By: Andy Davies

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

When the Denver Broncos fired head coach Vic Fangio, it was deemed that they were just a quarterback away from being contenders.

And then the Broncos made moves. Nathaniel Hackett was hired, after a spell as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. Not long after that appointment, the team went big in their search for a new quarterback. They traded a 2022 and 2023 first-round and second-round pick as well as a fifth round from this year and gave away Drew Lock, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris in exchange for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.

This was supposed to be the answer. However, so far it has been far from that.

The Broncos have lost their last two games and currently sit at 2-3 after their first five games with their new head coach and quarterback duo. Neither has set the world alight.

In five starts, Wilson has thrown for 1,254 yards, just four touchdowns and three interceptions. This would have projected to finish the season with 4,264 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Whilst those projected yards would actually be a career best, it would be an all-time career low in touchdown passes, six less than his current worst in 2014. He would only have four seasons with more interceptions than nine. 

Russell Wilson is said to have requested the trade, and many felt Pete Carroll’s run-first offense was holding him back. However, all Wilson has shown us in 2022 is that perhaps Carroll was doing this for a reason.

Against the Colts, Wilson threw an awful interception and despite having 274 passing yards, he threw for zero touchdowns and two interceptions. With the exception of one great run and one great pass, Russ had no moments of excellence. He was incapable of getting it done in the red zone, seemed to force his passes to his target men, and often missed several open receivers.

Hackett came in as an offensive guy, one that worked with the current back-to-back MVP. Russ was meant to be allowed to cook, presumably one of the reasons if not the main one for Wilson agreeing to join the Broncos. With Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, he was not short of receiving options. Patrick may have suffered a season-ending injury prior to Week One, but the team still has K.J. Hamler and Albert Okwuegbunam.

His ability to just throw it without properly looking through his reads may have been disguised in recent years due to D.K. Metcalf being the closest thing to Calvin Johnson we have seen since the Hall of Famer retired. Neither Jeudy, Sutton and Hamler have the strength and hands of Metcalf. 

Hackett deserves some portion of the blame, with his questionable play calling and poor time management. He could well be one and done as a head coach for the Broncos. His time so far reminiscent of Adam Gase, a star quarterback glossing over coaching deficiencies. However, he is not the one out there missing open players, making bad throws, and seeming scared to get hit. So far, Wilson looks to have made no difference. With the number of draft picks given up and the long term multi-million-dollar extension given to him, this trade so far looks to be one the team may regret.

Let’s not forget that Wilson still has to play the Chargers and Chiefs each twice.

Granted, a new head coach who actually knows what they are doing may be the difference they need and not every quarterback can do what Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford did on new teams.

Despite this, should Wilson play like this for the rest of 2022 and beyond this trade could be one that potentially affects the team long-term.

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By: Jake Rajala

“What is going on right here?” – Tony Gonzalez referring to Russell Wilson’s TNF performance

It would be an understatement to say that Russell Wilson could benefit from a Sylvester Stallone pep-talk after his latest clash against the Indianapolis Colts. After four quarters of football against Indy, Wilson ousted 213 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Most importantly, Wilson failed to prove his fans that left the game early wrong by not converting a fourth and two in OT.

Clearly, Wilson isn’t on the same level as Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert at this point. Furthermore, Derek Carr (who has only won one game this season) is performing better than the former Hawks QB.

It’s tragic that Wilson has a supporting crew that is vastly more impressive than his Seahawks group last season, yet the Broncos QB has taken a step back in 2022 thus far. In three of Wilson’s contests, Wilson has thrown 1 or fewer touchdowns. In the entire 2021 campaign, there were only five games where Wilson threw 1 or fewer touchdowns. It’s obvious that Wilson may need Tom Hanks or a slightly different game plan leaning more on his run game to find more efficiency and explosion.

The Broncos could make a creative decision to ink a free agent WR like Will Fuller or OBJ, too. It may seem pretentious to state that Denver should find a FA WR, but it may be better long-term to be bold with a search for another toy instead of finding hope in their QB2 Brett Rypien.

Wilson will most likely have the keys to the offense against the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The post Is Russell Wilson overrated right now? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

The Denver Broncos have put themselves in a rather precarious situation at the quarterback position.  After drafting Drew Lock in the 2019 NFL draft, they have given him two years to develop and have yet to see a huge leap.  Now, they have brought in last year’s starter for the Carolina Panthers in Teddy Bridgewater to compete for the starting role.  

