Snowy Conditions Lead to Broncos' Wil Lutz's Costly Missed Field Goals
The Denver Broncos faced severe weather challenges during their game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, which impacted crucial field goal attempts by kicker Wil Lutz. The Patriots narrowly secured a 10-7 victory, with Lutz missing two field goals, including a pivotal attempt in the fourth quarter. With under five minutes remaining, the Broncos faced a fourth-and-5 from New England's 28-yard line. Coach Sean Payton opted for a 45-yard field goal attempt by Lutz, who had previously struggled on the day. The attempt was thwarted when it was blocked by New England's Leonard Taylor. Lutz attributed the miss to visibility issues caused by the snow, stating, "Unfortunately, you couldn't see the lines on the field and honestly, I think we were … we might have been a yard short on the snap." Key points from the game include: Lutz's Holder: Jeremy Crawshaw may have lined up too close to the line of scrimmage, estimating his position due to obscured field lines. Taylor's Block: The block was marginal; had Crawshaw been a yard back, Lutz’s kick might have cleared Taylor’s outstretched fingers. Kicking Struggles: Lutz missed a 54-yard attempt earlier in the game, contributing to a collective four missed field goals between both teams, marking the most in a conference title game since 1983. Despite a successful season where Lutz converted 28 of 32 field goals, he has a checkered playoff history, making only 68.2% of his postseason attempts (15 of 22). The snow-covered field proved to be a challenging environment for all kickers involved.
Source: CBS Sports - 2026-01-26