ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — George Paton believes he has built a team that is ready to … what exactly? Be better than last year’s 7-10 team? Make the postseason for the first time in seven years? Win the AFC West Division?
“Our depth is better than last year,’’ Paton, the Broncos’ general manager, said in a sit-down interview Tuesday morning with 9NEWS. “I think we have more talent than last year and I expect us to take that next step.”
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The next step. One of those markers is beating the Kansas City Chiefs. A big step toward snapping the 13-game, seven-year losing streak against the six-time defending AFC West Division champs was acquiring Russell Wilson to neutralize the huge quarterback advantage the Chiefs enjoyed in recent seasons with Patrick Mahomes II.
Wilson may be enough to snap the losing streak – either December 11 in a Sunday night primetime game at Empower Field at Mile High, or New Year’s Day at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Winning them both is a tough ask after dropping 13 in a row. The trick this year, though, is to be in division title and playoff contention by the time those games are played.
“Our division is really tough, it’s not just the Chiefs,’’ Paton said. “They set the standard. But you have the Raiders, the Chargers – dynamic offenses. We look within. We’re worried about the Broncos, but we have a pulse of what’s going on. And yeah, maybe we built the team a little bit so we could rush the passer because we have so many dynamic quarterbacks in our division. But we’re focused on the Broncos, especially this time of year, training camp."
New head coach Nathaniel Hackett has put the slogan, “Win the West” on players’ workout T-shirts to emphasize the importance of winning the division. With all due respect to the Los Angeles Chargers with their uber-talented quarterback Justin Herbert and the Las Vegas Raiders with their highly efficient QB Derek Carr, to ‘Win the West’ means beating the Chiefs. Just because they lost impact receiver Tyreek Hill doesn’t mean Mahomes, with head coach Andy Reid, aren’t the prohibitive favorites to seven-peat (Elway for Pete’s sake).
“Everybody keeps talking about the Chiefs,’’ Hackett said in his joint pre-training camp news conference Tuesday with Paton. “And yes, they’re part of the division. And if you win the division it’s the fastest way to the playoffs. That’s why we always talk about that. … When it comes to the Chiefs, we can’t worry about the Chiefs right now. It’s about us getting ready, understanding what we can control and getting ready to play this season because heck, I think the first time we play them is late in the season. So many things can happen by then.
“Hey, did we get better in the offseason? We sure did.’’
Based on how some fans felt about Vic Fangio in the final weeks of his third losing season last year, there is hope around Broncos Country that besides quarterback, the team also improved with its new head coach.
Hackett is the opposite of Fangio in side of the ball expertise and personality. Hackett is an offensive play caller and exuberant. Fangio is a defensive play caller and to say he’s understated is an understatement.
“It didn’t have to do with that,’’ said Paton, who picked Hackett from 10 candidates he and his head coach search committee interviewed in January. “I love Vic. Vic is a very good head coach but Nathaniel blew us away in the interview process. He was unique compared to – there were a lot of good candidates but we just thought he was unique what he could bring to the table. The way he can teach and engage.
“And then I thought his football mind, not only offense but defense, special teams, was second to none. So he blew us away and it had nothing to do with what happened last year. I love the energy he brings and love the connection.’’
Wilson and Hackett. Can they outduel Mahomes and Reid? First things, first. Training camp begins Wednesday.
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