Wilson can be fixed, Jeudy is a No. 1 and Simmons makes his case

The Denver Broncos finished their lost 2022 season the right way. On Sunday, the Broncos registered just their fifth win of the season by beating the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 31-28 in the season finale.
The Chargers are headed to the postseason, and they didn’t need to win this game to alter their spot in the playoffs. However, their starters played more than some thought they would, and Denver was able to put up a fight against one of the best teams in the league.

Broncos interim head coach Jerry Rosburg talked about what it feels like to get a “W” as a head coach in the NFL.

“It’s only my first NFL win in that position, as you know. I felt the same, real frankly. I’ve had the same kind of feelings with other wins that I wasn’t necessarily in that position. I think it’s football that does that to you. Whatever your role is, you just try to do the best you can and contribute to a team victory. The fact that I wasn’t calling plays on any side of the ball, and I was managing the game, I didn’t feel like it was any different. I felt the same way, just felt great. So yes, is a significant thing for us? Yeah. For our family it’s great. I honestly don’t think that it felt any different because I’ve had a lot of great joyful moments with my teams before and that was one of them,” Rosburg said.

Here are my three biggest observations from the win over the Chargers.

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Russ Can Be Fixed

I believe Broncos QB Russell Wilson can play good football with the right direction. Former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett could not command the veteran quarterback in the way he needs to. Instead, Wilson was thrust into this amalgamation of an offense that didn’t play to the strengths of Wilson or the rest of the team. We’ve seen flashes of “vintage Russ” over the course of the 2022 season, but over the last two games it has been clear; Wilson can still play at a high level.

Rosburg gave offensive coordinator Justin Outten the duties of calling the plays, something Hackett never did. Outten has done an outstanding job of setting up the offense to Wilson’s strengths – and that includes featuring him as a runner and a passer. Wilson may not be the player he used to be, but he’s not washed by any means. Instead, Wilson’s offense needs to set him up for success by utilizing bootlegs and rollouts in addition to shotgun passing from the pocket.

Wilson can be a threat as a runner. Yes, he’s not quite what he used to be as a runner but he’s not some slappy like the way Hackett was treating him by forcing him into the pocket – or limiting him (and the offense) in shotgun-heavy formations. Wilson can still run, and he can use his legs to extend plays – not out of desperation but instead by design.

“That whole narrative—we live in the world we live in today. I can make some comments about that, but I’ll keep them to myself. I think we all understand that there’s an overload of opinion out there that’s masked. So when those things start snowballing then people just pile on. I think it would be good that everybody be careful not to judge. Look about you, we all have our issues. We do. So it’s wisdom not to judge others. I think what you saw out there from Russell Wilson, is Russell. That’s who he is. He is a Hall of Fame NFL quarterback. Everything has to fit together for the quarterback to play winning football. I think you saw what it would look like if we got to that point. That’s how I feel about Russell Wilson. He deserves to have his teammates stand up for him, and he got that, and I think that’s a noble gesture by his teammates. It was demonstrated out there how they feel about him, too,” Rosburg said.

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Becoming a No.1

Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy had a lot to prove this season. The team has to make a decision on his fifth-year option (for the 2024 season) after this year, and the former first-round pick has essentially made the decision for the Broncos with his outstanding play. Jeudy has become a true no.1 receiver this season, but it took some time for him to start playing up to his potential.

Things were unlocked for Jeudy a few weeks ago when he was made the backside “X” receiver and the primary read in the offense. This happened when WR Courtland Sutton was missing time due to injury, and Jeudy flourished as he could get open with ease and the ball was coming to him quickly. This plan got Jeudy into a rhythm quickly, and he seemed more focused when he knew the ball was coming to him often.

When Sutton returned from his injury, the Broncos had to figure out how to keep Jeudy involved – and it seems like they did that. Jeudy finished off the season with a monster performance of five catches for 154 yards. Jeudy even contributed three carries for 39 yards against the Chargers.

The old rule in the NFL was it takes three years for a receiver to break out in the pros. Some of the greats from the past – in fact, many greats from yesteryear – used to take that long to emerge in the NFL. Today’s game is a bit different as wide receivers can make immediate impacts (see guys like Justin Jefferson), but with Jeudy here we are with a year-3 breakout. He almost finished with 1,000 yards on the season, but it seems like he’s trending that way after finishing 2022 with such a strong performance.

“The statement he made is the performance you see out there. Jerry made a statement verbally in support of Russell Wilson, and that was profound. I also think—you just watched the guy play. I’m so impressed by his abilities and he’s still growing. I saw a much more physicalJerry Jeudy so it’s a good thing. It’s a physical game, and he’s got the ability. He is a great player,” Rosburg said.

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Thank God For Simmons

I feel that Broncos S Justin Simmons is the best in the game at his position. Some may disagree, but I think any NFL fan or analyst can admit that Simmons is at least top-5 at his position. To me, it’s the fact that Simmons can do everything that puts him in the top spot.

Simmons is a ballhawk who can find the ball in the air. He’s got 20 interceptions over the last four seasons. Think about that, especially given the fact that Denver’s offense didn’t force other teams into pass-happy mode that often. Simmons does a good job of baiting opposing quarterbacks into thinking guys are open only to swoop in for the pick.

In addition to what he does in coverage, Simmons will come up and support the run. He also does a good job of punching out the ball when others are making the tackle. Against the Chargers, Simmons forced two fumbles that Denver was able to recover. His playmaking ability goes beyond just getting interceptions, and he’s quite aware of scenarios where his special playmaking abilities are needed. Simply put; Simmons has good instincts for playing this great game.

Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has been able to build on what former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio started. There is no doubt that Simmons fits what Evero does, and Simmons heaped praise on Evero after the Chargers game when asked about the coaching vacancy.

“Selfishly, I would love to be with Coach ‘E’ (Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero). Whatever that looks like, head coach, back as D-coordinator again. Selfishly, I would love to be with him. He’s helped my game so much this year. You always learn—just when you think you know a good amount, you always learn so much more from a new mind and a new set of eyes and the way that he coaches and the way that affects coaches, the assistant coaches around the defensive room. I’m just so thankful for him and his leadership. I’ve learned so much from him, both on and off the field. Selflessly, I would really hope he gets that job (as a head coach). Obviously, it would be great if it was here, but for him to get that opportunity somewhere, I think he is more than deserving of it. He is just a tremendous leader. I could be up here for hours just talking about how amazing of a coach and a man he is. I’m just really appreciative of him and he deserves it,” Simmons said.

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