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Surprisingly, Russell Wilson had solid numbers coming into their Thursday Night Football encounter against the Kansas City Chiefs. The nine-time Pro Bowler had a 66.9 completion percentage for 1,210 yards, 11 touchdowns, and two interceptions.
However, he couldn’t translate those stats into victories. Worst yet, his Week 6 performance has been disastrous. It’s so disappointing that an NFL analyst mentioned that his wife, musician/entrepreneur Ciara, must also be critical of his output.
Ryan Clark called Russell Wilson a “Little League quarterback”
NFL analyst Ryan Clark mentioned in a recent episode of ESPN’s Get Up:
“Last night Russell Wilson had a Little League quarterback stat line and if his wife was there, she would say you do need to level up. I want to see you play like a boy.”
Wilson finished the game with only 13 completions out of 22 attempts for 95 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Those numbers translate to a passer rating of 46.6 and a QBR of 10.1. It’s his worst performance through six games this season.
As CBS Sports’ Shanna McCarriston wrote, Wilson called that performance “unacceptable.” Conversely, the Denver Broncos defense kept them in the game. However, the offense couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities given to them.
The Broncos had some life when Wilson threw a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton and had a successful two-point conversion via Javonte Williams. But while that sequence trimmed the Chiefs’ lead in half, 16-8, that’s all Denver could muster.
Andy Reid’s crew won their 16th straight contest against their division rivals, 19-8. It also extended the Kansas City Chiefs’ winning streak to five games. As a consolation, Broncos head coach Sean Payton avoided getting shut out for the first time in his extensive coaching career.
Meanwhile, the former NFL safety added:
“It's not just about the turnovers. It's about Russell Wilson not being able to create explosive play. He's not using his legs to get outside the pocket and give his core of wide receivers second chance opportunities.”
Wilson’s first interception encapsulates this quote very well. Even if he executed a play-action with Williams, he didn’t fool Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, who easily made the pick on a pass intended for Jerry Jeudy. Russell Wilson threw another pick to Justin Reid later in the game.
Will the Broncos move on from Russell Wilson?
Clark also mentioned:
“But we have to be honest with ourselves. He's no longer the same quarterback. Sean Payton is not the same coach he was with Drew Brees and this team is headed nowhere fast.”
Russell Wilson has 11 games to help turn around Denver’s fortunes this season. At 1-5, they must minimize their losses to have a shot at making the playoffs in a highly competitive American Football Conference.
But in case his woes continue, the Broncos can part ways with him. However, his massive contract extension makes that scenario easier said than done. If no other team wants to take on his five-year, $242.5 extension, they must absorb an $85 million dead cap if they release him next season, per Spotrac.
