The Denver Broncos entered the season as one of the most hyped teams in the league—again.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is, as it was the very same situation last season when they hired Nathaniel Hackett.
Hackett’s signing was supposed to get them his close friend Aaron Rodgers, but the Broncos ended up trading for Russell Wilson instead. It was far from a consolation price, as we’re talking about another Super Bowl-winning QB with a proven record.
But Wilson’s first year leading the offense was a disaster until the team even fired Hackett. Now, Sean Payton vowed to do everything completely different from his predecessor at the position, but the results have been pretty much the same, if not worse.
The Broncos are sitting on a 2-5 record and looking more like a team that should trade their best players away for draft picks than a team looking to acquire more talent to make a postseason run. But Payton and Wilson aren’t quitters, and neither are the Broncos.
With that in mind, let’s look at their current picture and wonder whether Sean Payton can still turn around the season. In the meantime, you can visit clutchbuzz.clutchbet.com to check out some of their promos for sports betting in Colorado.
An Emotional Coach
One of the main things about getting Sean Payton was that he was supposed to be a culture-setter. He’s a guy who’s been there and done that, a Super Bowl-winning coach who knows all the tricks and then some, and someone who would be respected immediately.
He even admitted that he’s an emotional guy. He doesn’t like to lose, and he’s going to get on every single player’s face when he’s not doing his job, as he proved by even calling out Russell Wilson in the offseason.
“Me getting emotional and angry during games is nothing new,” the Broncos’ HC said. “Maybe it’s now a little bit here, but whether it’s Vance or Joe Lombardi, or Zach Strief, the line coach, or whoever There will be a number of times when that takes place. Then, literally, two weeks later, someone will mention it, and I will not even remember it. That’s just in-game.”
The problem with this core of Broncos players is that they don’t seem to want it badly enough. The talent is most definitely there, but you don’t see that hunger a team needs to get over the hump. Win, lose, or tie, their body language remains unwavering.
The Russell Wilson Issue
Wilson hasn’t been the problem in Denver this season, but he hasn’t been a solution either. He’s no longer the kind of quarterback that gives you confidence or makes you feel like a game isn’t over despite being down two scores. And even worse, it seems like everybody around him feels that way, his coach included.
According to a report by Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post, Payton would trade Wilson right now if there were any takers, but no one is going to even consider trading for an aging player on such a big contract.
“Surviving the Packers on Sunday won’t change a thing,” wrote LaCanfora. “New coach Sean Payton, in his first year overseeing the entire franchise, is looking to shake things up and load up on draft picks, with a long road ahead to construct a playoff roster. Who could go? “Who do you want?” asked one GM, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak about internal trade talks. “He’d trade the quarterback right now if there was a market for him.”’
So, how do you turn a team around when you don’t even want the starting quarterback? Why accept the job if you didn’t have faith in the guy’s ability to turn the page and get the job done? And how to proceed now that you’re stuck with him?
From a financial standpoint, benching Wilson shouldn’t even be considered a possibility. He’s making way too much money to be sitting on the team’s bench. From a culture and football standpoint, though, it might be their go-to move.
Benching Wilson would be the first step in turning the culture around, and this is not a diss on the quarterback by any means, just a reality. It would send a clear message: I don’t care who you are, how much money you make, or what you have done in the past; you either do a good job, or you’re not going to play.
Truth be told, it’s hard to envision this team turning the page this season. But they do have the personnel to come back much better next season, even hampered by Wilson’s mega contract and zero trade market. For now, all Payton can do is try and develop a winning culture and establish winning habits, and then hope to build on them next season and beyond.
