The Denver Broncos failed to live up to the hype last year when they acquired quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. After going 5-12 on the year, the Broncos made another trade, this time for head coach Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints. Payton is known for how well his offenses performed during his time with the Saints, and the belief was that he could get the most out of Wilson.
After Sunday, the Broncos are now 0-2 on the year after their 35-33 loss to the Washington Commanders. The loss was a rough one, as they blew a 21-3 lead in the first half, and failed to convert on a two-point play to force overtime after an incredible Hail Mary play.
While speaking with reporters, Payton said there were numerous drives in which they were late to get ready and snap the football, which caused him to burn timeouts. Payton said that he never burned timeouts in the first half. From there, he said that he and Wilson have to be better to ensure the play gets out on time. Then, Payton said, "If we need to wristband it, we will."
Sean Payton open to Russell Wilson wearing a wristband after Broncos Week 2 loss
By "wristband it," Payton means to give Wilson a play sheet to wear on his arm. That would allow Payton to reduce the time to relay the play call to Wilson, who would then relay it in the huddle to his teammates.
Last year, Wilson was part of some drama regarding the use of wristbands. Last year, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll praised Geno Smith for wearing a wristband to ensure that play calls get out sooner. Carroll said this while taking an indirect shot at Wilson, saying there had been "resistance to that, so we didn't do that before."
Wilson responded to that, saying, "Won a lot of games. Didn't know winning or losing mattered whether you wore a wristband."
Meanwhile, Wilson did wear a wristband last season for the Broncos, notably in a 20-18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On Sunday, Wilson completed 18-of-32 pass attempts for 308 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
While the Broncos are 0-2 on the season, they are not far back in the AFC West. The Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs are in first place with a 1-1 record. The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-2 on the year after losing to the Tennessee Titans 27-24 in overtime.
The Broncos will need their offense to be clicking on all cylinders next week, as they have to face off against the 2-0 Miami Dolphins.
