If quarterback Russell Wilson knew the ride was going to be this rough, maybe he would’ve hopped a rocket to Mars instead of getting bucked by these Broncos.

In a sad ending to a sad night, when Denver stunk so badly during a 12-9 overtime loss to Indianapolis that thousands of the most loyal fans in the NFL walked out on the home team with the outcome still in doubt, Wilson walked away from his postgame news conference and on his way out, muttered his trademark tagline: “Broncos Country. Let’s ride.”

We find out now if Wilson is more concerned about building his brand or building the Broncos.

Both Wilson’s reputation and his team are suffering.

The Broncos and their $245 million quarterback are being goofed on and criticized by anybody and everybody, from broadcaster Al Michaels to Hall of Fame tight Shannon Sharpe to NFL Network analyst Kyle Brandt, who has bashed Wilson for being an inauthentic “poser.”

For six years, the Broncos were a bad football team but ignored by most of the country. Now, with the addition of Russell, the shortcomings of players not yet ready for prime time are on display for all the nation to see.

Wilson feels the heat. He took to social media on Saturday and tweeted a quote from Winston Churchill: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Well, DangeRuss, I’ve got news for you:

When a quarterback refers to himself in the third person as Mr. Unlimited, the ride is going to get bumpy when your team is averaging 15 points per game, your QB rating ranks 20th in the league and you’ve thrown fewer touchdown passes than Davis Mills.

“The one thing that I know is I’ve gone through tough times before,” Wilson said after an embarrassing loss to Indianapolis, which dropped Denver to 2-3 with just six measly touchdowns in five games. “I’ve gone through obstacles, I’ve gone through challenges, gone through highs, as well as lows. A lot of highs, several lows, and I wasn’t ever getting discouraged. Ever.”

I believe two things can be true at the same time, and hold both these truths about Wilson to be self-evident.

No. 1: Wilson is genuinely obsessed with winning, which motivates him to do everything from awaking before dawn for work to spending big money on a private team that nurtures his skills and body.

No. 2: Wilson curates and stages his brand as if it were a Vincent Van Gogh exhibit. There’s so much attention to detail it’s difficult for many of us, me included, to relate to the celebrity life of a football player posting so many videos of his rich-and-famous lifestyle it could make a Kardashian blush.

On the final snap of overtime against the Colts, Wilson threw an incomplete pass into the end zone after taking the snap from the shotgun on fourth down and inches from Indy’s 5-yard line. He was so locked in on receiver Courtland Sutton it appeared Wilson had made up his mind to throw the ball to No. 14 from the jump, never looking at KJ Hamler, who broke free from the opposite side of the formation on a rub route designed to exploit man-to-man coverage.

Frustrated in defeat, Hamler reacted like a petulant child, standing in the back of the end zone, before slamming his helmet to the ground and bending over to cover his eyes in disbelief. While some amateur football psychologists speculated Hamler’s hissy fit was proof teammates might be growing frustrated with Wilson, my reaction was far different.

Yes, Wilson made a very bad read on the play. But where does Hamler, whose injury-marred career consists of 37 receptions in three seasons, get off acting like an aggrieved diva?

Outside of Sutton, which of his offensive teammates can Wilson truly trust? Running back Javonte Williams and receiver Tim Patrick, his best weapons other than Sutton, are both hurt. His porous offensive line is on pace to get Wilson and his dinged throwing shoulder sacked 54 times this season, which would be the most punishment endured in his 11-year NFL career. In key moments, coach Nathaniel Hackett scrutinizes and fumbles with his play sheet as if he’s solving a Rubik’s Cube for the first time.

Know why I think Wilson never looked at Hamler in a win-or-go-home situation?

“It is a new offense and Russell comes from a different place. He hasn’t played with any of these guys. So there’s a part of that rhythm, a part of that trust in everybody, whether that be the coaches, whether that be the players, across the board, the guys in the huddle,” Hackett said.

“I think that (No.) 1, obviously we need the time for those guys to get in sync, and at the same time Russell has to feel comfortable. It’s a completely new environment, everything’s different, whether it be coaches, players, everybody. That’s no excuse. We still have to execute at a higher level.”

Wilson is playing football like he can’t truly trust anybody on this team except himself. It’s a tough way to win. And a tougher way to live.

This is no excuse, but until Mr. Unlimited truly starts believing in those other Broncos in his huddle, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.