Colin Cowherd predicts Russell Wilson’s Broncos to double their win total from last season in 2023
Everyone who expected the Denver Broncos to be a powerful team in 2022 was disappointed at the end of the season.
The team fell flat right from the start with many poor coaching decisions and subpar quarterback plays from Russell Wilson, who had an awful season to his standards and did not justify why the franchise paid so much for him.
But things should look much better this year for one sole reason: Sean Payton.
The renowned head coach took over the team following a sabbatical year, and his impact since Day 1 has been felt all around the franchise, especially with Wilson, who won't have such an easy life as it happened last year with Nathaniel Hackett at the helm.
NFL analyst Colin Cowherd is predicting a successful year for the Broncos with the partnership between Payton and Wilson:
"The easiest team this year, if not double their win total, that will look completely different from last year, is the Denver Broncos. They were so poorly coached, they were worst in the league under Nathaniel Hackett in third-down conversions, they were terrible in situational football, and couldn't manage the clock."
"What was the first thing Sean Payton did? He just fixed the offensive line, so you're gonna see the improvement, the offensive line will be significantly better, and they will be much better in situational football."
Broncos and Wilson are under pressure to perform in 2023
There's no way Russell Wilson will get away with poor performances for another year with Sean Payton now at the helm.
They had to make an enormous deal with the New Orleans Saints to get the head coach's rights. He was still tied to his former organization, even though he walked away from the job after the 2021 season.
He was the head coach from 2006 to 2021 there, except for the 2012 season when he was suspended from the league. He had a fantastic partnership with quarterback Drew Brees and they won a Super Bowl together in 2009.
It's also important to remember that Denver is under new ownership and they're not going to waste any time making changes if the quarterback underperforms again.
Given how much the Denver Broncos invested to build this partnership, they definitely need the coach and quarterback to make it work together. While Payton knows the magnitude of the job, he has made it clear that Wilson will be up to the same standards as other players.