Broncos' WR KJ Hamler Displayed Shocking Growth on One Play in Seattle

KJ Hamler had one play in Seattle that is not getting the recognition it should, showing his growth as a player.

The Denver Broncos were trying to push the ball into the end zone against the Seattle Seahawks in preseason Game 2. But, after trying to run it in a couple of times, the Broncos turned to their passing game where second-year wideout KJ Hamler displayed a critical step in his growth. 

Hamler was lined up in the slot just outside the box. The slot corner matched up against him moved up to blitz, and Hamler points it out to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the right tackle so they could make the adjustments needed and exploit the Seahawks. 

This is a bigger deal than some may realize because calling out corner blitzes is something you want to see from your receivers, especially from the slot, but it doesn't come from a second-year guy often. After Hamler made the call, there was a moment to change the blocking assignments so that the blitz got picked up. 

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Royce Freeman was excellent in picking up the blitz as he came across the formation to handle the nickel corner. This was enough to give Bridgewater enough time to throw the touchdown pass to Hamler. If the blitz had been missed, this would have potentially been a massive play for Seattle. 

Not only was this a big deal for Hamler, but the call-out also changed who the hot receiver was. Multiple changes occurred because of the simple task of the receiver calling out the blitz. This was a good step forward from Hamler to do something simple to help out the team. 

While this may seem small, many receivers in the NFL won't call out changes. Instead, they leave that to the offensive line and the quarterback, which has led to multiple missed blitzes, especially from corners. So it is a good sign for Hamler to take that extra step and show off good football awareness. 

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