Russell Wilson flourishes late and in ‘spontaneous,’ up-tempo attack, but Sean Payton doused notion of that being a base offense

The splits of Russell Wilson are obvious. So, it begged an equally evident question Tuesday: Is there anything the Broncos can take from the fourth-quarter work of Wilson and the offense to apply to the rest of the game?

The Broncos increased their tempo. They spread the field — even without Courtland Sutton, lost for the game due to a concussion.

“Yeah, it was more spontaneous, it was more spread (formation), empty (backfield),” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.

“We got to the line of scrimmage. We were in a stage of the game where we weren’t in hurry-up/two-minute but we certainly were up-tempo. And a lot of it was empty, no back. And we made some plays.”

Until the fateful three-and-out inside of the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, the Broncos strung together touchdown drives of 83 and 78 yards — after their previous nine drives averaged just 10.1 net yards per series.

Only a short-field touchdown drive after a Marvin Mims Jr. punt return kept the Broncos from absorbing a shutout through three quarters … and that was the only score from three-straight game-opening possessions that started in New England territory.

The difference was stark.

However, Payton doused some cold water on the notion of mimicking the fourth-quarter tactics more often in the game.

“It’s hard to say you’re going to make a living that way as your base offense,” he said.

Asked Sean Payton if there was anything to take from the 4th qtr. to perhaps apply to the rest of the game. “It was more spontaneous, it was more spread empty (backfield)… And we made some plays. But it’s hard to say you’re going to make a living that way as your base offense.” pic.twitter.com/8C3z0SV3vD

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) December 26, 2023

In other words, the beyond-structure, “spontaneous” and rapid-fire nature of the Broncos’ play is not something that can unilaterally apply to the balance of the game.

So, there it is.

And while Russell Wilson flourished in quick-pace, “spontaneous” mode … don’t expect to see it all the time. Like the “turbo” button in “Galaxy Quest,” apparently it’s designed for short bursts … not an entire game.

And in the remainder of the contest, he — and the offense — languished, as it has for too many lengthy stretches so far this season.

The Week 16 grades follow:

OFFENSE

OVERALL GRADE: C-minus

The final 15 minutes bailed out the unit, preventing it from a failing mark, but this is now four-straight weeks in which the offense has found itself confounded for significant stretches of the first half.

PASSING OFFENSE: C

It’s a split grade, right? An ‘A-minus’ for the fourth quarter … and a ‘D,’ at best, for the game’s first three quarters. The right side of the offensive line was a particular pressure point, conceding three of the sacks allowed at the expense of Russell Wilson.

Brandon Johnson had the only dropped pass. But overall, this was a performance that saw the Broncos dodge bullets; two Wilson passes toward the end zone should have been intercepted, but weren’t.

RUSHING OFFENSE: C-minus

The positive was the use of Jaleel McLaughlin, which was the best utilization of the rookie in two months. McLaughlin operated well in space and wasn’t forced into roles beyond his skill set; Payton and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi utilized him well. But Javonte Williams continues to lack the explosiveness he showed constantly prior to his injury. Every yard is tough for the determined third-year running back, whose spirit remains more than willing … but who probably needs another offseason of rest and strengthening to try and recapture his former pace.

DEFENSE

OVERALL GRADE: C-plus

Denver’s defense forced seven three-and-outs and a one-play series with a takeaway in 13 Patriots series, mostly neutralizing New England. But the Patriots were able to string together just enough.

PASSING DEFENSE: D

Pat Surtain II is unquestionably one of the game’s elite cornerbacks, but this was not his night. It wasn’t a stellar night for Ja’Quan McMillian, either. Bailey Zappe was on point, and the coverage was not. And Zappe, despite being in journeyman territory, was good enough to take advantage.

Another disappointing aspect of this game was the pass rush, which largely went silent after D.J. Jones’ burst and sack of Zappe on the initial play from scrimmage.

RUSHING DEFENSE: A-minus

New England didn’t offer much, as Ezekiel Elliott is a shadow of his former dominant self at this stage in his career. Lanes were scarce for the Patriots, who didn’t record a single carry of 10 or more yards in the entire game. Denver’s tackling was also much better than it was against the Lions. It was a nice bounce-back performance … although the Patriots posed fewer and easier questions than Detroit’s high-wattage ground attack did eight days earlier.

SPECIAL TEAMS

OVERALL GRADE: C-minus

Riley Dixon had another solid night punting, and Wil Lutz can’t really be docked of missing a 57-yard attempt — which is his first miss of any kind since he failed to connect on an extra-point attempt in Buffalo on Nov. 13. But no single play in any phase Sunday had a greater impact on the outcome than Mims fumbled kickoff. That overshadows everything else — even the 52-yard return that set up a Broncos touchdown, which saw some outstanding blocking.