Getty Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson celebrates a touchdown with running back Jaleel McLaughlin.
In the Denver Broncos‘ first win of the 2023 season, quarterback Russell Wilson played a big part in a thrilling 31-28 comeback win over the Chicago Bears.
Broncos win.
Hackett next on schedule.
Life is good.
Wilson was seemingly in awe of his teammates, as the Broncos scored 24 unanswered points after trailing 28-7 early in the second half.
“It was huge for us,” Wilson told reporters on October 1. “We’re all in this thing together. It was a ‘we’ thing and everybody just believed. It was a beautiful demonstration of resilience. Beautiful demonstration of not giving up and not giving in.”
Wilson said his experience prepared him to thrive in the game’s most significant moments.
“When the game’s on the line, that’s when you gotta love it most. You gotta have great belief and you gotta have no fear. The biggest thing about winning and winning comeback games and all that is everybody, not just you.”
Wilson said his career has been full of great moments but noted the win over Chicago “was one of my favorite ones.”
Wilson had a 133.5 passer rating, his best since joining the Broncos before the 2022 season. Through four games, Wilson has passed for 1,014 yards with 9 touchdown passes while completing 67% of his passes. It took until Week 15 in 2022 to throw his ninth touchdown.
Sean Payton earned his first win with the Broncos as the team prepares to face former head coach Nathaniel Hackett in Week 5.
Wilson Praises Payton After First Win as Broncos’ Head Coach
Wilson wasn’t just complimentary of his teammates. He praised head coach Sean Payton — “an amazing coach” — for his first win with the Broncos.
“I’m happy for Coach Payton,” he said. “An amazing coach, Hall of Fame coach, a guy who teaches the game at the highest level. For him to get his first win here was exciting for all of us.”
Payton returned to the sidelines in 2023 after a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints, where he won the 2010 Super Bowl.
The veteran head coach was proud of how his team fought “when it would have been real easy not to.”
According to Payton, he said he understood that the Broncos have plenty of issues to clean up but plans to enjoy the win in the meantime.
“Hopefully it’s the first of many relative to where we’re going. We have a lot of work to do still, but we can enjoy this,” he said.
Defense Struggled Early Before Clamping Down in the Second Half
Through the first three games, the Broncos’ struggles on defense were evident. Given how they started the game, Denver was fortunate to have escaped with a win at Soldier Field.
Chicago had averaged 250 yards of offense through the first three games and easily eclipsed their average in the first half alone, gaining 265 total yards.
The Bears finished with 471 offensive yards as Justin Fields threw for a career-high 335 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Fields opened the first half with a Bears’ franchise-record 16-straight completions. The Ohio State product was 16-of-17 in the half, the lone incompletion coming on a failed Hail Mary attempt right before halftime.
During the first half of the last two games, the Broncos have forced a single incompletion on 33 passing attempts.
Hard to believe, but that Justin Fields Hail Mary at the end of the half was the first first-half incompletion against the #Broncos since Week 2.
Tua Tagovailoa: 16/16, 206, 2 TDs
Justin Fields: 16/17, 231, 3 TDs
Total: 32/33, 437, 5 TDs
After falling behind 28-7, the Broncos showed signs of life on defense. The final four offensive drives for Chicago included a punt, a 35-yard fumble return touchdown, a turnover on downs in field goal range and an interception.
Giving up 98 points in the last two weeks isn’t great by any stretch of the imagination. However, there were a few positive takeaways for the defense late in the game to be encouraged by.