broncos their first loss of the season.
Just the week before that, Lutz scored both his field goal attempts and extra point attempts as the Broncos beat the Tennessee Titans 20-12.
The Broncos traded for Lutz last season after Sean Payton reunited with his former New Orleans Saints kicker. Since then, Lutz has been steady, though not flawless, hitting over 85 percent of his field goals in Denver. His history with Payton and his reliability over nearly a decade in the NFL give him plenty of credibility inside the building.
Still, pressure will only mount as the season rolls on. The Broncos are in a crowded AFC playoff race, and every point matters. While the coaching staff is backing Lutz publicly, the expectation is that he delivers in key spots moving forward.
Denver fans might not be ready to forgive the miss just yet, but Rizzi and the Broncos made it clear they’re not wavering in their support.
If the Broncos are going to climb out of a 1-1 start, they’ll need Lutz to bounce back fast and make sure Sunday’s miss becomes just a footnote.
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