ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In the aftermath of Denver's Week 7 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Luke Wattenberg said it best.
"It takes all three phases to win and be successful in this league," the center said Monday.
That much was certainly true for the Broncos on Sunday, as Denver put together what Head Coach Sean Payton described as one of the team's "more complete games" this season. The Broncos' offense found a rhythm and put 30 points on the board, while Denver's defense came up with four red-zone stops. Equally as critical to the win was the play of the Broncos' special teams unit, which delivered its own set of game-changing plays.
"Special teams is a huge part of it," Wattenberg said. "… And our special teams units have done a really, really good job."
On Sunday, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. provided an immediate spark with a 39-yard kick return that set up an opening scoring drive. Then, in the third quarter, fullback Adam Prentice blocked a punt that ultimately allowed Denver to extend its lead with a touchdown just a few plays later. Kicker Wil Lutz converted all three of his field-goal attempts, and he extended his extra-point streak to 111 consecutive makes.
"The guys on the unit are great," said safety Devon Key, who was a first-team All-Pro special teams player a season ago. "Adam Prentice with the block this week, Marvin Mims with the returns the past few weeks, [safety] JL Skinner getting down there — everybody on the team is just willing to go out there [and make a play]."
Yesterday's success was just the most recent example of how Denver's performance on special teams has directly contributed to wins over the last two seasons. Just a week ago, punter Jeremy Crawshaw helped flip the field in several key moments during Denver's win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, averaging 49.4 yards per punt. Then, in overtime, Lutz hit a 53-yard game-winning field goal.
A season ago, Lutz hit game-winning field goals against the Giants, Texans and Chiefs, while the rest of the unit contributed its fair share of big plays. In a low-scoring Week 10 "Thursday Night Football" battle with the Las Vegas Raiders, Skinner blocked a punt in the third quarter that ultimately set up Denver's go-ahead field goal. Then in Week 14 against the Raiders, Mims returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown to give the Broncos a lead they would never relinquish.
"I think the quickest way to improve your team is in the kicking game and then in your defensive and offensive fronts," Payton said Monday when asked about the impact of Denver's special teams unit. "If you talk about taking care of the football and playing well on special teams, you're going to give yourself a chance. I think [Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach] Darren [Rizzi] and his group have done a real good job."
According to Key, the members of the unit are consistently motivated by the belief that they can make a game-changing play whenever they take the field. That much has been true for the unit so far in 2026, and the group will aim to continue delivering in big moments as the season progresses.
"As a special teams unit, I feel like we all buy in each week," Key said. "Just knowing that a big play can happen through us. … We all say to do our one-eleventh — and if we all do our one-eleventh, it could be a special thing."
DENVER'S SECONDARY FEATURES PLAYERS WITH 'THE RIGHT MINDSET'
The Broncos have dealt with a series of injuries in the secondary over the last several games, but it hasn't stopped the unit from performing at a high level. Cornerback Pat Surtain II has missed three consecutive games after suffering an injury in Week 4, while safety Talanoa Hufanga spent Weeks 6 and 7 sidelined by injury. The Broncos also were without cornerback Riley Moss in Week 5.
Cornerbacks Kris Abrams-Draine and Jahdae Barron, as well as safeties Taylor Rapp and Devon Key, have all been called upon to step up and contribute, and each player has made the most of their opportunities.
Abrams-Draine recorded a fourth-quarter interception in Denver's Week 6 win over Seattle, and he delivered a fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter of the Broncos' Week 7 win. Payton has also spoken highly of the play of Barron and Rapp when asked about the players over the last few weeks, and the head coach described the performance of the secondary as "pretty impressive" following Sunday's win.
Key said Monday that the group's high level of execution over the last several weeks has been a testament to the way the room prepares on a daily basis.
"I think we have a great room," Key said. "It starts with our coaches with [Defensive Backs Coach] Doug [Belk] and [Defensive Pass Game Coordinator] Rob [Livingston]. They just do a good job of preparing us with the game plan. The guys in the room have the right mindset of just preparing like a starter. We ask the right questions and kind of pick each other's brains to get the best out of each other on Sundays."
