Every year, Sean Payton seems to drop new knowledge on the Denver Broncos fanbase, and hidden yardage is something we’re hearing about ahead of Week 4.

Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who’s been with Payton since 2019 in New Orleans, was the one educating the media on Payton’s hidden yardage.

It sounds like it actually came by way of Bill Parcells, through Payton, and down to his special teams coach.

Denver Broncos examine everything, including hidden yardage

Sean Payton is a master of winning games and examining the intricacies.

This week, we hear of hidden yardage. It applies to not only the Kolbe Katsis 28-yard punt return which sparked the offense in the win over the LA Rams, but the re-punt before that play.

“After every game—on the debrief as Sean [Payton] calls it on Mondays—we talk about all of the hidden yardage,” Rizzi explained on Thursday to the media. “There were a bunch of hidden yardage in that last game between their penalty and the re-punt. We gained like 30-something yards after the re-punt. Kolbe [Katsis]’s 28-yard return, some penalties and some field position [including] Jeremy [Crawshaw’s] punt that he pinned them inside the 10-yard line. All of those plays add up, and in a game where it’s a one-score game and you add up all of the hidden yardage at the end, it’s a big deal.”

Football is a game of inches. We all know that. But sometimes it’s a game of yards, too. Plays like punts and punt returns can go by without fanfare, but it all adds up to a win or a loss on Sundays.

“Sean always brings up the point about, ‘100 yards equals six points,’” Rizzi continued. “You look at that game, and the hidden yardage was a huge difference in that game. That is something that we are talking about all of the time. Every single play, whether it’s a punt from midfield or a kickoff or kick return, every single yard can make a huge difference.”

Games between two good teams often come down to special teams, details

Zooming into the hidden yardage is important or a team like Denver.

Payton had to take this team from terrible to one that knows how to win. The next step was becoming a contender. Now that they are in that contender zone, they can improve by focusing on the details.

We all know game between two strong teams have a tendency to come down to special teams. And usually, that means a kicker has a chance to win the game at the last second. Or become a goat and miss the kick.

But it also means catching a punt or letting it go into the end zone to gain some of that hidden yardage. It can mean returning a kickoff for 25 yards to near midfield vs. letting it roll into the end zone and taking it at the 25. Or downing a punt when you’re kicking it away to give a team a longer field.

And the examples just keep going from there.

Football games are won in all three phases, though the hierarchy is usually offense first, then defense, then special teams in terms of what gets the most focus form the media.

Last week, the Broncos narrowly beat the Rams. Part of it was taking advantage of that hidden yardage. But Kolbe Katsis also muffed a punt and Wil Lutz doinked a field goal.

So, there are definitely areas where Denver can improve this week against the unbeaten 49ers in San Francisco.