Denver Broncos’ Russell Wilson is in his worst season ever in the NFL. 11 seasons in, and he would definitely not have predicted he’d be in this position today. In fact, not a lot of people did. His signing was an eventful one, the Broncos taking a massive gamble, and giving up so much for him. But this season at least, they won’t be making any good returns on their investment.
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The Broncos’ 37-point loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday capped off an excruciatingly painful season for both the team and the fans. Touted to be a major threat at the beginning of the season, the team’s offense is one of the worst in the league right now. Last in points scored per game (15.5), and last in third down conversion rates.
Sunday’s game also brought about a career low for Russell Wilson, with a 3.7 QB rating. Added to that, his stats this season have been painfully underwhelming. With news of head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s firing breaking today morning, it will be interesting to see where the problem really lies.
Russell Wilson posts abysmal drop in stats in Broncos debut season
Wilson’s season, compared to his last with the Seattle Seahawks, is a major eye-opener. His adjusted QBR last year was 60.6. But this year, it has taken a huge hit, and now stands at 34.9, down by 25.7 points. Even his average passer rating is down, with what was 103.1 last year, taking a 20.5 points drop to 82.6. In better news, he has bettered his rushing yards from 4.3 last year to 5.4 this year.
To make things even worse, Russell has created another embarrassing record. He has registered the largest decline in passer rating in first season with a new franchise. This season, his rating was down by 20.5 points which is enough to prove why he is getting unanimous hate. He broke Matt Cassel’s record whose rating dropped by 19.5 points back in 2009.
Largest decline in Passer Rating in first season with a new team since the merger
(min. 300 attempts each season)2022 Russell Wilson -20.5
2009 Matt Cassel -19.5
2018 Alex Smith -19.0 pic.twitter.com/B5n4xNyzEN— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 26, 2022
His pass completion rate seems to be relatively stable, with only a 4% drop, which can easily be recovered if he plays well in the next few games. He’s also only a few hundred yards short of last year’s numbers, which is a good thing, in a way. But more concerning is that someone who has never scored less than 20 TDs in a season for 10 years, could only manage 12 this season.
Wilson’s fall from grace has been a rather rapid one, and it is definitely affecting his team. To see such a heavily paid quarterback perform so miserably, will have an impact not just on the team, but on the fans as well. In fact, if not for the $245 million contract he’s on, he could very well be on the bench. If things go the way they are, he might just become the NFL’s most expensive benchwarmer.
That is definitely not a title Wilson or the Broncos’ ownership will be looking to pin on him. Wilson will have a new shot at redemption when the new head coach finally comes in. Whether or not he makes use of that opportunity, is in his hands. But no matter how much money he is drawing, the Broncos might not want to play a sub-par QB, if they can get a better one for much cheaper. A likely outcome.
Also Read: Highest Score in NFL History: Story of The Commanders Game in Which Most Points Were Scored
