NFL Week 2 takeaways: Eagles best in NFC, Broncos most disappointing
The Denver Broncos are the most disappointing NFL team
It has been only two weeks, but the Denver Broncos have been nothing close to what people expected them to be. It could be the lack of reps in the preseason for an offense that is still trying to find chemistry, but this goes deeper than the personnel on the field.
Coaching has been atrocious, to say the least, and Nathaniel Hackett looks way over his head as the head coach of this team. Situationally, Hackett is a disaster, and it is a reason that this offense seems to have no rhythm. Hackett takes 15-20 seconds to get a play in, and by that time, there are already 15 seconds left on the play clock when the Broncos’ offense walks up to the line of scrimmage. Russell Wilson gets little time to make his adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
While Hackett has been dreadful through two games, Wilson has also been a major disappointment. One stat that is alarming is Wilson’s red zone efficiency. In two games, the 33-year-old quarterback has thrown 18 passes, completing eight for no touchdowns.
Another alarming fact is that Denver has scored 16 points in back-to-back games against Seattle’s and Houston’s defenses that offer little to no resistance for most teams. On Sunday, Wilson went 14-31 for 219 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. That comes after a game where he only totaled one touchdown pass.
Back to coaching, Hackett seems to go away from what is working in the game. On Sunday, Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon combined for 122 yards on 25 carries, and yet both of these running backs received no attempts inside the five-yard line. Denver’s coaching staff is forcing the narrative of “Let Russ Cook” when it comes to the red zone. The Broncos will have a lot more success if they hand the ball off to their more than efficient running back tandem.
The Broncos need a lot of work, and if these things continue to happen in week three against San Francisco, it may be time to panic in Denver.