NFL
By Keith Richards
There’s no other way to put it. The 2022-23 Denver Broncos season was a disaster. Whether you had them going 10-7 like myself, or were foolish enough to have them as Super Bowl favorites, the season was a disappointment. As we take a look back on the season Broncos Country would like to forget, not everything is rotten. There were some things the team could be proud of. Let us discuss.
A look back on the 2022-23 season would show that there were some stellar defensive performances. The best defensive performer was Patrick Surtain II. Surtain finished the season as the number two cornerback (according to PFF) with a grade of 86.8. Year over year, that’s a 20.7-point increase in the grade Pat received during his rookie season. PSII’s stellar play would even NFL All-Pro First Team honors at the cornerback position.
A look back at Justin Simmons’ season would show how underappreciated he was in the safety position. Even after missing five games due to injury, Simmons still finished the season with six interceptions, which tied for the league lead. Justin added three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to his interception tally. He did, though, receive some recognition as he earned Second Team All-Pro honors.
On a sour note, a look back at this season shows that there is still a lot of work to be done with the offensive line. The Broncos ended the season by allowing 63 sacks. By comparison, last season, Denver only gave up 40 sacks. That is a disturbing increase, but it wasn’t just the sacks. The Broncos finished dead last in the league with a 29.1% conversion rate on third down. Going into next season, no matter who the coach is or who is under center, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.
A look back on the 2022-23 season will show that Nathaniel Hackett was not the right hire for the head coach. That doesn’t mean I think he can’t be a head coach in this league, but this was just not the right opportunity. There were many things out of his control, but the things he could control…he controlled poorly. As the team looks for its next coach, it will certainly be looking for someone with more experience.
Looking back, whether or not Randy Gregory was the right player to sign remains a mystery. In the six games he did play, Randy had two sacks and two forced fumbles. He appeared to be on pace for a career-high in sacks, but we won’t know until next season. With Chubb gone, Gregory is the man. He will have to prove he is worthy of the contract he signed.
Last, but certainly not least, a look back on this disastrous season proves that it wasn’t all of Russell Wilson’s fault. Without question, Wilson deserves his share of the blame. There were times when Russ just looked lost. For sure, he never looked comfortable. That being said, the offensive line did give up 63 sacks. Also, the receivers dropped a lot of passes; 23 to be exact. Some of that is on Russ, but a lot of it is bad receiver play.
The last two games, though, showed us there is still plenty left in the tank for number. With the offense tailored even just slightly more to his strengths, Wilson threw four touchdowns, and ran for another two, in those two weeks. So, a proper head coach and an offensive line that isn’t completely awful can go a long way.
It’s a long road ahead for the Denver Broncos. Team NBS is here to cover all of the offseason moves, the draft, and the search for the Broncos’ new head coach. Don’t forget to get your gear and rep your team, even after a miserable season. At the end of the day, LET’S RIDE!
