Nathaniel Hackett, the head coach of the Denver Broncos, believed it was time to gaze into Russell Wilson’s eyes after a week in London marred by inquiries about his future and Wilson’s health.
Perhaps all it takes to alter the direction of the season is one KJ Hamler 47-yard reception, one K’Waun Williams interception, and one Latavius Murray touchdown.
The Broncos have emphasized the necessity to make a game-changing play and perform admirably in critical situations all week and for weeks before that.
The Broncos have consistently failed to make those plays this season, but they succeeded on Sunday against the Jaguars.
The Bronco’s offense had primarily appeared powerless through the first seven weeks of the season, but that all changed on Sunday in England. Denver scored three touchdowns in a game against the Jaguars to blow out the scoreboard and win 21-17. Typically, scoring three touchdowns wouldn’t be considered “lighting up the scoreboard,” but it does for the Broncos squad, who entered this week’s game with the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense.
The Denver Broncos, behind by three points with 3:49 remaining in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium, desperately needed a touchdown drive. Russell Wilson, the starting quarterback, dipped back and uncorked a bomb to KJ Hamler down the right sideline on the first play from scrimmage.
Photo by: Denver Pos
One of the reasons Wilson has had such a promising career is his ability to throw the ball properly downfield, and he demonstrated this talent against the Jaguars. In the third quarter, Wilson connected with Greg Dulcich on one of his day’s best passes, a 38-yard pass that sailed 30 yards through the air.
The wide receiver, in his third year, hauled in the throw for a huge gain of 47 yards. Latavius Murray, a running back for the Broncos, scored the winning touchdown six plays later, giving his side a 21-17 victory over the Jaguars.
Hamler went over and gave Wilson a strong embrace after the game while Wilson was being interviewed on television and yelled, “Droppin’ bombs!”
Justin Simmons described the 21-17 victory as “It was huge”, Broncos
Photo by: Emilee Chinn
Regarding the 21-17 victory, Justin Simmons stated. “Heading into the bye, we are getting some guys back, guys that are banged up [as we approach the] the halfway point of the season, and it’s going to be huge for us. Everyone talks about how wins are momentum builders, and for heading into the bye, this was a huge one. We talked about how this was a must-win for us, and we got the win. For us moving forward, it’s building on this.”
Before the offense took the field for the game-winning drive, Wilson said he spoke with Hamler
Wilson remarked, “Hey, KJ, get ready. I’m going to hit you down the field. Sure enough, he sprinted right by his guy, hit him down the field, and I suppose Murray scored again.
The quarterback and wide receiver’s post-game embrace disproved rumours that there had been a developing schism between them ever since Wilson failed to connect on a touchdown throw intended for a wide-open Hamler in the end zone against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5 overtime. Hamler reportedly said, “I could have walked in,” in a later interview.
Photo by: Dan Mullan
From there, the myth went that as Wilson’s losses mounted, he was also losing the team’s locker room. This Wembley Stadium incident doesn’t precisely refute the rift idea, but it does demonstrate the calming effects of a hard-fought victory.
Jerry Jeudy and Hamler’s inclusion in the Broncos’ offense on Sunday was a positive indication that Wilson and the coaching staff had the foresight to realize their playmaking abilities.
