Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton made a surprising move this spring when he released veteran kicker Brandon McManus and replaced him with Wil Lutz.
In hindsight, it looks like Payton made the right decision.
Lutz has converted 88.2% of his field goal attempts this season, better than McManus (80.0%) with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Lutz also has a cheaper contract — switching from McManus to Lutz saved Denver $2.05 million.
“I think he’s doing well,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Lutz on Dec. 1. “He’s made some big kicks for us, and he’s been in some big spots … I think he’s doing a good job and I’m glad we have him.”
After a shaky start in Week 1, Payton said Lutz would bounce back, and the coach was right.
The 29-year-old kicker is just one field goal away from tying Jason Elam’s franchise record of 31 field goals in a single season (Brandon McManus and Matt Prater both converted 30 field goals in a single season).
Elam made 31 field goals in two different seasons (1995 and 2001) and to be fair to history, Elam did that during the 16-game era. Still, even with an extra game, Lutz’s numbers are impressive. Two field goals on Sunday would break Elam’s record.
Lutz has also had 88.5% of his kickoffs go for touchbacks this season, seventh-most in the NFL. McManus (75.6%) ranks 23rd.
McManus was one of the best kickers in franchise history and a key member of Denver’s Super Bowl 50 team, but Payton made the right move to switch to Lutz this offseason.
