Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has improved since the team started 1-5. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images) (Bryan M. Bennett via Getty Images)
Later than the Denver Broncos expected, but the Russell Wilson for whom they sent five draft picks and three players seems to have finally shown itself. After a start to the season in which even his permanence in the team beyond 2023, The former Seattle Seahawks quarterback has raised his level of play and has the Broncos on the periphery of the playoffs.
It is clear that Wilson has not yet returned to the level shown with the Seahawks, but in a season that looked disastrous, he has at least returned to being a competent quarterback, with whom Denver can build a future.
Difficult adaptation to the city of the mile
Wilson’s arrival in Denver was not smooth sailing. On the one hand, having forced his departure from a team that looked like a Super Bowl contender year after year is not usually seen well by the press and fans. On the other hand, the Broncos had gambled on getting Aaron Rodgers, so they hired Nathaniel Hackett as head coach.
The 2022 season was a disaster for Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos, with just 4 wins and 13 losses. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) (Grant Halverson via Getty Images)
Hackett had a very good relationship with Rodgers, but neither his offensive system nor his coaching ability seemed to go hand in hand with Wilson and the Broncos. In addition to problems with the system, Wilson did not show the same ability to improvise that made him famous in Seattle.
Turnovers also increased, with 11 interceptions, the second-highest total of his career, while his 16 touchdown passes were 4 fewer than his previous career low. As if that were not enough, there were reports of players who questioned his leadership.
Wilson and the Payton process
The relationship between Sean Payton and Russell Wilson in Denver did not start on the right foot. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) (Justin Edmonds via Getty Images)
A year after the “Dangeruss” trade, Denver management again made a high-profile trade, acquiring head coach, Sean Payton, from the New Orleans Saints. The main reason for the coaching change was to revive Wilson’s career. Between his contract and what they had to give up for him, the Broncos are wedded to Wilson for the foreseeable future.
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Payton teamed up with Drew Brees on the Saints, another short quarterback who became one of the best in his generation. However, things started off on the wrong foot. Five defeats in their first six games set off alarm bells, and the same Payton questioned. the time Wilson spent on off-field activities, but that would change a few weeks later.
a few weeks of hope
after one loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the throw for less than 100 yards, Wilson and the Broncos offense gradually improved in wins against the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City, but it was in the victory against the Buffalo Billswith a last-minute series, which Wilson responded in a pressure situation.
With just 200 passing yards per game on average and 30 sacks with 5 fumbles, Wilson still has room to improve. He continues to take too long to throw and the offense is not as vertical as one would expect with Payton. But it is easier to improve to adjust those details while adding wins and not losses, especially with the pressure of what the team has given up to hire the quarterback and head coach.
In the current campaign, Wilson has already surpassed the number of touchdowns achieved in 2022, with 18 after 9 games. In the same way, he has already won the same number of matches, with 4 victories. Wilson and the Broncos have work to do, but with wins against Kansas City and Buffalo, both contenders in the AFC, perhaps the 2023 season can still be salvaged.
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