Getty Broncos head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson talk ahead of their Week 3 game against the Miami Dolphins.
With the Denver Broncos sitting at 0-3 and in last place in the AFC West, the discussion centers on who is to blame for the dysfunction.
Between head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson, Payton was singled out, according to the personalities discussing the topic on the September 27 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.”
Former center Jeff Saturday was the first to side with Wilson.
“This is not a Russell Wilson issue,” he said. “I get what happened last year. Here’s the deal: Your job when Sean Payton got brought in was you are a QB whisperer. You are an offensive-minded guy. Russell Wilson can play brother. There aren’t many out there who have won Super Bowls, and he did it.”
Saturday added that Wilson “is capable of good football” and that every Hall of Fame coach needs a Hall of Fame quarterback.
Anchor Mike Greenberg said he failed to understand how Wilson could be the problem when it was Payton who oversaw the team’s historic meltdown in Week 3, a 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins on September 24.
“If I’m the owner of a football team and my coach says ‘I can’t win with this quarterback’ after giving up 70 points in a game, I’m going to throw him the hell out of my office right now. I don’t even think Russell Wilson belongs in the conversation this week.”
Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears also sided with Wilson, whom he alluded to as being mistreated by the national media.
“I said it last week, man. Russ, he’s just the easiest target in the NFL.”
Dolphins’ Running Back Reveals Laying Off Trash Talk in Blowout of Broncos
Things were so ugly for the Broncos in Week 3 that Miami players seemingly took pity on their opponent.
Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert was asked on “The Rich Eisen Show” whether he laid off the trash talk during his team’s 50-point win.
“I think you should stop talking,” said Mostert on September 26. “Or tell them to check the scoreboard. I think that’s enough that needs to be said.”
Mostert was asked what he sensed from Broncos defenders during Miami’s offensive onslaught.
“I could just tell that the guys were just ready to be done with the game as we were,” he said. “We don’t want to keep putting on a show like that. You want to run the ball out and, unfortunately for them, they still had to stop us. Even stopping the run, it was kind of tricky for them.”
Mostert had 142 total yards and scored 4 touchdowns as Miami recorded 350 yards on the ground in the win.
Rex Ryan Sounds Off on Broncos Defense Again
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan appears bitter about being passed over for the Broncos’ defensive coordinator position.
On September 25, he joined “Get Up” to express his shock over the Broncos giving up 70 points in Week 3.
“You know what’s funny, I’m sitting here like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ That could have been me there — like, literally — maybe they should have ponied up a little bit, you know what I’m saying?”
Ryan alluded to Denver not meeting his contract demands and hiring Vance Joseph instead.
Without directly mentioning Joseph by name, Ryan implied he would do a better job running the defense if he were in charge.
“It’s just brutal. I see it as absolutely a disgrace,” Ryan said. “When you’re sitting back out there, how do you face your team? This is an absolute disaster. Nobody saw this coming. This defense literally was supposed to be a top-five defense in the league and maybe No. 1 with the right guy running it.”
Ryan continued, “I’ve only been on the planet 60 years, never seen anything that bad.”
According to Denver7 reporter Troy Renek, the Broncos’ defense through three games ranks last in several categories, including points per game (40.7), yards ppg (458.3), yards per play (7.2) and yards rushing per game (177.7).