The Denver Broncos are lucky to have Brandon McManus.
Why? He’s been kicking butt at kicking the football.
Two weeks into this current season and McManus has gone a perfect 9-9 on his kicks. That includes a 4-4 on field goals — as well as his game-winning, 36-yard boot against the Oakland Raiders — and 5-5 on extra points. And two of those kicks have come from 50-plus yards, as McManus has long enjoyed one of the biggest legs in the NFL.
He’s playing so well, Pro Football Focus notes he’s the best kicker in the NFL through the first two games this year:
The highest graded kickers in the NFL in Weeks 1 and 2. pic.twitter.com/27PKxVHWTd
— PFF (@PFF) September 21, 2018
In fact, thanks to his 3-3 extra points day and his two, 50-plus yard kicks in the Broncos Week 1 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, McManus landed on PFF’s team of the week, too.
And if you notice the graphic, when the Broncos head to Baltimore this Sunday to take on the Ravens, it will mean the Nos. 1 and 3 kickers respectively, with Justin Tucker also balling out so far this year. Tucker is currently 3-3 on field goals, including a 55-yarder, and he’s 7-7 on extra points made.
With two relatively evenly matched teams in the Ravens and Broncos, the outcome of this week’s game could come down to the kickers; so all eyes will be on McManus and Tucker Sunday afternoon in all likelihood.
McManus is a career 81.4 percent kicker, with his best season coming in 2015, making 30-35 field goals (85.7 percent). So, let’s see how long No. 8 can continue this perfect stretch to start the 2018 season.