Nathaniel Hackett won’t let Russ cook??!!

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Philip Jones | Last updated 9/13/22

Russell Wilson’s first game as QB of the Denver Broncos did not go how anyone envisioned. To make matters worse, he lost against his former team the Seattle Seahawks . This was his moment to prove to Seattle front office and Head Coach Pete Carroll they should’ve “Let Russ Cook”. Everything was set in place for Russell to end the night on a walk off game winning drive in his old stadium. However, Rookie Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett opted to go with a 64 YD field goal rather than putting the ball in Wilson’s hands.

Offensive Struggles

Now Russell Wilson was not as sharp as we’re accustomed to seeing. There were multiple delay of game penalties and the Offense went 0-4 in the Redzone with two turnovers. But considering how much Denver invested into Wilson this offseason, he at least earned the opportunity for the attempt to convert on 4th and 5. He finished the game 29 of 42 for 340 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Hall of Fame TE Shannon Sharpe expressed his frustration with Hackett’s decision below via Twitter.

IF* I’m paying 200 plus million for a qb. I’m not trotting my fg kicker out on 4th and 5 to kick a 64yd fg. You pay that type of many money for a qb for these situations 4th and 5 on the road in a hostile environment. #BroncosCountry
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 13, 2022

Clock Mismanagement

It seemed like there was not a sense of urgency in the last drive of the game. After the final offensive play, the Broncos let the clock run all the way down to 20 seconds before calling a timeout. This was confusing to broadcasters and fans alike. Peyton Manning believed they were baiting Seattle to jump offsides then gave a timeout signal when he saw how much time was wasted off the clock. See the post below to watch Manning’s reaction in the moment via adamschefter on Instagram.

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A post shared by Adam Schefter (@adamschefter)

Clock management and the usage of timeouts were terrible in that situation. Furthermore, with only two timeouts left before attempting the FG, Hackett put Denver in a position where they would not get the ball back if McManus misses the kick. Kicking a 60 plus YD field goal is not an easy task for any kicker, unless you’re Justin Tucker. To be fair, this is Hackett’s very first game so it’s only natural to make mistakes. However, you would like to see your head coach have more faith in your star Quarterback rather than the kicker.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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