The Denver Broncos have not had a good season. They are 4-11 after 16 weeks of the season, the third-worst team in the league.
Until now, the team had been very patient with coach Nathaniel Hackket, but it seems that the team’s board could not take it anymore after the brutal 51-14 beating they had on Christmas Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
They were completely outmatched by the Rams.
You can’t just blame Coach Hackket for the beating the Rams gave them.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked six times. Michael Hoecht and Larrell Murchison knocked down the former Seattle Seahawks player twice. The other two sacks were recorded by linebackers Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd.
Additionally, Wilson threw three interceptions, two in the first half by Decobie Durant Wagner and the other early in the third by Jalen Ramsey. The quarterback finished with 214 yards and a touchdown after completing 15 of 27 throws.
Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett decided to sit Wilson out in the fourth quarter and give Brett Rypien a chance. However, the result was similar.
Wilson is the most sacked quarterback with a total of 57, followed by the Rams with 51 and the Chicago Bears, who have been sacked by opposing linebackers 50 times.
Hackett out of Broncos
Hackett arrived in Denver this year after being the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, and a restructuring in the franchise was expected after the trade they had with the Seattle Seahawks to bring Russell Wilson as a quarterback.
But the coach failed to meet the objectives set by the board of directors, and now, with the season about to end, the team has decided to do without his services.
In a statement, team owner and CEO Gregg Penner said: “After extensive discussions with George Paton and our ownership group, we determined that a new direction would ultimately be in the best interest of the Broncos.”
“This change was made out of respect for everyone involved and allowed us to immediately begin the search for a new manager. We recognize and appreciate the championship history of this organization and understand that we have not lived up to that standard,” he adds.
Who could take over the team?
Hackett becomes just the fifth head coach in NFL history to be fired before the end of his first season.
Senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg has been named interim head coach as the team searches for a new head coach heading into the offseason.
According to rumors, the strongest candidates and their odds are the following:
Sean Payton +400
Dan Quinn +500
Jim Caldwell +600
Shane Steichen +700
Demeco Ryans +800
Eric Bieniemy +900
Frank Reich +900
Kellen Moore +1000
Sean Payton is the favorite to take over the team, but there is a significant setback, as Payton stepped down while still under the Saints’ control. Therefore the Broncos would have to pay compensation to the Saints.
Dan Quinn, for his part, maintains a good relationship with Broncos general manager George Paton.
Quinn is currently the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, but he has Head Coach material, and he showed it in 2016 when he led the Falcons to the Super Bowl.
NFL betting begins
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