The Denver Broncos' 2022 season was filled with disappointment. Prior to the season, the Broncos made a series of splashy moves, including trading for quarterback Russell Wilson. Because of these moves, expectations ahead of the 2022 season were extremely high. But in a cruel twist of fate, Denver fell short in virtually every category. Bad coaching, injuries, and poor offensive play ultimately ended up torpedoing the Broncos' season, and they even wound up firing Nathaniel Hackett before he could even make it through one season.
Let's take a look at some of the Broncos' biggest disappointments from the 2022 season.
4. Horrible play by the Broncos' offensive line
In 2022, Denver's offensive line was arguably the team's worst-performing unit. On top of being constantly reshuffled due to injuries, it really seemed like the offensive line just straight-up forgot how to protect the quarterback.
When do we start talking about the fact that the #Broncos offensive line (specifically in pass protection) is REALLY hindering this offense?
Penalties, poor blocking, overall poor play, etc.
— Rachel Strand (@RachelNFL) October 2, 2022
Wilson was sacked a whopping 55 times during the season, tied for the most in the league. Honestly, it's a bit of a miracle Wilson didn't end up seriously hurt. Had the Broncos had a less-mobile quarterback, that number could have easily been much higher.
An offense will only go as far as an offensive line allows it to go. If the Broncos want to improve offensively, a complete overhaul of their offensive line might be needed.
3. RB Melvin Gordon
In April 2022, Gordon re-signed with the Broncos on a one-year deal. This move was a bit of a head-scratcher considering Javonte Williams had easily established himself as Denver's best running back. Gordon was still adamant that he would compete for the starting role.
Unfortunately for Gordon, his 2022 campaign went about as poorly as it could have gone. He had a serious issue with fumbles, some of which ended up being game-losing ones. Despite this, Gordon was still given multiple opportunities.
That should be the absolute last time Melvin Gordon ever touches a football in a Denver Broncos uniform. It’s inexplicable. Cut him at halftime. How are we STILL having these conversations?!
— Zach Bye (@byesline) November 20, 2022
While he had back-to-back 900-yard rushing seasons with the Broncos, the fumbles eventually became too much. In late November, Denver waived the veteran running back.
2. QB Russell Wilson
The Broncos gave up a hefty package of picks and players to acquire Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the Broncos finally had themselves a quarterback. Unfortunately, the joy Broncos fans felt after getting a quarterback quickly dwindled.
In his first year in an orange and blue uniform, Wilson had one of his worst seasons statistically. He threw for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. A final stat line like this was obviously something no one, including the Broncos, anticipated.
Wilson's poor season leaves many questioning whether or not he is “washed.” Because Denver signed Wilson to a mega-deal prior to the season, they're financially tied to him for a while despite how he plays. It's probably too early to call it quits on Wilson, but as it stands after the 2022 season, fans are understandably nervous about the future.
1. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett
Hackett was hired as head coach of the Broncos in January 2022, but found himself out of said position before he could even complete his first season.
The Broncos targeted the offensive-minded Hackett after seeing his success with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. With consecutive years of watching a lackluster offense, Denver hoped Hackett would come in and revamp things. Ironically, the exact opposite happened.
Hackett led the Broncos to a miserable 4-11 record. The offense was historically bad, even breaking some long-time team records. Everything about the team under Hackett was flat-out embarrassing.
The future of the team under Hackett's reign looked bleak. Broncos ownership decided to step in and cut their losses, dismissing Hackett two games before the end of the season. Jerry Rosburg was named the interim head coach. Weirdly enough, in the final two games of the season, Denver's offense was actually moving and somehow looked good. The Broncos lost a close game to their division rival Kansas City Chiefs, but rebounded the following week and closed out the season with a dominant win against a playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers team.
The Denver Broncos' ownership group, which made the decision to fire Nathaniel Hackett this past week, is expected to be "ultra aggressive" in doing whatever it takes to land the head-coaching candidate they want.https://t.co/aEIC9EapJu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 1, 2023
With how different the team looked in the final two games, it became alarmingly evident that Hackett was a big source of the Broncos' problems. Now that Hackett is gone, maybe Denver will see some significant improvement in 2023.
Follow Us
Subscribe