Russell Wilson proves the 'QB away from a championship' premise is a fallacy
The Broncos fell victim to a classic trope: We're a quarterback away from Super Bowl contention.
"They're likely going to have a worse record than last year," said Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson's former teammate, Monday on his podcast.
Denver (3-8) failed to win seven of their last eight games due to an anemic offense, which has scored the fewest points (157) in the league through 11 games, and it will likely finish last in the AFC West for a second consecutive year.
Wilson's play accounts for the woes. He's completing 59.5 percent of his passes and posting a 33.2 QBR. Both marks are career lows and near the bottom of the league. The struggles seem inexplicable since Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowler, but it starts to make sense when analyzing the data.
Wilson has a distinguished resume, but advanced analytics prove he's a little overrated. Per Pro Football Focus, Wilson only earned a grade of 90 or better twice in 11 seasons and has never ranked as its top QB.
Also, quarterbacks who win Super Bowls usually do it with one team. Thirty-four starting quarterbacks have won a championship, and only two have succeeded with multiple teams (Peyton Manning and Tom Brady).
Great organizations hide a player's weaknesses and amplify their strengths, which may be the case with Wilson.
"When you have (Wilson) run an offense in 10 years he's played, expect him to struggle," Sherman told Bleacher Report recently, noting the Denver should have been aware of Wilson's potential deficiencies.
Denver exaggerated its talent too. PFF ranked it as its 14th-best roster, not terrible, but not close to championship contention.
So, the lesson is a franchise will cry, not ride, if it sells its future for any player unless they're a first-ballot Hall of Famer, especially when that franchise missed the playoffs six years prior.
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