Russell Wilson and new head coach Sean Payton spotted courtside at Denver Nuggets game

Russell Wilson and Sean Payton might be a good luck charm for the Denver Nuggets, as they won their game to take a huge step toward NBA Finals. The Denver locals will be hoping for a similar fate under Wilson and Payton in the 2023 NFL season.

The duo appeared to be enjoying a meme Sean Payton found on his phone. Wide receiver Tim Patrick also joined the duo at courtside.

The Denver Broncos went a disappointing 5-12 in 2022. To make matters worse, they had minimal draft picks in 2023 because they were sent to the Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade.

It won't be easy but Wilson and Payton look to catch up to Patrick Mahomes and compete for the AFC West this year.

What went wrong for the Broncos in the 2022 NFL season?

Russell Wilson - Denver Broncos v Kansas City Chiefs

Looking back, the Broncos season was doomed from the start. New head coach Nathan Hackett mismanaged the clock in Game 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, and a long field goal was missed as a result.

No one will ever forget the primetime games the Broncos played against the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts.

It was Thursday night misery on October 6, 2022 as the Colts and Broncos could only muster up nine points each in regulation. Russell Wilson threw a silly interception when the Broncos were marching to win the game and the Colts won in overtime after Wilson turned the ball over on downs in the red zone.

Many have described the game against the Colts as the worst game in NFL history, but the 49ers vs Broncos was not much better. The Broncos beat the 49ers 11-10 after a Jimmy Garopollo safety and a game-winning drive by Wilson.

The rest of the season would follow a similar pattern. Low-scoring losses and a 37-point loss to the LA Rams rather ruined Christmas Day.

The Broncos offense finished dead last in points scored (287) but the defense did come to play. Ranked 14th in points against, the defense kept opponents under 20 points in six of the 12 losses.

The new head coach who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans will be expected to do the same in Denver, given the capital they gave up to get him. Sean Payton has a win rate of 63% in the regular season in 15 years as a coach. Payton led the New Orleans Saints to the playoffs nine times in 15 years.

It's time for the new era to actually begin in Denver and Russell Wilson to prove himself to the NFL world.