After a perfect preseason with the New Orleans Saints this summer, kicker Wil Lutz had an underwhelming debut with the Denver Broncos in Week 1.
Lutz missed an extra point before later missing a 55-yard field goal attempt, four possible points squandered in a game the Broncos ended up losing by one point.
Buy Broncos Tickets“It is frustrating,” Lutz said after a 17-16 loss. “I thought I hit that ball well [on the 55-yard attempt], it just moved on me at the end. We will go back, look at it and see what happened.”
Confidence is key for any kicker, so it is a good sign that Lutz later made an extra point and a 24-yard field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders. The two misses will undoubtedly weigh on his mind, but Lutz said after the game that is confidence is fine.
“It is tough right now,” Lutz said. “It is going to be a hard 24 hours. But I know what I am capable of and why I am here. The hard part is obviously this team putting us in a position to win the game, and I was not able to do my part. Confidence is not the issue. Bottom line is, I have to figure out what happened today and move forward.”
Broncos coach Sean Payton traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Saints to acquire Lutz during roster cuts last month.
“His job is to coach football and not worry about me,” Lutz said. “I did not hold up my end of the deal today, and we will get back to work this week.”
Lutz will aim to bounce back when Denver hosts the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
