Wilson Demystifies Broncos' Closed-Door Offensive Meetings
If the Denver Broncos offense is ever going to start clicking, the players have to be diligent in searching for the answers to the problems plaguing the unit. Leading the Broncos' offensive brainstorm is quarterback Russell Wilson, who readily accepts his role as the go-to guy for new ideas.
Wilson is calling for his troops to go the extra mile to make the necessary improvements. So far, the veteran quarterback has seen his offensive teammates buy wholeheartedly into the 'State of the Union' meetings he hosts every Tuesday.
“I have all of the guys come in voluntarily, obviously, but every guy usually comes in,” Wilson revealed on Wednesday. “They do a great job; everybody is so wired in and so focused. A lot of the guys have watched the film already and they’re prepared. I kind of call it—it’s a review session rather than a dissertation. I want to know from those guys. ‘Some of you guys have played these guys, some of you may not have.’ Here’s this. What do you see on film? It’s great communication. The players do a great job of it, and there’s so much great knowledge in the room with those guys.”
Wilson's decade at the top level of the NFL provides the experience to help navigate the inevitable highs and lows of the season. That being said, it's unbroken ground for the vet, because he’s suiting up for a new team and is also mastering the offensive system of head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
Gone is the safety blanket he enjoyed for so long in Seattle, but Wilson is relying on his battle-tested methods to help smooth the transition in Denver.
“Yeah, I’ve been doing it since my rookie year and everything else. It’s been great,” Wilson said of the meetings. “I think it’s something I wanted to make sure I did every Tuesday—just to spend time with guys, make sure we go over the film, make sure we go over the personnel, making sure we know the fronts, making sure we know what their pressure looks are and who their pressure guys are. All that information—who the head coach is, where he comes from, what’s his discipleship and where the defensive coordinator is from. All that information is important.”
Some national pundits have taken to throwing some shade at Wilson and the spluttering Broncos offense, even fictional character 'Chad Powers' has jumped in. Putting Eli Manning’s slow roast to one side, Wilson has batted the jibes back with good grace and his own kind of disarming humor.
It all reinforces the perception that Wilson and the Broncos don't appear to be at all uptight or edgy when they address their struggles. The fact is, Denver remains atop the division and may even fatally wound the Las Vegas Raiders if the team exits Sin City with a win on Sunday.
In all fairness, it would be an insult to the Broncos' seriously impressive defensive unit if the offense was sitting around feeling sorry for itself. Thankfully, Wilson is all business when he chairs his meetings. It's for offensive guys only.
Should any defense member just happen to pop his head around the corner out of curiosity, Wilson wouldn't necessarily turn them away.
“It’s just offense. Every once in a while, you’ll see a defensive player peak their head in,” Wilson admitted. “It’s like, ‘Hey, okay,’ so that’s always fun.”
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