Broncos riding with Wil Lutz despite FG miss — ‘like Jamal Murray in the fourth quarter’

ENGLEWOOD — The “Collapse at the Colts” was even worse than you thought.

The Broncos’ special teams did just about everything wrong in the fourth quarter of a 29-28 loss at Luca Oil Stadium last Sunday — and that’s coming from the coordinator himself.

Darren Rizzi confessed their sins Thursday, saying the Broncos were “aligned incorrectly” and “didn’t execute the play that was called.” And that was before Dondrea Tillman earned a penalty flag for leveraging that gave the Colts a second go at a game-winning field goal.

“That’s on me,” said Rizzi, shouldering the blame and echoing the sentiment of head coach Sean Payton prior to the Broncos playing at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Dondrea Tillman (92) rushes into the backfield during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)

While the Broncos would be justified in having a bone to pick with the flag that turned Colts kicker Spencer Shrader’s attempt from a 60-yarder (no good) into a 45-yarder (good), they didn’t take the bait. Neither Rizzi nor Payton whined about the officiating crew’s decision to throw a flag in that moment.

“The leveraging call, was it (by) the letter of the law a foul? Yes,” Rizzi said, taking the high road. “Are there many of those throughout the year that don’t get called? Yes. 

“I get it. It’s because the play is an escalated situation (with the game on the line).”

Rizzi has been a special teams coordinator at the college or NFL level since 1994. The past two weeks surely have tested his patience — and the patience of Broncos fans watching the unit stumble and bumble through tight games.

Pro Bowl return man Marvin Mims Jr. muffed a punt late in a Week 1 win against the Titans. Then there was the forgettable meltdown in Indianapolis, and we haven’t even gotten to Wil Lutz’s missed field goal.  

One of the most reliable kickers in the NFL, Lutz doinked a 42-yard field goal off the right upright, breathing oxygen into Indy’s comeback bid. The Colts then gut-punched the Broncos with a loss that will haunt Denver for a while.

Rizzi was fierce in his defense and support of Lutz, who had been successful on 14 of 15 field-goal tries from 40-49 yards during the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Broncos. But not last Sunday.

“It’s no different than (when) Jamal Murray’s a 93-percent free-throw shooter. In the fourth quarter, once in a while he’s going to miss one,” Rizzi said.

After affirming his belief in Lutz as a clutch kicker, Rizzi shed light on Lutz’s weekly routine. Wednesdays and Fridays, Lutz kicks in situational drills that replicate pressure situations. 

“Kickers are a lot like starting pitchers (in baseball),” Rizzi said. “You have your off-days and your throwing days and your rehab days.”

It figures his kick at Indianapolis will not be the final time the Broncos will need Lutz to ice or win a game. All but one game involving AFC West teams so far this season have been decided by one score. 

“The best part about Wil is he wants to be put in those pressure situations both in practice and in games,” Rizzi said.