By Brandon Simmons
Russ Gets Benched
The Denver Broncos benched quarterback Russell Wilson this past week in a move marred un controversy. While head coach Sean Payton claimed this move was for football purposes, many fans and analysts cited this as something that has been coming down the line for a long time. Throughout the year, there have been many instances where that have pointed to a strained relationship that has been budding all season. The most recent incident came in the Broncos’ loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 16, when Payton publicly scolded Wilson after a red zone play that didn’t seem to go Denver’s way. It also comes at a time when Wilson’s business future with the Broncos has come into question. Wilson is guaranteed $39 million for 2024, however, if he is still on the roster in June, but fails a physical, then he will be guaranteed a salary of $37 million for 2025.
All of this signals the end for Russell Wilson’s tenure to end with the Denver Broncos. When you bring in a QB of Wilson’s caliber, you expect results higher than what you have received so far: playoffs as opposed to regular season exits. However, this season saw Wilson improve under Payton but the results did not pan out as expected and this might be even worse. Two things needs to happen here. First, Russ should get himself together mentally and get back on track. No football recognizes this Russell Wilson of the past 2 years and can not explain what has happened to him. That is not to say he has completely lost it, but he has taken some steps back while in Denver. Second, Payton and Denver need to draft a QB. The Broncos have been in QB purgatory since John Elway retired, who ironically is the team president. Their best quarterback stint was with Peyton Manning when he won them a Super bowl, but even he was there for a few short years and in the downside of his career. Ironically – or not – we’re seeing the same and saying the same about Russell Wilson right now but hopefully he can end that narrative in a fresh new place.
How Long Will the Ravens Good Week Last?
The Baltimore Ravens ended 2023 on an amazing week. In Week 16, on Monday Night Football, they beat the San Francisco 49ers on the road, then turned around and came back home to beat the Miami Dolphins to clinch homefield advantage in the AFC. After surpassing their 2 toughest weeks of the year they look to rest their starters on Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that has no playoff implications related to them.
The real questions regarding the Baltimore Ravens is whether or not they can keep up this work. The last few years they have seen early playoff exits but there are those who believe this team can actually compete for a title. The Ravens already beat one of the more complete teams in their conference in the Dolphins, they have the top defense in the league and a MVP candidate at quarterback. With a combination like that, it’s hard to beat but there is nothing guaranteed for the postseason. Bltimore has had all of these things and made the number 1 spot, but they have also had some questionable losses against team lesser than what they will face in the playoffs. What’s promising for them is they are doing this at the right time, which is right before the playoffs begin. This means it is fresh on their mind that they can beat contending teams en route to the title. All they have to do is repeat those actions when it’s time to do so in the postseason.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to the Arizona Cardinals for their comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Sunday, the Cards were down 21-6 heading into halftime. They tied things up in the 3rd quarter, but in the 4th, the Eagles scored a touchdown. Arizona answered with their own trip to the end zone followed by a Philadelphia field goal. Cardinals running back James Conner then scored a rushing TD with less than a minute left in the game.
Shut out to the referees for the Lions/Cowboys game. The Detroit Lions were down by 1 point in the final moments of the game after scoring a TD. They successfully completed the 2 point conversion when Detroit QB Jared Goff threw a pass to tackle Taylor Decker. However, the play drew 2 flags as Decker was penalized for being an ineligible receiver while tackle Dan Skipper was penalized for illegal formation. While referee Brad Allen denies Decker spoke to him about being a receiver, video shows him and Skipper communicating with Allen before the play. Long story short, it was another example of bad officiating this season. The league has seemed to take action on this instance in particular, removing Allen’s crew from any postseason assignments.
The final week of the regular season is here with no disappointments in sight. All games will be between divisional opponents as usual for the season finale theme but there will be huge playoff implication in most of the matchups. The Houston Texans visit the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night to fight for a playoff spot. The winner clinches a berth while the loser heads home. There is also the possibility of the AFC South being up for grabs here, depending on if the Jacksonville Jaguars lose this weekend. The game of the week will be the Miami Dolphins hosting the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. Winner will get the AFC East and a home playoff game while the loser will have to start their postseason on the road. Buffalo beat Miami earlier this year, a week after the Dolphins dropped 70 on the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins have looked kinda shaky in the past few weeks and are coming off a big loss to the Baltimore Ravens. However, that doesn’t mean their ears won’t perk up for this game. But until then…I’ll holla.