The Lead

The Broncos' special teams unit has picked up right where it left off.

After earning a top-10 ranking in an end-of-season special teams ranking last season, Denver has continued to build positive momentum with two strong performances against the Seahawks and Steelers.

In a recent story for The Gazette, Kyle Fredrickson looked at some of the factors that have allowed the unit to find early success, especially when it comes to punt coverage.

"Denver enters Week 3 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leading the NFL with seven downed [punts] inside the 20-yard line," Fredrickson wrote.

This has included two punts that have been downed at the 1-yard line, one in each of Denver's first two games. In Week 1, the effort later resulted in a Seahawks' safety.

Punter Riley Dixon, who is averaging 50.3 yards per attempt, has played a huge role in pinning opponents deep in their own territory.

"I would say [Dixon] is doing a really good job so far this year," Special Teams Coordinator Ben Kotwica said Thursday. "All [the] striking numbers back that up. We've had some good coverage, too. [There is a] handful of things we still need to work on there, but I like where he's at so far. Just excited about where he's going to go from here."

Cornerback Tremon Smith, who is a gunner on coverage teams, has also played a key role in the unit's success through the two games. The seventh-year player not only has the ability to get down the field quickly to cover, but he also brings strong NFL experience as a return specialist.

"That versatility is what makes him a special teams weapon in Denver," Fredrickson wrote.

As the Broncos look ahead to Week 3, Denver could look to use weapons like Smith to continue to make big plays.

For more on the Broncos' special teams, click here to read Fredrickson's article.