Nathaniel Hackett Pleads Ignorance on Wilson Sideline Altercation
On Sunday, the Denver Broncos are seemingly hemorrhaging beyond any kind of immediate repair. When Broncos' defensive tackle Mike Purcell took out his "frustration" on underperforming quarterback Russell Wilson, it confirmed that head coach Nathaniel Hackett has lost the locker room.
Further proof that Hackett had surrendered his grip on the entire operation arrived when he attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of long-suffering fans, who, quite frankly, deserve better than a delayed inquest.
“I didn’t see it. I know that they’re both competitors,” Hackett said post-game. “I know Mike wants to win and he’s going to do whatever he can to try and get the team fired up. I’m not sure, but we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
All told, it might well be the straw that broke the camel’s back, as far as the Walton/Penner ownership group are concerned. After all, they didn't become multi-billionaires by ducking tough decisions, so they won't be afraid to cut the cord with a losing head coach when they deem it the right time.
Indeed, just listening into Hackett post-game, you couldn't help but feel that the rookie boss knows his days are numbered in the Mile High City.
“It’s about the team. I just want to find a way to win a football game,” Hackett said. “That’s so important to me. These coaches, these players, they work so hard and I just want to be there for them to be able to try to make it so we can be successful on the field.”
An NFL sideline is not exactly the kind of place you can hide, so it's pretty hard to fathom that Hackett didn't bear witness to what went down between Purcell and Wilson literally an arm's reach behind him. Both players will continue to project a united front, but the alarming fractures are only likely to reappear over the coming weeks.
For as poorly as Wilson has played all year, veteran's chain of command was expected to remain intact regardless. That all went up in smoke on Sunday, and where the Broncos go from here could come under the fresh leadership of an interim head coach.
Making such a dramatic head-coaching change would at least set the tone for a rudderless season. One that certainly started badly in Seattle and has subsequently drifted further away ever since.
However, placing all the blame squarely on the doorstep of Hackett would be wrong and entirely simplistic. Wilson has also undoubtedly put the team in a position where winning is beyond their surprisingly limited capabilities.
Certainly, Wilson remains hell-bent on preaching the long-term benefits of learning the hard way, but Broncos Country appears to have already tuned out.
“We got a lot of young guys," Wilson said post-game. "There's a lot of great opportunity for those guys to learn as much as they can. To learn what adversity is like. To learn what tough times are like. It's definitely a tough time. But also knowing that it's also temporary if we have the right attitude. There's really two things we can control. A work ethic and our attitude. Those are the two things. We got to be able to do that.”
Exactly how the nine-time Pro Bowler is going to gain back the respect of his teammates is unclear, but it will require more than wheeling out repetitive soundbites. In truth, it could be a very long and arduous journey for all concerned, and the chances are, it's only going to get worse before it gets any better.
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