In this article, I will be going over three reasons as to why Teddy should get the start over Drew, as well as why these factors influence my decision.

Veteran Leadership & Experience

One of the main capabilities and benefits Bridgewater has over Lock is his previous experience in the NFL.  The main point being his stint in New Orleans where he learned from one of the best quarterbacks ever in Drew Brees, as well as head coach Sean Payton.  This experience is invaluable, as it taught Bridgewater how to be smart with the ball as a passer and throw into tight windows.  

This experience also landed Teddy the starting role in Carolina, as former Saints coach Joe Brady had signed with the Panthers as a offensive coordinator.  His knowledge that Teddy was molded into what the Saints were looking for at the time led him to likely push for the Panthers to sign him, as his knowledge of the Saints scheme would work well to the Panthers advantage.  This same knowledge, even in Denver, is huge for any player to have and will definitely help with the mental aspect of his game at the least.

Drew Lock Needs More Time

As much as some may not want to admit it right now, Drew Lock needs a little more time to develop it seems.  At 24 years old and being a 2^nd round pick, he may not be ready to be the full time starter yet.  We saw him start 13 games last year and do decently, but was intercepted one less time compared to his touchdown numbers.

Having a mentor in Teddy Bridgewater to curb those turnovers, as well as allow him to learn a bit more and get an idea of what the team needs at the position will be good for him if it happens.  Most quarterbacks are somewhat set by three to four years into their career, so by the time next season rolls around they will be able to see if he developed at all mentally or if he just is not the answer.

Dual-Threat Capability of Bridgewater

Teddy Bridgewater is no longer the rusher he once was, but he can still get it done with his legs.  In 2020 he rushed 53 times for 279 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.  This capability to move outside the pocket when he needs to helps a ton, as it prevents forced throws that turn into turnovers.

Lock has not developed this too much yet, he can move, but not at the level Bridgewater can.  Teddy is also willing to give himself up on rushing plays to get the first down, as we saw a few times this season.  This willingness to put his body on the line for the greater good of the team gives a mental leg up to whoever he plays for, as it makes other players want to play harder to help him.

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By: Jordan Anders

It’s safe to say general manager George Paton and the coaches are set on Drew Lock being the quarterback for the Denver Broncos this season, after not landing any deals with this offseason. After not taking a quarterback in the draft either, it became apparent the Broncos were putting all their chips in a basket for the 24-year-old from Missouri. However, they did sign quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to add completion in the quarterback position but it’s looking like the starting job is Drew’s.

After playing only 18 which is barely a full season, Drew lock has showed some improvement in many areas and has made good connections with the guys. Though he does have many flaws that need to be worked out, PFF ranked him the worst starting quarterback last season. Which raises the question, after nine starting quarterbacks since Peyton Manning, why are the Broncos choosing to be patient with Drew Lock?

1. In 2019, Drew Lock started the last five games of the season and went 4-1. His instant connection with Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton paved the way for the Broncos to end that season on a good note. Things were looking up for the 2020 season until Courtland Sutton suffered a season-ending injury in week 2. That, combined with a shortened off-season practice schedule due to COVID, Drew Lock didn’t have enough time to get in work with the two new wide receivers. A reason the coaches are patient with Drew Lock is to give him the time this off-season to work with his offense, which he will have all summer. If Sutton and Lock had such a good connection, they surely believe Lock can build one with the others.

2. The stats are not really on Drew’s side for this one, he passed for 2933 yards with 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His completion percentage was only 57.3 compared to 2019 which was 64.1%. Upfront these numbers aren’t pretty, but if you dive deeper you can see why the Broncos are being patient. In Drew Lock’s first seven games, he had a 55% completion with 238 attempts and 9 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, not pretty. But a look at his last six games will show improvement with a 60% completion on 205 attempts and 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Not a big jump, but you can’t ignore the improvement made between the start of the season and the end. This goes to show that he is improving and working out the kinks.

3. People tend to focus on Drew Lock’s bad games, but forget he has had some pretty good ones as well that include two fourth-quarter comebacks and 3 game-winning drives. In week 14, the Broncos played the Panthers in which Lock threw 4 touchdowns with 0 interceptions and had a completion percentage of 77.8%. Back in week 8, Lock threw a game-winning drive to beat the Chargers 31-30. Drew Lock has proven he can have good games but he needs work and the coaches know that. However, Drew Lock has his teammates, the coaches, Paton, and Peyton Manning all believing he is the new franchise quarterback.

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