Nobody imagined that the Denver Broncos would be sitting at 2-4 two weeks away from the bye week. With Russell Wilson at quarterback, nobody envisioned the Broncos offense struggling the way that it has. If Denver hopes to get on track offensively, they may need to let Wilson heal and let Brett Rypien ‘ryp’ it over the next two weeks.
Why the Denver Broncos need Russell Wilson to heal up
Entering Week 7, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has run into hurdles trying to get the offense rolling and has taken a multitude of hits from defenders this season, having been sacked 20 times already.
Wilson is currently battling two injuries, a partially torn latissimus dorsi in his throwing shoulder and a hamstring injury that he sustained in the fourth quarter in Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. His status for Sunday’s matchup against the visiting New York Jets (4-2) is up in the air.
“With [QB] Russell [Wilson], that is going to be day-to-day,” Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said in his weekly address on Tuesday. “We will get a feel for him throughout today and tomorrow.”
Why should the Broncos let Wilson rest and heal through the bye week? His injury against the Chargers did have an impact on what the Broncos’ offense ran from a playcalling standpoint in overtime.
“To a certain extent,” Hackett said regarding Wilson’s injury impacting playcalling options. “Whenever you have anybody that’s a little banged up, you are always trying to make sure that you are adjusting to everyone from any player that might be in or out or affected. There was a little bit there. We wanted to be sure we put them in a good position to be able to execute.”
The Broncos want to get out of the funk that they’re currently in, but after signing a mega-contract extension prior to the season, Wilson needs to protect himself and protect the Broncos’ investment in him.
Hamstrings are an issue that can linger or worsen if not addressed properly with recovery. The Broncos play the Jets on Sunday and will then travel to London to play the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, followed by the bye week.
Denver’s second-half schedule gets even tougher on paper with opponents like the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs (twice), Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, and Carolina Panthers still in route to play. If Brett Rypien is able to help navigate the Broncos to 4-4 at the BYE week, a Wilson return after the bye week with rest and recovery could help Denver make a second-half run.
If Wilson continues to play through these two injuries, there is always a chance his injuries can get worse which could impact Denver going into next season. At worst, Denver heads into the bye sitting at 2-6, leaving them very little room for error during the second half of the season.
Wilson is as tough as they come, but right now the approach should be about the bigger picture which requires Wilson to be healthy for a very tough portion of the schedule that’s coming up. If he were to miss the next two games, Denver is confident in players like Rypien or Josh Johnson.
“With [QB] Russell [Wilson], he’s the ultimate competitor. He’s going to do everything in his power to get out on that field. We have to make sure that he’s healthy enough to be able to go out and play at a high level. Whoever has to go in, whether it’s ‘Ryp’ (QB Brett Rypien), [QB] Josh [Johnson], or anybody, [I] feel confident that we will try to build a plan for them that makes them successful.”
Wilson spoke to the media on Wednesday after Hackett noted that he would be a limited participant in a walkthrough practice.
“I’m feeling better,” Wilson said. “I’m feeling better every day, day by day. Obviously, it happened Monday night, but the good thing is I heal quickly. I don’t know—wolverine blood or whatever. I’m getting better.”
Knowing the competitor that he is, Wilson said that he is hoping to play on Sunday against a very aggressive New York Jets defense.
“I’m hoping so,” Wilson said regarding his status for Sunday’s game. “I’m doing everything I can to be ready to roll. That’s always my mentality.”
Wolverine blood or not, Wilson should consider the long-term picture. He has to ask himself whether or not him playing injured will help the team or hurt them, despite how badly he wants to help them get on track offensively.
It will be interesting to see what the Denver Broncos plan is at quarterback this week. Will they ‘Let It Ryp’ or ‘Let Russ Heal’?