Russell Wilson is not the problem for the Denver Broncos

From an outsider’s perspective, it might be easy to point to Russell Wilson as being the problem with the Broncos, but that is not the case.  The Broncos lost another game on Sunday, falling to the Ravens, 10-9.

The defense did their job all game yet again but allowed a game-winning touchdown drive with little time on the block.  Russell Wilson was efficient, going 17/22 for 189 yards.  Today showed me more than any game so far that Wilson is not the problem with the Denver Broncos.

The injuries, especially on offense, have been hard to ignore.  The team has lost their starting left and right tackles.  They also have lost Javonte Williams and Tim Patrick for the year, and both Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler have each missed time.

It became increasingly clear to me that the situation that Wilson has to deal with is simply not something that even the best quarterbacks can overcome.  Courtland Sutton left the game for the Broncos on Sunday, and at one point, the most reliable pass catcher on the field for the Broncos was Greg Dulcich, a rookie tight end.

The play-calling for the Broncos against the Ravens was also questionable.  Baltimore sports one of the best run defenses in the NFL and one of the worst pass defenses.  For some reason, Denver decided to call more runs than passes on Sunday, and many of their runs came on first and second and long.

It was a puzzling gameplan to me, and something that Russell Wilson tried to make the best of.  He’s easy to criticize because of his personality and because he’s a notable quarterback, but the issues with the team are going far beyond what he can control.

Going into the 2023 season, the Broncos need to retool their offense a bit and hire a new head coach who won’t be in over his own head.