After struggling in Week 1 of preseason, the Denver Broncos’ offensive line had a better performance against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson had more time to throw against the 49ers, and he was not sacked on his lone drive. San Francisco’s coverage was good enough to force sacks, but Wilson’s protection allowed him to climb the pocket and scramble three times for 25 yards.
“I thought on protection we were better,” coach Sean Payton said after the game in San Francisco. “I thought Russ did a good job of tucking it a few times.”
Wilson has had the ability to make plays happen with his legs his entire career, rushing for 4,966 yards and 26 touchdowns since he entered the league in 2012. The veteran QB shifted praise to his teammates after showing off his rushing ability in Week 2 of preseason.
“I thought the offensive line did a tremendous job with protection,” Wilson said. “I thought that they did a really good job of giving me space. I was able to step up and get the ball out of my hand quickly to the right guys at the right time and then obviously scramble for some really big first downs using my legs.
“I feel great, you know? Those guys did a great job protecting. … There’s a lot of good things to feel great about. Where we are as a team and all the hard work those guys have been putting in all of us together. It’s coming together one day at a time.”
Wilson is not a run-first quarterback. If coverage is tight, though, the QB has the ability to make things difficult for defenses with his legs.
“I trust my reads going through 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,” Wilson said. “If it’s not there or if there’s something there where I can use my legs, it’s part of my game. Obviously also being able to get the ball out and throw the ball down the field and all that kind of stuff too. But it’s hard for the defense. They can’t account for that part of it necessarily. When all of our guys are doing a tremendous job on the line blocking the way they do, it gives me a great chance to get some first downs and use my legs.”
Last season, it seemed at times that Wilson was more restricted to the pocket under then-head coach Nathaniel Hackett than the QB had been in Seattle. He rushed 55 times last year, marking the second-lowest total of his career. Now playing under Payton, perhaps we’ll see Wilson make plays on the ground more often in 2023.
Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
[vertical-gallery id=620142]