Inside the Helmet: Russell Wilson Must Regain 'Eye of the Tiger'
Analysis 7/6/23
If I were an offensive play-caller in the NFL, I would want to call plays from the sidelines instead of the coaching booth. I’ve always believed that the eyes are the window to the soul, and the ability to look at the quarterback as he’s coming off the field — the ability to get a sense of where he is in terms of his confidence, his thoughts, his emotions, his energy, his passion — is paramount.
Far too often, I’ve been down on the sidelines and watched these quarterbacks come off the field, and the eyes tell you a lot about what's going on in the mind.
When I looked at Russell Wilson’s eyes last season with the Denver Broncos, clearly something wasn’t right. He didn’t have that juice, that swagger or that confidence. He looked lost to me.
Regaining Confidence
One red flag from 2022: There were too many examples of Wilson looking over to the boundary to his coaches. He was looking at Nathaniel Hackett, uncertain of the play call, formation or personnel. Anyone could see that he was not the same player in high-leverage situations down in the red zone.
That was the case on third downs — Wilson wasn’t who he needed to be in critical situations late in the game. He lost his way. The most important thing for the offensive staff in Denver right now — including Sean Payton, Joe Lombardi, the offensive coordinator, and Johnny Moore, the pass game coordinator — is that these coaches have worked together in the past.
They have a history together, but unfortunately, they don’t have a history with Wilson, who, more than anything, needs to get the eye of the tiger back. He needs to get his confidence, his passion, and his ability to control the tempo of the game back. Without his ability to use all the tools in his toolbox — to change plays at the line of scrimmage, to audible, to take advantage of what he sees from the defense — Wilson isn’t anywhere near the player he could be.
We didn't see enough of Wilson’s playmaking ability last year, something he was so good at his first 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson is a quarterback who won 56 games in his first five seasons in Seattle. Last year was a different story. He had the worst completion percentage of his career, the worst touchdown-interception ratio and a 4-11 record.
Coaching Keys
The key for the Broncos and Payton: Get Wilson back up in the saddle. Getting him comfortable again in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage are the most important thing for Denver. If Wilson feels good, plays well, and has that look in his eye back, I think the Broncos have a chance in 2023.
But what is the key to getting Wilson back in the saddle? I don't think it’s an aptitude situation. Wilson is an intelligent quarterback and has a lot of experience. Believe it or not, he even has some history in this West Coast offense. So there’s not going to be a ton of learning.
It’ll just take a commitment from Wilson to come in there in the spring and summer. He should go into training camp with energy and passion to right the ship and make amends for what was a disappointing season a year ago.
Final Thoughts
Wilson has to commit to doing the little things. He has to commit to “the five Ps”:
Proper preparation prevents poor performance.
Wilson’s preparation wasn't good enough a season ago. He has all the tools in his toolbox. He has all the physical and mental skills to play at a high level like his first 10 Seattle seasons. But to me, it begins with the heart, the mind and the passion. He’s got to get that passion back.
And, as I said earlier, he needs that eye of the tiger. I want to see the fight in Wilson. Payton wants to see the fight in Wilson, and his teammates want to see it, too.
Rich Gannon played 18 seasons in the NFL and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2002 when he led the Oakland Raiders to Super Bowl XXXVII. Follow him on Twitter at @RichGannon12.