Russell Wilson Reveals Jerry Jeudy Conversation Between WR's Drop & TD

With 7:09 seconds left in the second quarter of the Denver Broncos' 18-17 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback Russell Wilson drilled wide receiver Jerry Jeudy with an on-target pass.

Jeudy dropped it. On third down, just outside the red zone.

Immediately, Broncos Country was flooded with memories of Jeudy's once well-documented hands problems. However, head coach and play-caller Sean Payton pushed his chips in and went for it on fourth down, calling Jeudy's number again as Wilson hit him over the middle for a 21-yard touchdown.

Jeudy was fortunate to be able to immediately atone for his drop, and after the game, he talked about how it unfolded in real time with live bullets flying.

"I [saw] the end zone, so I lost focus on the ball," Jeudy said via Aric DiLalla of the team website. "That's just a concentration thing — make sure I catch the ball first and then run. I just saw a lot of open space, so I was trying to make a move already. Shoutout to the coaches and Russ to come back to me the very next play. In this game … you've got to always think about the next play."

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Indeed, regardless of the position, NFL players must cultivate a short-term memory. If a player hangs onto a bad play too long, it'll cost him in the present with further lapses, and things can really spiral out of control.

Fellow Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton went to bat for his teammate in the immediate aftermath of the game.

"We all know what Jerry can do," Sutton said via DiLalla. "Nobody doubts Jerry's abilities. To see him go and make that play and do what he does and get in the end zone, it's encouraging. "

Wilson provided a play-by-play of the conversation he had with Jeudy in the huddle in between his drop and big touchdown.

“I think, obviously, Jerry’s such a crazy talented player," Wilson said post-game. "He can do it all. When he didn’t get that one in—he probably would’ve walked into the end zone on that one—but the next one, I told him, ‘Hey, I’ll come right back to you if it’s there,’ and sure enough, it was."

READ: Broncos Fall to Cardinals: 3 Hard Takeaways From Sean Payton's Debut

That score was badly needed, as a collective sigh of relief could be palpably felt on the Broncos' sideline after Jeudy hit paydirt. It wouldn't have happened if Payton wasn't so hellbent on opening the way for the first-teamers to get into a rhythm and have some success before sitting them down for the night.

“It was easy to do based on where we were on the field," Payton said of going for it on fourth down. "It was really being more aggressive and showing them the confidence.”

Jeudy does have reliability issues with his hands. He dropped a whopping 10 passes as a rookie, and six combined over the past two seasons. If he can improve his hands, Jeudy is on deck for a big year in Payton's scheme.

The Broncos are relearning how to win, whether on a snap-to-snap, possession-to-possession, or game-to-game basis. Moments such as these are how a team can come together and galvanize.

"That’s the stuff we want to see, the stuff we want to see come together," Wilson said. "It’s all coming together one day at a time.”

Jeudy finished with two receptions (on three targets) for 40 yards and that touchdown. Sutton hauled in three catches (on five targets) for 35 yards, while Wilson went 7-of-13 for 93 yards and a score, with a QB rating of 102.4.

It was solid production, considering that the first-teamers only played 20 snaps. The Broncos' first-team offense started off on a disjointed footing, especially the leaky offensive line, but finished strong in a critical situation.

I'm not sure Broncos Country could have expected more in the team's first outing of the Payton era against an outside opponent.

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