Russell Wilson does not play in the NFC West anymore, but he'll be seeing an old friend on Sunday night. Wilson and the Denver Broncos welcome the San Francisco 49ers to the Mile High City for a primetime showdown in Week 3. Wilson is 17-4 against the 49ers in his career, and now he gets another crack at them in a new uniform.
Russell Wilson likes playing the 49ers.#BroncosCountry | #FTtB pic.twitter.com/uNBMaSCehS
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) September 24, 2022
Broncos Country has been through a rough ride to start this season. After a tough loss in Wilson's highly anticipated return against the Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos looked very flat against the Houston Texans at home last week. They won 16-9, but Wilson completed less than half his passes and first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett made several questionable decisions once again.
Meanwhile, San Francisco had its entire season turned upside down in week 2. The 49ers soundly defeated the Seattle 27-7, but it came at the cost of losing quarterback Trey Lance for the season. Fortunately for them, though, the decision to keep Jimmy Garoppolo around now pays off, and he should be able to slide right back into the starting role.
Both teams have significant question marks, and this should be an interesting game. With that out of the way, here are some bold predictions for Wilson and the Broncos on Sunday night.
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3. The Broncos allow no sacks on Wilson
Throughout his entire career in Seattle, Wilson became infamous for taking a ton of sacks. In his 10 seasons with the Seahawks, Wilson took 40 or more sacks eight times, and he took more than 30 in the other two seasons. Fans debate whether the offensive line or Wilson himself was more responsible for those sacks, but they were extremely problematic regardless.
Through his first two games in Denver, sacks have still been an issue for Wilson. He has taken five sacks so far, two against Seattle and three against Houston. It's not like those teams have great pass rushes, either, so something needs to improve.
San Francisco has an abundance of talented pass-rushers, with Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead leading the charge. However, sacks haven't been there for the 49ers so far despite going against two bad offensive lines of the Chicago Bears and Seahawks. The Niners have just four sacks so far, three from Bosa and one from Samson Ebukam.
Both units will be looking to assert themselves on Sunday night, and this matchup feels like a tossup. If the Broncos can manage to keep Wilson upright, they should have a great chance at winning this game. A clean game against one of the most talented pass rushes in football will also be a big confidence boost for Wilson and the line.
2. Wilson and Courtland Sutton connect for their first touchdown
Early in the season, Sutton has established himself as Wilson's new favorite target. The fifth-year receivers leads all Denver wideouts with 11 catches for 195 yards, 81 more than the next closest receiver. However, the two have yet connect for a touchdown, and are eager to change that.
San Francisco's defense is one of the best in the league from nearly every statistical angle. The Niners are in the top-five in total defense, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed and scoring defense through two games, and comfortably so. This defense will be tough to crack for any opponent.
However, if the Broncos want to prove they're a true contender, they have to beat some true contenders. Wilson and Sutton will break through eventually, and this game would be a great one to do it.
1. Wilson leads a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter
Wilson may have his faults as a quarterback, but no one can deny that he's clutch. According to Pro Football Reference, Wilson has led 33 game-winning drives in his career, the fourth-most among active quarterbacks. That's six more than Aaron Rodgers has, and he has been in the league seven years longer than Wilson.
The new Denver quarterback is still looking for his first great moment with his new team. He had a chance to do just that in Week 1, but poor coaching decisions dashed those hopes. Technically he had a game winning drive in Week 2, but the Broncos took the lead with more than 12 minutes to go and the finish was relatively uneventful.
Leading a classic two-minute drill to earn the win would truly endure Wilson to the Denver faithful. He can cap it off with a long touchdown or a short field goal, as long as he gets the win, Broncos fans will be happy. If he can pull out a dramatic primetime win, Broncos Country can truly say “let's ride” proudly.
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