How Did it Come to This? – Denver Broncos 2022 Review

By: Keith Richards

Today, the day after Christmas, the Denver Broncos fired their head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Denver is now 4-11 on the season after a 51-14 beatdown from Baker Mayfield and the Rams. In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, with all hope seemingly lost, King Theodon says, “Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like the wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. How did it come to this?”

So, how did it come to this? Starting January 27th of this year, it seemed like the Broncos were on top of the world when they hired Nathaniel Hackett. Not even two months later, the NFL community was set on fire when it was announced that Russell Wilson was traded to Denver from the Seattle Seahawks. Sports media then went on a spree. The Broncos were picked to win the AFC West and many proclaimed Denver as Super Bowl favorites. Let’s take a look at what happened instead.

Heavy is the head that wears the preseason crown. Often, that crown is too heavy and causes its wearer to falter. For an offense that many expected to be one of the best in the league, Denver is one of the worst, if not the worst. The Broncos are dead last with 15.5 points per game, 26th with 316.6 yards per game, 21st with 209.1 passing yards per game, and 23rd with 107.5 rushing yards per game. How did the Broncos’ offense get so bad with the expectations being so high?

Well, it would seem the obvious main reason is coaching. Many called for the head of Nathaniel Hackett just a few games into the season. I wasn’t on that train. Even still, I don’t believe that he should have been fired. However, as they say, the fish stinks from the head down. Hackett was hired because he was in charge of an offense that helped Aaron Rodgers win the MVP award for two straight years. What we saw in Denver is not what we saw in Green Bay.

In Green Bay, Nathaniel was not the play caller. Matt LaFleur was the play caller. That’s where Hackett went wrong. By the time play calling was ceded to Klint Kubiak in November, the damage had already been done. Coach Hackett was well on his way out of the door by then. Still, how did it come to this? Another reason why is injuries.

Going back to before the season even started, this list of Denver players on injured reserve, both currently and formerly, has been extensive. That list includes the following: Javonte Williams, KJ Hamler, Tim Patrick, Garrett Bolles, Justin Simmons, Randy Gregory, Caden Sterns, Ronald Darby, and Tom Compton. Let’s dig a little deeper into that because you’re not seeing the full picture.

Currently, the Broncos have 19 on injured reserve, which ties them for first with Tennessee. Throughout the season, Denver has had 27 players on IR. Only the Titans had more with 31. 26.99% of their cap is tied up in IR ($56,495,681). So, if you are wondering how did it come to this, look no further than IR, but there is still one more reason.

How did it come to this? The final reason is Russell Wilson. Plain and simple, Wilson was not the quarterback Broncos Country thought they signed up for. Before I list my reasons why it’s very important to add a crucial disclaimer.  I do not believe that Russ is washed. He has things (see below) he needs to work on, but they are very much things that can be fixed. That being said, Wilson is still complicit in his own right.

Wilson’s 60.1% completion is the lowest of his career. Before the season, the fewest touchdowns Russell threw for was 20. This season, Russ has only thrown for 12. His rating and QBR are the lowest they’ve been for his career by a long shot. Russell just has not looked good this season. A lot of it has to do with the team as a whole, but Wilson has to shoulder some of the blame.

He has missed receivers at times. On occasion, Wilson’s reads have been questionable. Most importantly, there are definite signs that Russell is slowing down physically. Again, I don’t think it means he’s finished, but it’s something for the team to monitor moving forward. The question will be how much of Wilson’s struggles are on him and how much is on the team stinking?

So…how did it come to this? Coaching, injuries, and underwhelming quarterback play. The coach is gone. Injuries are what they are. The quarterback play is fixable. In short, at the end of the day, I’m not on the doom and gloom side of things. This team is still just a few pieces away from contending.

Penner and Paton now have the tough task of finding the right coach for this squad.  They have to get past “how did it come to this,” and move to “how can we win now?”  Whoever that coach is, the team will need to stand by him and give him time to fix this squad. Otherwise, it will continue to be a carousel of excitement resulting in misery.

Now that the question “how did it come to this” has been answered, from here, there’s no way to go but up. So, if you’ve been waiting for your favorite jersey to be in stock, now is the time to get it! The Broncos will be back and Team NBS will be here for it!