HARROW, UK — Last week, QB Brett Rypien took all the first-team offensive reps in the Broncos’ walkthrough practice Wednesday. Rypien then also became the Broncos’ starting quarterback in the game Sunday against the New York Jets.
This week, it was the usual starter, Russell Wilson, who sources say took almost all the reps -- not all, but almost all -- in the Broncos’ walkthrough practice here Wednesday at the Harrow School sports complex. All signs point to Wilson becoming the Broncos’ starting quarterback Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Wembley Stadium.
“He’s trending in the right way,’’ said Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
“I would anticipate, personally, that Russell plays,’’ said Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.
“I feel great and ready to roll,’’ Wilson said after the Broncos’ practice Wednesday. “I’m super locked in and hopefully we can get a big win in London."
So focused is Wilson, he didn’t waste a minute on the 8-hour 45-minute plane ride from Denver takeoff on Monday afternoon to London arrival on Tuesday morning. Well, maybe 60 minutes if you consider sleep a waste.
Even in ordinary times, Wilson is the Dick Vermeil of NFL players in that he requires little sleep. A frequent traveler in part because of his star-singer wife Ciara and their own private jet, Wilson used much of the Broncos’ long flight to help rehab the injured left hamstring that made Rypien the starting quarterback last week.
“I don’t really get jet lagged too often,’’ Wilson said. “I’ve traveled enough to get kind of get my system down. I was on the plane, the first two hours — what was it an eight-hour flight here? — the first two hours I was watching the film, watching all the cutups and everything else."
“Then for the next four hours I was doing treatment on the plane. I was walking up and down the aisles. Everybody was knocked out, I was doing high knees and working on my legs and everything else, making sure I’m ready to rock. So that was good."
It’s totally consistent with his work habits. Wilson is up early every day – as in at Broncos’ headquarters before 6 a.m. each day – stretching, swimming and exercising under the watchful eye of his personal trainer. Only the surroundings changed from the every-day occurrence of Wilson high-knee stretching while teammates slumbered.
“And the last two hours… I fell asleep for one hour and then watched film the rest,’’ Wilson said. “I felt good to go once we got back and then coach (Hackett) did a great job, coach (Loren) Landow and the whole coaching staff, they had us do a little movement. We got here, did a little movement. I did my workout, did all that. Then I may be rested for about two to three hours once I got (to the team hotel), and I feel great.”
Wilson’s season may be off to a disappointing start -- he’s 2-4 as the Broncos’ starter, the offense is scoring a league-worst 14.3 points per game and Wilson is the league’s 25th-ranked passer -- but no matter how much his critics poke fun, the guy is special in so many ways.
Know this: charter-flight airlines could do worse than play his video messages to passengers before takeoff.
“Especially on the longer flights, the more you move, the better you feel when you get off of it,’’ Wilson said. “I have my secrets. I have my movements and tons of water always helps.”
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