The Denver Broncos were left for dead by many people earlier in the season. After coming out of the gate 0-3 and losing five out of their first six, it was hard to imagine a turnaround occurring. But, that is exactly what has happened over the last month.
The Broncos have won four games in a row, climbing back to the .500 mark with a 5-5 record. Vance Joseph has gotten the defense back on track, which has helped the team beat some good teams in the last few weeks.
Another reason for their season getting turned around is the performance of quarterback Russell Wilson. Many people were writing Wilson off after a disastrous first season with the Broncos. His production cratered and the offense was a mess under head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired after Week 16.
Wilson, in the opinion of many, was washed. But, he has proven that not to be the case in 2023, as he has gotten things on track under Sean Payton. While his yardage numbers aren’t as high as we have seen in the past, he is leading scoring drives and not turning the ball over, which is key.
In fact, Wilson has a chance to join an elite group of Broncos quarterbacks this week. In Week 12, Denver is set to host the 7-3 Cleveland Browns. With 19 touchdown passes on the season, if he can throw one against Cleveland, Wilson will become only the seventh quarterback in franchise history to have 20+ through 11 games.
During the team’s current winning streak, Wilson has been very productive. He enters Week 12 having recorded a quarterback rating of 100+ in three straight games. If he can do it for a fourth time against the Browns, he will become the first player to accomplish that for the Broncos since Peyton Manning in 2014.
That’s pretty good for a guy that looked like a shell of himself in 2022. It goes to show how much coaching matters as Payton has put Wilson in a system he is more comfortable with, taking advantage of his unique skill set. It has helped the Broncos get back on track as they are right in the thick of the playoff picture in the AFC.
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