49ers vs Broncos

[Special teams] got their job done as a unit when it mattered most,” left guard Dalton Risner said.

"At the end of the day, I'm just so excited for our special teams players. Recognizing the areas in which they needed to improve, the special teams unit made adjustments in the offseason that are already coming to fruition. Locke, who has been a core special teams player for Denver over the last three seasons, pointed to the group's success against the 49ers as the result of a new mentality in 2022. Under first-year Special Teams Coordinator Dwayne Stukes, this phase of the game has the potential to become one of the Broncos' strengths. "Obviously there [were] a lot of struggles in that game, but this game of football, there's going to be a lot of ups and downs. This was possible because of a key play on special teams; Waitman unleashed a 47-yard punt, and running back Mike Boone made an athletic play to down the ball at the 2-yard line, effectively pinning the 49ers against their own goal line.