We pray Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson isn’t washed up.
Please, can the football gods give us a sign?
“Every time you step between the white lines, it’s a gift. That’s how I look at it,” said Wilson, looking forward to taking his first preseason snaps with new coach Sean Payton when Denver travels to Arizona for an exhibition game Friday night. “It’s a gift to play the game that we all love and God has granted us the ability to play.”
Although he has shaken the confidence of Broncos Country to the core, Wilson preaches nothing but optimism.
But we will take nothing on faith.
After an abysmal debut season in Denver, when Wilson stunk and the Broncos finished 5-12, now we will find out if all that putridness really was all the fault of that knucklehead Nathaniel Hackett.
Or is Denver doomed to an eighth straight season of missing the NFL playoffs because it’s tied to a 34-year-old quarterback who has slimmed down, but hasn’t surrendered any of the money in his big, fat contract?
The silly summer season that is pro football in August is generally only good for two things.
No. 1: Fulfilling the dreams of a young player who proves he can play in the league.
And No. 2: Making fools of the rest of us, because we tend to jump to conclusions far too early and far too often after watching a game that doesn’t count in the standings.
Well, far be it from me to leap to a rash opinion, but it says here the 15-18 snaps Wilson is expected to play with Denver’s first team offense in the Arizona desert will be his most vital minutes in the exhibition season since Aug. 18, 2012, when he was a rookie quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks.
That date from nearly 11 years ago might mean nothing to you, unless I offer a reminder that it was the first time Peyton Manning played quarterback in Denver while wearing a Broncos uniform.
The performance of Manning, still shaking off the rust from neck surgery, was uneven against the Seahawks. He led two scoring drives in the opening half, staking the Broncos to a 10-9 lead, but also threw two interceptions.
It was a kid out of the University of Wisconsin, a former infielder in the Rockies farm system, who stole the show. Wilson came off the bench for the Seahawks and completed 10 of 17 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, leading Seattle to a 30-10 preseason victory and making a serious case to be the starting QB.
All these years later, Wilson can still see himself as a young man, inhaling the thin air of Colorado and soaking up the atmosphere of Broncomania. He turned to offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and declared: “Man, this is special.”
Then, as Wilson recalls, Bevell fired back with these encouraging words: “Yeah, you’re going to be special one day.”
Maybe he was humbled by failure in his first season as Denver’s quarterback.
But Wilson never tires of reminding us how great he is.
We no longer will take that on faith, DangeRuss.
Asked what he expects of Wilson against Arizona, Payton said: “You want to get in there, and you want to see clean execution and timing. Most importantly for the quarterback is that you’re moving the ball and giving yourself a chance to score.”
The Broncos were the most inept offense in the league in 2022. Yes, I place most of the blame on Hackett, whose staff couldn’t even execute the basics, such as getting the play call to Wilson in an efficient manner.
Payton has taken great pains not only to clown on Hackett, but to insist the clown show will be over on his watch. It remains to be seen, however, if Payton can reverse the steep downward trajectory of Wilson’s career.
I firmly believe it’s possible, but would be a fool to take it on faith.
So I will be watching intently when Wilson breaks the huddle in a preseason game that won’t be meaningless, because everybody from the Broncos quarterback to the team’s fan base needs to rediscover their mojo.
We’ve had our fill of drives led by Wilson that go 1-2-3-kick.
And field goals won’t do much to restore confidence.
The first time Denver gets the football against Arizona, Wilson needs to lead a touchdown drive.
OK, it won’t conclusively prove he’s on track to be the comeback player of the year.
All we’re asking for is some tangible evidence of hope.
Unlike the summer of his rookie year, way back in 2012, Wilson isn’t fighting anybody for the right to be the starting quarterback. If for no other reason, that $245 million contract extension guarantees the job is his.
The task for Wilson now is far tougher.
He must win back the confidence of everyone in Broncos Country, from players in the locker room to fans sick and tired of losing.
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