Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett Pushes Back Against Claims of Nervousness
Amid all the positive energy that has washed over the Denver Broncos this offseason, it might be prudent for fans to remind themselves that Nathaniel Hackett is still a first-year head coach.
However, Hackett is no novice. Based on the previous success he had running the high-powered Green Bay Packers offense, Hackett isn't exactly a babe in the woods. He has play-calling expertise earned the hard way while perched in front of the red-hot NFL furnace, and that should serve him well moving forward.
Take note of how Hackett insisted on Tuesday that he isn't feeling any kind of nerves as he prepares to call his first-ever game as a head coach on Monday Night Football when the Broncos take on the Seattle Seahawks in the season-opener.
“No, this isn't my first game. You are still calling the plays and still going through the same process you go through throughout the week,” Coach Hackett said on Tuesday. “There are just a couple other people you have to talk to without the week. But in the end, it's a football game. In the end, it's about your preparation. Once you prepare the whole week and you feel great about it, then you're on autopilot and ready to make adjustments if you need to.”
The comfort displayed by Hackett ahead of his head-coaching debut speaks volumes to how prepared he feels his team is heading into Week 1. Having the ability to delegate with complete confidence in assistant coaches is the mark of a great leader.
It’s noteworthy that Hackett sounded calm, self-assured, and relaxed when talking about his team.
“I give so much credit to the guys that I work with, the offensive group,” Hackett said. “They have been absolutely fantastic in everything from the ideas, understanding when to present the ideas, because everybody always has a ton of different things you want to do. It is an art to be able to take it down to specific plays that we want to get to. We want to make sure that we're attacking down the field as much as possible. We still having a high efficiency plays.”
A tilt with the Seahawks in front of a national audience is a formidable challenge, but when you factor in that Week 1 will also showcase Russell Wilson's return to the team he led to a Super Bowl title nearly a decade ago, it adds additional layers of pressure, which could weigh on Hackett more heavily.
Perhaps most importantly, Hackett isn't letting the outside noise and pressure come to bear on the Broncos. Instead, the first-year head coach is remaining stoic in his belief that Wilson has what it takes to handle his business when the lights go on.
“I think you always want the quarterback to be one of those guys that you're looking to,” Hackett said. “They are the ones that really roll with the whole offense and how the team plays. I'm very glad he was voted the captain. In the end, it's about who the players believe in. Right now, they have those guys and I know that believe in a lot of people, it's not just Russell or anybody else.”
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
