Broncos Country sends Greg Penner a clear message on Sunday
Dec 19, 2022, 6:00 AM | Updated: 6:24 am
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Last week, there was a growing sentiment that Nathaniel Hackett could return next season. It started to feel like the Broncos head coach might get a second opportunity to get things right in Denver.
Part of this was the weird euphoria that seemed to run through the franchise after a moral victory last week against the Chiefs. There were plenty of positive vibes that seemed to come from a 31-28 loss.
As a result, the excuses started to get thrown around, defenses for Hackett’s poor first season. The number of injuries the Broncos have endured is at the top of the list, especially with Dre’Mont Jones becoming the latest Denver player to be added to injured reserve. This joined the newness of a first-year staff and quarterback getting used to a new situation, as well as the quirky schedule early in the season, and it felt like the Broncos might be talking themselves into keeping Hackett.
More validation for that sense came on Sunday morning. Seemingly out of nowhere, Adam Schefter posted a tweet about how much money NFL teams have spent on fired coaches during the last five seasons.
As the firing season approaches, NFL officials informed the owners of the league’s 32 franchises that teams have spent $800 million on fired coaches and front-office executives over the past five years.https://t.co/T0LVWMWy2B
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 18, 2022
That sounds like a big number, but it’s not that bad when broken down by team. Essentially, it’s $25 million per franchise, or $5 million per season. Teams “waste” that much money on free-agent offensive guards on an annual basis.
Thus, it begs a simple question: Who leaked that information to Schefter? The answer is most likely someone who would benefit from planting the seed that patience with a struggling coach is the financially prudent course of action. The Broncos certainly fall into that category.
George Paton likely wants Hackett to be retained. That would ensure that the general manager also returns. It seems unlikely that he’d get a second chance to pick a head coach just 12 months after missing so badly on the selection of Hackett.
Clearly, Greg Penner is leaning that way too. Otherwise, the Broncos owner would’ve already pulled the plug on Hackett. He’s had plenty of evidence to suggest that the head coach should be broomed, but he hasn’t made the move.
Denver had lost nine out of 10 games heading into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, including five straight. They had the league’s worst offense, a putrid special teams unit and were the NFL’s most-penalized team. They’ve also endured a rash of non-contact injuries, something that could easily be connected to the head coach’s decision to go easy during training camp and the preseason in an ill-fated attempt to remain healthy late in the season.
Add it all up and the case is easy to make. Hackett isn’t the right guy.
But there’s no guarantee that he won’t be back next season. There’s still a chance that the Broncos Country will run it back for a second campaign with Hackett in charge.
Unless Penner was paying attention on Sunday. If he was, he saw that Broncos Country sent a very loud message at Empower Field.
At kickoff, the stadium was extremely empty. As the game went on, it filled up a little bit. But the team announced 18,423 no-shows. That’s a remarkable number.
Why? Because the fans aren’t buying into this mess. They’ve lost hope. They’re tired of the losing. They’re fed up with the poor play. And they aren’t going to spend their time and money to watch this team play in person.
Apathy has set in. That’s a staggering statement in Broncos Country.
It used to be that fans showed up no matter what. The orange-and-blue faithful were dedicated to a fault, filling the stands snow or shine, whatever the team’s record.
But times have changed. It’s not 1988 anymore. Fans have too many other options.
HDTV makes the at-home viewing experience better than in-person. Throw in no bathroom lines, NFL RedZone to keep track of fantasy players and much cheaper concessions, and it’s pretty easy to see why people would choose to avoid the hassle of attending the game, especially when it’s a battle between 3-10 and 4-9 teams.
Broncos Country isn’t buying into the current product. That won’t change between now and the end of the season, even with some meaningless wins.
There’s no way the team can sell the fan base on Paton, Hackett and Russell Wilson being the answer in 2023. That idea will go over like a lead balloon.
Attendance at training camp will be sparse. Enthusiasm at the start of the season will be cautious, at best. And as soon as things start to go awry again, Sunday’s scene at Empower Field will return.
A win over the Cardinals won’t change the fact. A good performance against the Chiefs won’t either.
This ship has sailed. Here’s hoping Greg Penner realizes it.
Hitting the reset button isn’t a viable option this offseason. It’s still time to clean house.
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