There were several big takeaways from the Denver Broncos’ convincing 24-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but one that’s been largely overlooked is how good their special teams have been.
The Broncos just extended kicker Wil Lutz, of course, which is a good move given how reliable Lutz has been, and punter Jeremy Crawshaw has been a secret weapon at times. But the Broncos also have a not-so-secret weapon in the return game, and Marvin Mims Jr. has also established himself as the most explosive player on the field.
Nick Kosmider and Sam Jane of The Athletic cited Mims in their takeaways from Sunday’s win, and they once again reminded us of Mims accomplishments and credentials. He’s already been named to the Pro Bowl twice as a returner, and perhaps the most shocking thing about Mims’ track record is that Sundays’s score was his first punt return for a touchdown.
This one broke open a tight game. The Broncos and Raiders were tied 7-7 in the second quarter, and the Raiders were sort of threatening to hang around and make it a game. This has happened to the Broncos multiple times, and it was the last thing Denver needed at this point.
But Mims ended all thoughts of that when he charged into Raiders territory to field a line-drive punt by A.J. Cole, and once Mims a sharp cut to the left, the Broncos were in business.
As a smaller returner, Mims can be hard to find and tackle in traffic, and once he ducked under a tackle attempt by Raiders special teams player Decameron Richardson, he quickly found the sideline, and after that it was game over. Mims added a Mile High salute after scoring, which was a nice touch.
The best thing about Mims’ return game is that no one knows when he’s going to strike. Opponents will typically kick away from him all game long, but one mistake like a line-drive punt can quickly result in a score.
Mims is also dangerous as a receiver, but the 23-year old from Oklahoma is still cutting his teeth there. He’ll probably surpass his output from last year, when he caught 39 pases for 503 yards and six touchdowns, but one of the issues there is that MIms has become so valuable in the return game that it doesn’t make sense for Denver to risk injury with him given how many other productive young receivers the Broncos have.