BRONCOS

Is the season opener the biggest game of Russell Wilson’s career?

Sep 9, 2023, 8:25 AM

The wait is finally over. The 2023 NFL season has officially begun, and the football draught is over. Every Sunday for the next 18 weeks, we get to be delighted by some grueling, hard-fought, intense football, and the excitement is overwhelming.

For Broncos Country, the excitement may be a little too overwhelming.

In Week 1, the Broncos kick off the season with a divisional game against the Las Vegas Raiders. And let’s be honest, it might be one of the most crucial games of the year.

This will be our first proper look at Sean Payton and Russell Wilson in action together. It’s hard to tell what a team is all about during preseason. The starters only get a few reps and run a simplified version of their playbook. Now, all the training wheels are off. It’s go time, and Payton will set the tone for the rest of the season. The Broncos are back to compete.

All offseason, Payton has been preaching that he wants to bring back the winning culture this franchise once had. He’s been making massive organizational changes to ensure that he’s changing the culture in the building. With the season officially beginning, it’s time for Payton to show the rest of the league what he’s capable of.

This game against the Raiders will set a precedent with Broncos fans for the rest of the season.

It’s been a tough few years for the Broncos now that the Raiders beat us six consecutive times, and the Kansas City Chiefs hold a 15-game winning streak over them. It’s been embarrassing to watch over the past few seasons, and after some of the most significant moves in franchise history, these losing streaks are expected to end under Payton’s new regime.

The Broncos are under even more pressure this week, considering Deion Sanders came out last week and turned the University of Colorado football program into the country’s most-exciting college team. Payton and Wilson have some big shoes to fill on Sunday.

Arguably, this could be the biggest game of Wilson’s life. He’s been on this downfall since last season, and this year could make or break his NFL career, depending on how he plays.

Wilson stated, “I’m used to some of those who believe and some of those who doubt, and I think that when you’re playing high stakes and you dream to be the best you can possibly be every day, there’s always going to be people that question whether you can do it or not.”

He has grown custom to the doubters and is ready to come out and show the league that he’s back and ready to compete.

***

Broncos

Broncos throwback uniforms...

Andrew Mason

The three best games for the Broncos to wear throwback uniforms

The Broncos can wear their throwback-style uniforms up to twice this season ... so, which games are the best candidates?

2 minutes ago

Broncos QB Bo Nix...

James Merilatt

Broncos schedule provides a perfect place for Bo Nix’s first start

Putting a young quarterback in a position to succeed is important, which is why the Broncos need to be calculated when it comes to Bo Nix

11 hours ago

Sean Payton Broncos Power Rankings...

Will Petersen

NFL Power Rankings have Broncos as the 31st team in the league

ESPN placed the Broncos as the 31st best team in the league in their new Power Rankings, only ahead of the Panthers to avoid being dead last

12 hours ago

Broncos schedule helmet...

Andrew Mason

The Broncos schedule is out … now, what’s going to happen?

Now that the Broncos schedule for the 2024 season is out ... what's going to happen? Andrew Mason takes a shot at predicting.

1 day ago

Las Vegas Grand Prix...

James Merilatt

Five road trips that every Broncos fan should consider in 2024

Year two of the Sean Payton era features a lot of notable road games, as Denver travels to some great destinations, making for prime roadies

1 day ago

Bo Nix Sean Payton Broncos 2024 schedule...

Will Petersen

Ranking the five biggest games on the 2024 Broncos schedule

Take a dive into the Broncos five biggest games on their 2024 schedule, and the juiciest storylines as we start to prepare for the season

1 day ago

Is the season opener the biggest game of Russell Wilson’s career?