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The Denver Broncos saw another potential comeback win elude them in the final minutes at home against the New York Jets in Week 5.
Quarterback Russell Wilson put up solid numbers in the loss, but they didn’t impress television personality Mike Greenberg when discussing the Broncos’ star on the October 9 episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“Russell Wilson looks the worst I’ve ever seen him look, whether it was under Nathaniel Hackett or anyone else.”
Wilson completed 20-of-31 passes against New York for 196 yards and two touchdown passes, finishing with a 103.7 passer rating. However, Wilson lost a crucial fumble that was returned 39 yards for a touchdown with 29 seconds left to play in regulation.
Wilson was also sacked four times and hit seven other times. Greenberg suggested that head coach Sean Payton was to blame for making Wilson appear “uncomfortable” in the pocket.
“If I was a petty person, I would say Sean Payton is supposed to be a genius when it comes to building up quarterbacks,” he said. “And maybe a petty person could suggest he had the good fortune of having Drew Brees, because Russell Wilson looks so uncomfortable when he’s out there, and I know the Jets have a really good pass rush. He looks terrible.”
Denver has endured a rough ride since acquiring Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos have gone 5-15 with Wilson as a starter since the start of the 2022 season.
Wilson Shares Thoughts on ‘Unfortunate Play’ That Hurt Broncos Early
Aside from the game-sealing fumble return for a touchdown, Wilson made another crucial error with 4:24 left in the first quarter.
Wilson was forced into a safety after the Broncos made a rare defensive stop following their fourth opening-drive touchdown in five games. The quarterback acknowledged it was a “bad play, unfortunate play by me.”
“I was trying to get outside to throw it away,” Wilson told reporters on October 8. “But they got to me just right before I could throw it away over the flat’s head. There was a lot of game left. We still did a lot of good things in the first half. We did some good things there, but we have to be cleaner in the third [quarter].”
The Broncos held a 13-8 halftime lead over the Jets and failed to score until late in the fourth quarter. Denver fell to 0-3 at home, with every game being decided in the final minutes.
Wilson lamented all the missed opportunities the Broncos have had in their first five games.
“We really should and could be 4-1,” he said. “But ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’ is not good enough.”
Broncos’ Defense Continues to Let Team Down
Heading into Week 5, the Broncos had the worst defense according to DVOA since the 1981 season. Their ranking unsurprisingly got even worse following their loss to the Jets.
In their season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Broncos gave up season lows in points (17) and yardage (261). Since then, Denver has allowed at least 350 yards of offense and 28 points in each of their last four games.
The Broncos have given up 1,604 offensive yards in their last three games against the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and Jets. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS Denver, 755 yards have come through the run game.
Denver gave up 234 rushing yards to New York as second-year running back Breece Hall rushed for a career-high 177 yards on 22 carries.
Reigning MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs await the Broncos’ defense in Week 6. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has a lot to figure out ahead of Thursday Night Football on October 12.
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