FAKE PUNT ALERT: Riley Dixon finds Cody Latimer on the fake to give the #Broncos a first down. pic.twitter.com/GWgjT7DIbS
Buy Broncos Tickets— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) December 11, 2016
Riley Dixon is a punter, but he has a quarterback background. Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes that QB background could prove to be useful on special teams this season.
“He has a really good leg, he’s smart, and he can throw it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said on Aug. 7. “He played quarterback in high school. Knowing [Mike] Westhoff, we’ll have a plethora of plays where we can utilize that, and I think it’s important. … He has really good leg talent, and then, athleticism.
“When you have a former quarterback, what it does, maybe, is simplify some of the rush plans you get. If you have a punter that can throw, you have to give thought to how you’re going to rush him, knowing that he’s talented enough and that we’re certainly going to be willing to do that.”
Broncos fans might wonder why Payton is willing to give away trade secrets, but Dixon’s passing history is no secret.
Last season alone, Dixon was 2-for-2 passing for 18 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. Before that, Dixon attempted two passes with the New York Giants, but neither of them were completed. He went 1-of-1 passing for 16 yards and a first down with the Broncos in 2016.
So in his career, Dixon is 3-of-5 passing with all three of those completions going for first downs. It’s always risky to run a trick play on special teams, but if Denver wants to run a fake punt, Dixon’s passing history improves the odds of picking up a first down.
And now every team that prepares to play against the Broncos this season will have to be ready for the possibility of a throw in punting situations, which could lead to better kick coverage for Denver. Dixon’s passing ability could prove to be very useful this fall.
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