John Elway helped bring three championships to the Denver Broncos as a player (two) and executive (one) and has a pretty good feel for what it takes to win.
He is feeling very optimistic about where the team is headed under new head coach Sean Payton.
Elway told Denver’s ABC 7 this week that Payton is a “perfect” fit for where the Broncos are right now and for what quarterback Russell Wilson needs to get back on track.
He better be all of those things for Denver’s sake.
The Broncos have not been back to the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl in 2015 and have had just one winning season (2016) during that time.
The 2022 season seemed to be rock bottom in a lot of ways as Wilson, in his first year with the team and after signing a massive $250 million contract extension, looked like a shell of his former self while head coach Nathaniel Hackett could not even get through one full season before being fired. It was an embarrassment across the board and resulted in ownership paying a huge price to bring Payton back to an NFL sideline.
The biggest key for a Broncos turnaround is getting Wilson back on track, and Elway believes Payton is the coach that can do that.
“Sean has a great feel for the QB position. He’s so knowledgeable on the offensive side. I think he knows what Russell will do the best. Like every good football team, we have to try to run the football and run it successfully. And if we do that, it gives Russell a much better chance to be successful in the passing game.”
The 2022 season was by far Wilson’s worst as a pro, finishing with an 84.4 passer rating and only 16 touchdown passes. The explosiveness was gone from his game, and the Broncos offense suffered as a result.
How much of that was Hackett being in over his head and how much of it was Wilson starting to decline remains to be seen. But if Payton can help turn around that slide then Denver could very quickly become a very competitive team in the AFC West, especially with the return of a healthy Javonte Williams at running back.
The Broncos have dumped a ton of money and trade assets (both players and draft picks) into acquiring Wilson and Payton to be the faces of their franchise. If they are right, it could be a quick turnaround to contention. If they are wrong, that playoff drought is going to keep growing.
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