The Denver Broncos will take the field this Saturday to face the San Francisco 49ers, and we now have confirmation that we’ll see some of the starting units on both sides of the ball in that game. The hype this offseason has been incredibly strong. Hopefully, that excitement translates into actual performance on the field.
One player we may need to pay close attention to is rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw. Everyone tends to criticize spending a draft pick on a punter, even near the end of the draft. However, Crawshaw has been booming punts throughout training camp. At times, the kicks have been a bit wild, but he appears to be honing in on his timing and precision.
“I’ve said before with Jeremy [Crawshaw], his skill set is amazing. Like any rookie, the most important thing is https://www.broncosoutlet.com/denver-broncos-dondrea-tillman-jersey performance on the field,” Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi said. “There’s skill, and then there’s production, and the consistency is going to be the most important thing. Like you guys have probably heard me say before, specialists are a lot like golfers or hitters in baseball. You might be the most talented guy, but when you get in the batter’s box or the tee box, you’ve got to produce. So the only thing left in this equation is getting him out there in these games, putting him in live situations, and seeing it. He’s a pleasure to work with every day.”
Having him in Denver brings its own challenges, as punting in thin air can be difficult to master due to how the ball travels. Still, with his leg strength, he could become a major weapon in the special teams phase if he continues refining his placement and consistency.
Head Coach Sean Payton also mentioned earlier in camp that Crawshaw’s biggest challenge is consistency. “Right now, it’s kind of like the fireworks. There are some booms, and then every once in a while, there’s one of those [misses]. But yes, he has the leg talent. You can see that.”
His college highlights certainly show plenty of impressive moments. There is a lot to like about Crawshaw, and while https://www.broncosoutlet.com/denver-broncos-jahdae-barron-jersey punting isn’t exactly must-see TV, it can genuinely help the defense succeed. The longer the field the opposing offense has to drive—especially in today’s offense-friendly NFL—the better the team’s chances of coming out on top in close games.
