By Jordan Long
The Denver Broncos are preparing for the Dallas Cowboys this weekend after beating the L.A. Chargers 24-21 on Monday Night Football. Earlier this week, Denver agreed to a new contract with kicker Brandon McManus, keeping him in a Broncos’ uniform until 2020. According to Yahoosports.com, Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway said, ”Brandon’s made a lot of big kicks & is an important weapon for our team.”
McManus has been the Denver Broncos’ place kicker since 2014. That year he replaced Matt Prater who sat out the first four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Broncos saw enough of McManus and decided to cut Prater on October 3, 2014.
McManus can be a dangerous weapon for the Denver Broncos. From the 20 to the 39-yard line, he is pretty much automatic, making 47 of 48 field goals or 97.9% of his kicks. The trouble with McManus is from the 40 to 50+-yard line he has struggled, making 22 of 36 field goals, a percentage of 61.1%. This is unacceptable. The problem with missing the long kicks is it gives the other team decent field position to march down to score points.
The Broncos were quick to give him this new deal. He was scheduled to be a free agent once the season was over. The Broncos knew they needed to workout a new agreement with him because they didn’t want to risk losing him.
McManus must be able to kick the long field goals. He has the leg strength but not the accuracy. McManus has already missed a 50+ field goal against the Chargers. Luckily it didn’t cost them the game. If he continues to struggle on the lengthy field goals, Denver may make a decision to cut him. Hopefully McManus proves to the Broncos and John Elway that he can be more reliable from 40 to 50+ yards.
What do you think of the Broncos giving placekicker Brandon McManus a new long-term contract?
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