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Hackett and offense begin to rally as Broncos play out final 3 games

There's been noticeable offensive improvement the past two games as Hackett settles into the head coach role without the added play-calling duties.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — These last three games for the Broncos could be a referendum on Nathaniel Hackett’s first season as head coach.

As it stands now – 4-10 record and No. 32 in points scored despite the offseason acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson – Hackett may need to rally if he is to convince CEO and owner Greg Penner that he should stick around for a second season.

And there has been evidence that Hackett is rallying.

Hackett seems to be a much more efficient head coach now that he’s surrendered play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak. Improvement wasn’t immediate – the Broncos went 0-3 while averaging less than 12 points a game in Kubiak’s first three games as play caller – but the offense seems to have struck a higher gear the past two games.

The Broncos outscored the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-7 in the final 32 minutes of a 34-28 loss two weeks ago, and they rallied to beat the Arizona Cardinals, 24-15 last week behind backup quarterback Brett Rypien.

The 28 and 24 points were the Broncos’ highest scoring outputs of the season.

“It’s been great, I think, for the whole group,’’ Hackett said Wednesday of his team and offense now that he’s been released of the play-calling burden. “It’s allowed me to look at more things. Serve more as a consultant, a senior consultant for the offense, both in all the different situations with how we game plan. It’s allowed me to spread around and see more things.

Credit: AP
Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett watches play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

“I think as a group – it’s not just Klint. (Offensive coordinator) Justin Outten has been absolutely phenomenal in building the run plan with Butch (Barry, the offensive line coach), working with Klint in the pass game. I’ve been overseeing the whole thing so I think we’re starting to get in a rhythm. When you have those Sunday games in a row (instead of the Thursday, Monday, Sunday primetime schedule from earlier in the season), just as a group were able to work together be efficient and get these guys to be able to make some plays.”

The key for Hackett in these final three games – which are at the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Sunday, at Kansas City on New Year’s Day Sunday and home against the Chargers – may be to not only win at least two of them, but for Wilson to play well and for the Broncos to score in the 20s.

Wilson was perhaps at his best this season after falling behind the Chiefs, 27-0, two weeks ago. He rallied the Broncos to all but 2 yards of 28 points before suffering a concussion that knocked him out the rest of that game and last week against Arizona. He will start Sunday against the banged-up Rams.

The play of Wilson specifically and the Broncos generally in these final three games may shape the decisions Penner will make at season's end.

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