There’s no denying that Russell Wilson had the worst season of his career in 2022.
The 34-year-old quarterback threw a career-low 16 touchdown passes in 15 games and 11 interceptions, tied for the second-most in his career. He was also sacked a career-high 55 times.
Not all of the blame for Wilson’s struggles falls on him — the offensive line was terrible, injuries piled up on offense, and Nathaniel Hackett’s scheme did not get the best out of Denver’s quarterback.
Some of the blame has to be placed at Wilson’s feet, though. The QB made poor decisions and held the ball too long throughout the year, and his production was inconsistent through his first 13 games.
Then the Broncos fired Hackett.
Anyone who wants to pin a majority of the blame on Hackett for Wilson’s struggles in 2022 can point to what happened next as supporting evidence. In two games under interim head coach Jerry Rosburg, Wilson threw for 505 yards and four touchdowns and rushed 12 times for 45 yards and two more scores.
Wilson and Denver’s entire offense looked better as soon as Hackett left, scoring 31 and 24 points in the team’s final two games — much better than the team’s season-long average of 16.9 points per game.
So, was Hackett the main problem?
Which version of Wilson should we expect in 2023, the one that struggled under Hackett, or the QB that finished the season strong?
“I think what you saw out there from Russell Wilson, is Russell,” Rosburg said Sunday. “That’s who he is. He is a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback. Everything has to fit together for the quarterback to play winning football. I think you saw what it would look like if we got to that point. That’s how I feel about Russell Wilson.”
If Rosburg is right — and if the Broncos hire the right coach this offseason — fans in Denver have reason to be excited about Wilson’s outlook going forward.
Wilson, always an optimist, believes the team is heading in the right direction.
“It was fun to win,” Wilson said after the Broncos’ season finale. “I love winning. There’s nothing I love more than winning.
“We’re going to do a lot more winning coming up here in the near future. It takes a lot of determination, a lot of dedication, a lot of clarity, a lot of work ethic. I’m excited about where we’re headed.”
Broncos Country, Let’s Ride (without Hackett).
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