Russell Wilson has impressive debut in Sean Payton’s offense
Aug 11, 2023, 11:29 PM | Updated: 11:38 pm
Despite what the naysayers might’ve been saying on social media, Russell Wilson’s debut in the Sean Payton offense was a good one. The Broncos quarterback was efficient and effective in the team’s first preseason game against the Cardinals.
On the night, Wilson’s stats were impressive. He was 7-of-13 for 93 yards and one touchdown. He finished with an impressive 102.4 passer rating.
In the process, the QB led the Broncos on three drives that could’ve ended in points. Denver missed two field goals during his first-half play. Wilson’s time concluded with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy.
Of course, that’s not what the Wilson detractors noticed on the night. Instead, they’re focused on the few negatives.
Yes, the Broncos went three-and-out on their first drive. And admittedly, that possession got off on a bad note when Wilson was off target with his first pass of the game.
But other blunders weren’t on the quarterback. Ben Powers got pushed back into Wilson’s face on a pass that wound up getting deflected. Jeudy dropped a pass that would’ve been a first down. And a lack of protection led to two drives ending in field-goal attempts.
Wilson did show a lot of positive flashes. He was mobile in the pocket, buying time on the throw that Jeudy dropped. And he was working the intermediate passing game, hitting Jeudy on completions of 19 yards and 21 yards, and Courtland Sutton for 13 and 19.
It was the quarterback at his best. He didn’t make any bad decisions. He looked athletic. He was throwing darts into the middle of the defense.
“He was sharp,” Payton said about his quarterback.
Russell Wilson was bad during his first season in Denver. But based on his preseason debut in 2023, his second year in the Mile Hight City could be very different. The quarterback looked like the player the Broncos thought they were getting from the Seahawks when they pulled off a blockbuster trade in March 2022.
“It’s all coming together,” Wilson said. “One day at a time.”
It wasn’t perfect. But the Broncos preseason opener was a big-time positive. That’s a step in the right direction.
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