NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

5 reasons the Broncos have been NFL’s biggest disappointment in 2022

By Sayre Bedinger

Nov 27, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Denver Broncos
Nov 27, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett waits for the officials decision during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Broncos hire of Nathaniel Hackett as head coach has not been a good one

Although Nathaniel Hackett came over from the Green Bay Packers highly recommended by Aaron Rodgers, his first year on the job as an NFL head coach has been nothing like what people expected coming over from the operation in Green Bay. With the Packers, Hackett helped design what they called the “Gold Zone” package, which was their red zone package of plays that was seemingly one of the best and most effective in the NFL. The Broncos have had such a hard time scoring in the red zone this season you’d think they were allergic to it.

Hackett’s imprint on the team was overwhelmingly positive early on, but things soured quickly as his game management forced the Broncos to have to hire someone specifically to do that job, and Hackett has recently turned over play-calling duties to QB coach Klint Kubiak.

The staff Hackett hired is young and while they have experience, they are certainly one of the more raw NFL coaching staff in terms of the roles they were given this season. Hackett made the decision to move on from coaches like RBs coach Curtis Modkins and OL coach Mike Munchak, who were two key assistants in Denver and their absence has been noteworthy in 2022.

3. The Broncos lead the NFL in penalties

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s a massive reason why the Broncos have not been able to win all the close games they’ve been in this season. The Broncos are the NFL’s most penalized team, and not that there’s a great time for penalties, but the Broncos’ penalties always seem to be horribly timed. Delay of game penalties and false starts have put this team in too many unmanageable situations in terms of down and distance.

Penalties for the Broncos have negated touchdowns, big plays, and they have generally killed drives. As we have seen this season, any “good” drive from the Broncos is precious and they haven’t been able to overcome the comedy of errors in this area of the game, which was not a problem under the Vic Fangio regime.

Home/Denver Broncos