Former NC State quarterback Russell Wilson is coming off the worst year of his NFL career. Wilson managed to only throw 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first season with the Denver Broncos, who finished 5-12 at the bottom of the AFC West.
At this time last year, Wilson was traded to the Broncos in one of the biggest trades in NFL history. This move made the Broncos a legitimate Super Bowl contender because of Wilson’s storied career and Championship ethos — but no one could have expected the season to go as poorly as it did.
Broncos upper-management knew they had to make a change, so Denver fired former head coach Nathaniel Hackett after one season, letting him take the fall for much of Wilson’s underperformance.
Fortunately for the Broncos, former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has filled Denver’s coaching vacancy and is now tasked with “fixing” Wilson. Denver feels like it found the perfect man for the job given Payton’s massive success with Drew Brees, who is of a similar build to Wilson.
Payton is widely regarded as an offensive mastermind, and ultimately, that’s what the Broncos need. Last season, the Broncos were last in the NFL in points per game, and in Payton’s 15 years as Saints head coach, New Orleans was top-10 in points 12 times. In addition, Brees threw for over 5,000 yards four different times in Payton’s system.
One would have to imagine that Wilson supports Payton as his new head coach because of his experience and accomplishments. The only worry Wilson may have is if Payton takes the ball out of his hands in favor of a run-heavy offensive scheme — what many believe to be the reason Wilson wanted out of Seattle.
In order for the Wilson-Payton marriage to work, Wilson will have to let Payton take complete control of the offense. There’s reason to believe Wilson will let that happen because of the respect Payton commands — unlike Hackett, who had never been a head coach before. He will have to accept the fact that he is not at the point of his career where he can put the team on his back and carry them to victory. Instead, he’ll need the help of Payton and his system.
Although Wilson has been an elite player throughout his career and Payton is a future hall-of-fame coach, there is much doubt whether Wilson can return to form. Not only is he coming off the worst statistical year of his career, but his mobility last season declined as well. Wilson is known for being able to move around the pocket while evading defenders to make spectacular plays, and that was clearly not present this past season.
Either Wilson was just not comfortable in the offensive system he was running, or he had just lost the best attribute he had. This is why the Payton hire was so crucial, as he has to find plays where Wilson can be creative in the pocket or turn him into a pocket passer. The latter option seems more viable with Payton having his success stem from a pocket passer in Brees.
This would be a drastic change in philosophy for Wilson, but it will be the best move for his future if he wants to play at an All-Pro level again. That isn’t to say he shouldn’t leave the pocket when a play breaks down, but that will be more of an added bonus rather than a key part of the offense.
There is still plenty of reason for optimism in Denver. For all we know, last season may have just been a bump in the road for the former Wolfpack quarterback, and he could return to his former self under the leadership of Payton.
