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Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos special teams coordinator/assistant head coach Darren Rizzi greets New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson on the sideline at Caesars Superdome. Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Sean Payton Puts Broncos' Special Teams Coordinator On Notice

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 7:25 PM ET

Denver Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi is under fire. The Denver Broncos defeated the Houston Texans on the road 18-15, but they had to overcome two major special teams snafus to get it done.

The first was a blocked 51-yard field-goal attempt by Wil Lutz. That took three potential points off the board. Remember, Lutz is the reigning AFC Special Teams Player of the Month, and had only missed one field-goal kick this season.

The second was a muffed punt return by Michael Bandy, who was filling in for the injured Marvin Mims Jr. That gave the Texans a short field, in which they were able come away three points.

After the game, Broncos head coach Sean Payton was more concerned with the kicking aspect of his team's third-phase blunders, sending a blunt message to Rizzi.

“We'll look at that on film. All of that without watching it on tape," Payton said. "My concern was just the late subs. It was a little bit sloppy. The kicking game, we'll get that cleaned up or we'll find someone else that can do it.”

BRONCOS WIN WITH ANOTHER 4TH QUARTER COMEBACK pic.twitter.com/SJn9QGVZ3d
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025

Broncos' Path to Rizzi

Rizzi is in his first year with the Broncos. He served for several years as the New Orleans Saints' special teams coordinator under Payton.

When Payton first got the job in Denver, he hired Ben Kotwica as special teams coordinator and Mike Westhoff as assistant head coach and third-phase czar. Last season, the Broncos had a would-be game-winning chip-shot field goal blocked by the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, and Westhoff retired two days later.

Kotwica survived the season, seeing Mims earn All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a returner once again. The Broncos' special teams under Kotwica last season wasn't elite, but it was competent. Outside of that one blocked kick in Kansas City, Kotwica's special teams didn't cost the Broncos wins.

Rizzi's unit has already cost the Broncos one win and has threatened several others. The controversial 'leverage' penalty vs. the Indianapolis Colts saw the Broncos lose a heartbreaker to one of the AFC's juggernauts in Week 2. That wasn't a freak play; the Colts recognized a Rizzi tendency on film and exploited it.

The Broncos' special teams have been a mess all season. Even Bandy's muffed punt in Houston can be laid at Rizzi's feet because it was a failure to communicate late in late in Week 8's blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys that saw Mims in the game returning a punt. He should have been on the sideline with his feet up in garbage time.

Rizzi has a lot of explaining to do. It's not just Week 9's blunders, but the Broncos rank dead last in giving up kick return yardage and their coverage on punt returns has been terrible this season, including against the Texans.

It's rare to hear Payton be so blunt or critical of one of his assistants, let alone a coach known as a Payton guy. Here's to hoping it lights a fire under Rizzi because the Broncos' schedule will soon stiffen up, and any special teams foibles will be hard to overcome against opponents like the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, and Green Bay Packers.