Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos suffered another embarrassing defeat on Thursday night when they fell to the Indianapolis Colts.
Not only was Indy 1-2-1 heading into this outing, but the team also boasted the NFL’s worst offense. Despite putting up just 12 points on the night, a total less than what they had been averaging, the Colts still beat Denver.
Wilson’s ineptitude was a big reason why.
After the game, “Good Morning Football” NFL Network host Kyle Brandt unloaded on the Broncos quarterback. But he didn’t stop with him. He also had some troubling details about his experience with Wilson’s wife, Ciara.
Thoughts on Russell Wilson…. pic.twitter.com/IkIC4SP7rk
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) October 7, 2022
“I think Russell Wilson is one of the least authentic personalities we have in this league. I think Russell Wilson is a poser,” Brandt said.
“That doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. I think he’s a good person. I think he tries to be something that he is not. When you make $245 million, you’ve got to either be a really great guy in the locker room or you’ve got to be an amazing player.”
He didn’t stop there. Brandt then went on to add that, on a personal level, he felt as though Wilson and Ciara were extremely unfriendly as compared to other prominent NFL stars.
Brandt cited an NFL Honors red carpet event where guys like Aaron Rodgers and Travis Kelce were really nice to him, whereas Wilson and Ciara “literally put their hand up and said, ‘We’re not talking.’”
It’s something of an open secret that Wilson and Ciara are, well, unique. They’ve been mocked over their vacation photos, criticized over their outfit choices and lambasted for being “not famous enough” to warrant the treatment they think they deserve.
But there are certain things that are easier to get away with when you’re playing good football. And Wilson isn’t doing that at the moment.
This chart paints a telling image of where Wilson stands as a passer right now:
Russell Wilson was 2-of-15 with 2 INTs on passes of 10+ air yards tonight. pic.twitter.com/hYGNF0pjoR
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) October 7, 2022
As does the pass that Wilson could have made, but didn’t, when he lost his Broncos the game in overtime:
KJ Hamler was slamming his helmet after the game. For good reason… pic.twitter.com/l5BbcyEeGt
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 7, 2022
KJ Hamler was NOT happy after this game… pic.twitter.com/G1jzaa5Msj
— DenverAA (@NuggetsAAccess) October 7, 2022
Wilson, for his part, is opting to take an optimistic perspective on what has happened and what is yet to come.
Despite a tough night, Russell Wilson still made sure to end his presser with a “Broncos Country, let’s ride.”pic.twitter.com/mnbAoI4hQe
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 7, 2022
“I’m looking forward to turning it around because when we do it’s going to be a special story,” he said after the game.
“There’s no other way to think. I’m looking forward to the adversity of it all and to the negativity of all. We’re going to use it as fuel.”
It will be interesting to see where Denver goes from here. Games against the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans loom. If the team can come out of that stretch 2-2 or 3-1, it would be a huge moral victory.
The Broncos will end the season with a six-game stretch that sees them play the Kansas City Chiefs twice, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals and close the year out with an outing against the Chargers.
There is a very likely scenario where Wilson and Co. only get one win there.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/4Ht5RFWWHR
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 6, 2022
The Broncos obviously had high hopes coming into 2022, but it’s safe to say this is going to be a humiliating year for the franchise.
How humiliating?
An answer to that question will emerge in the coming weeks and months.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.