Englewood, Colorado – In a deal that has been waiting for some of the deal’s plots associated with the Super Bowl and job changes, the Denver Broncos announced the employment of Darren Ritzi as special team coordinator/assistant head coach on Friday .
Ritzi has been the special team coordinator for the New Orleans Saints for the past six seasons after a decade of stint with the Miami Dolphins. After Dennis Allen was fired, Ritzi, who served as the Saints interim head coach this past season, has been on the staff of New Orleans’ coach Sean Payton for three seasons.
The job of special team coordinators is one of several openings for the Broncos staff that Payton has worked to fill in the past few weeks. Payton was in New Orleans last week just a few days before the Super Bowl.
Payton fired the special team coordinator a week after the Broncos lost to the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round, and head coach Mike Westhoff retired during the season due to health reasons. Chris Banjo, assistant coach of other special teams for the Broncos, was not promoted by Payton after the Kotwika firing, and was hired as the New York Jets special team coordinator.
Ritzi, who officially interviewed the Saints’ head coaching job in mid-January, and several league sources say some of the other New Orleans assistant coaches have been named Kellen Moore as the team’s head coach this week. It was a holding pattern until it was done. The assistant had to wait to find out whether Moore’s staff would be held or allowed to ask for other jobs.
Moore has been the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles this past season, with the Eagles winning the Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.
The Broncos (10-8) led the league in yards per punt return this season at 15.7. Marvin Mims Jr. was selected to All Pro as returner, while kicker Will Lutz tied up Jason Elam with 31 on the franchise’s single-season field goal record.
However, two famous mistakes (both at the main AFC West Losses) approached the Broncos special team unit.
The first was a blocked field goal as the November 10th expired, maintaining a 16-14 victory over the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The Chiefs discovered weakness in the Broncos’ front line with a kick before the game, overloading the left side of the line.
Multiple Kansas City defenders then pushed forward Alex Forsyth, with linebacker Leochenal trying to block the Rats’ 35-yard attempt. The Broncos turned Forsyth over and worked on a reserve on Matt Pete in formation for the rest of the season, with Lutz scoring 41 of 42 field goals and Extra Points attempting the rest of the way.
Lutz missed 50 yards in the bill’s wildcard loss.
The second famous special team mistake happened before halftime for the Broncos, who were defeated by the Los Angeles Chargers at Sophie Stadium. Cornerback Tremon Smith was called for fair catch interference when he bumped the Chargers’ punt return Derius Davis as the first half was about to end. The Chargers chose to take a free kick as a result of a penalty by the rules, and Los Angeles kicker Cameron Dicker scored a 57-yard field goal to finish the half.
The play reduced the Broncos’ lead to 21-13, and needed momentum for the charger, which won a 34-27 victory.
