Russell Wilson Sends Message to Broncos OL After Preseason Game 2

Sean Payton is on a mission to return the golden shine to Denver Broncos' starting quarterback Russell Wilson. On that front, it would appear that Wilson's confidence is fully restored.

Wilson only appeared for a single series of work in the Broncos' narrow 21-20 defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, finishing with 49 yards from scrimmage (24 passing/25 rushing). Rebooting Wilson has required some tough love at times, and perhaps most crucially, distilling his thought process back to what helped make him an elite player for a decade has been pivotal.

By counting on his ability to go through his progressions and use his athletic ability to make plays if nothing is there, Payton is going back to classic Wilson, and he's found a willing participant in the process.

“I trust my reads going through 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5," Wilson said post-game. "If it's not there or if there's something there where I can use my legs, it’s part of my game... But it's hard for the defense. They can't account for that part of it necessarily. When all of our guys are doing a tremendous job on the line blocking the way they do, it gives me a great chance to get some first downs and use my legs.”

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In the wake of finishing the first week of the preseason as the NFL's most-pressured QB, Wilson knows that his protection has to hold up if he’s going to flourish, but some positive signs were evident on Saturday night. Furthermore, Wilson seems confident in the O-line putting him in a position to make plays with his arm and feet.

"I thought we did a great job," Wilson said of the Broncos' blocking. "I thought the offensive line did a tremendous job with protection. I thought they did a really good job of keeping the space, and I was able to step up and get the ball out of my hand quickly, get the ball to the right guys at the right time and then obviously scramble for some really big first downs and use my legs. I feel great. Those guys did a great job protecting.”

Payton is steadily helping Wilson get back to basics. The head coach's incorporation of explosive playmakers dovetails neatly alongside the QB's improvements.

Wilson's veteran leadership and enthusiasm to make all his new targets and playmakers feel welcome comes as no surprise. One of those newcomers is Broncos second-round rookie wideout Marvin Mims, Jr., who made his NFL debut on Saturday night, catching one of his two targets for eight yards.

“It was great to see Mims out there make his first catch, too, on a key play. There's a lot of good things,” Wilson said. “Feel great about it, just where we are and just all the hard work those guys have been putting in, all of us together. It's coming together one day at a time."

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