![]() And while it may not all be Wilson’s fault, it’s the star quarterback who is more likely to take the blame than anyone else.Copyright © 2023 Denver Broncos. If the Broncos don’t show progress and start winning games this season, something’s gotta change. ![]() Furthermore, it’s a team that looks like a better-looking version than the one from last season - with the same results. ![]() This isn’t a team anywhere close to contending. It’s not surprising considering Joseph’s defensive units have never ranked in the top 10 in the eight years he’s served as either a head coach or defensive coordinator. Joseph was brought back to Denver after an underwhelming stint as head coach during the 20 seasons, going 11-21 during his tenure with the Broncos. The defensive unit - which was a lone bright spot during a tough 2022 season - has clearly regressed under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. The Broncos obviously have a lot of problems. "Will you f****** stop kissing all the babies?" he told Wilson, according to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. It’s no coincidence that Payton has nudged Wilson several times in recent months with his comments, including telling his franchise quarterback to “stop kissing babies.” While the move would make obvious sense for financial reasons, the question is, what team would bother absorbing a declining and aging quarterback with the worst contract in the NFL? However, they’d save $189 million over that same time frame, including at least $37 million each season from the 2025 season onwards. If the Broncos trade Wilson in a post-June 1st deal, Denver would absorb roughly a $67 million cap hit over the course of five seasons. While his contract - a five-year, $242 million contract he signed just prior to the start of the 2022 season - makes him hard to move, he could theoretically be traded during the 2024 offseason. The 34-year-old quarterback - he’ll turn 35 years old in November - Wilson could soon be on his last legs in Denver. ![]() While Payton will likely be here for the long term after signing a five-year deal worth $18 million per year - he’s the second-highest paid coach in the NFL and all of American sports - Wilson’s future is not so certain in Denver. Fresh off a season marred with poor play. It’s clear that this is a make-or-break season for Wilson. Russell Wilson before the game against the Indianapolis Colts. However, he finished the game just 9-of-14 for 47 yards, including going three-and-out on Denver’s final drive while trailing 17-16. It was the same story as Wilson started out hot, going 18-of-20 for 130 yards and two touchdowns over the Broncos’ first three drives (all in the first half) against the Raiders. After scoring a respectable 13 points at halftime, Denver scored just three points during the entire second half. This comes just a week after after Denver lost another heartbreaker at home to the Las Vegas Raiders. In a league where wins are dictated by which team can pull out the big play when it matters most, the Broncos are the ultimate losers. Since the start of the Wilson era, the Broncos are now 4-11 in games decided by eight points or less. Of the Broncos’ five offensive drives in the second half - outside of the final one - three of the five drives either ended in three-and-outs or a turnover. I’ve got to be better, Russ has got to be sharper getting the play out.” We burned timeouts in the first half, and I’m not used to doing. “There was a number of drives where we’re late with personnel, getting out of the huddle we took a while,” said Payton during the postgame presser. It’s no surprise that Payton sent a direct message to Wilson following the game. In fact, outside of the Broncos’ 50-yard hail mary touchdown catch, Wilson went 11-for-23 for 94 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. While Wilson appears more efficient - he threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims during the first half - he still declines as the game progresses and can’t seem to convert big plays when the Broncos need it most.Īfter starting out the game 6-for-8 for 154 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 156.2 passer rating in the first half, Wilson went through the majority of the second half struggling just to move the ball. However, the 2023 Broncos appear to be just a smoother looking operation than their 2022 counterpart. They were supposed to finish off the opposition when they had them down for the count. With Payton - a former Super Bowl champion head coach and renowned offensive genius - leading the way, Denver was supposed to beat these types of teams. The Broncos rank first in passing yards allowed per play and red-zone defense, third in total defense and fourth in scoring defense. This was supposed to be a different Broncos team. While Denvers offense will look to put together a better full-game performance than in recent weeks, the defense simply has to keep up its high standard of play.
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