Post-Game Clip Proves Whether Broncos Have Locker Room Rift
Trailing by three points with 3:49 left in the fourth quarter, the Denver Broncos really needed a touchdown drive in Sunday's game at Wembley Stadium vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Russell Wilson dropped back and uncorked a bomb down the right sideline to KJ Hamler.
The third-year wideout hauled in the pass for a massive 47-yard gain. Six plays later, Broncos running back Latavius Murray scored the go-ahead touchdown that ultimately gave the team a 21-17 win over the Jags.
After the game, while Wilson was being interviewed on television, Hamler rushed up and gave him a big hug, saying, "Droppin' bombs!"
Later, from the podium, Wilson revealed a conversation with Hamler before the offense took the field on that game-winning drive.
"KJ, I told him on the sideline, 'Hey, be ready. I'm going to hit you down the field.' Sure enough, he ran right by his guy, hit him down the field, and I think Murray scores again," Wilson said.
The post-game embrace of QB and wide receiver refuted the purported rift that had been growing between the two since Wilson missed a wide-open Hamler in the end zone in what would have been a game-winning touchdown pass in overtime vs. the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. Hamler was later quoted as saying, "I could have walked in."
From there, the trope was that with each loss stacking up, Wilson was also losing the locker room. While this scene at Wembley Stadium doesn't exactly disprove the rift theory, at the very least, it showcases the healing properties of winning a hard-fought game.
Hamler's utilization in the Broncos' offense on Sunday, along with Jerry Jeudy, was an encouraging sign that Wilson and the coaching staff have the presence of mind to recognize their playmaking ability. The Broncos reportedly aren't open to trading either young wideout because they believe the receiving duo can help Wilson spark an offensive resurgence down the stretch.
Hamler finished with 61 yards from scrimmage on three touches, while Jeudy had six receptions (on seven targets) for 63 yards and a touchdown. Now, if Wilson could figure out how to involve Courtland Sutton in the same way, the Broncos would have aerial balance and an arsenal teeming with menace.
"The way Russ drove down the field and had the offense execute each play, that was a big part of the game," Jeudy said in London afterward, speaking to the nine-play, 98-yard touchdown drive Wilson orchestrated in the third quarter.
Wilson is still holding true to the "unwavering belief" that the Broncos can use this win over the Jaguars as a launching pad to go on a run after the team's Week 9 bye.
"Well, I think through adversity, adversity is temporary," Wilson said post-game. "What I do believe is with our team, just catching so much momentum. Every season I've ever played, you've got to catch momentum. There's a moment in time where it clicks, and hopefully that's the start of it. But we still—the great thing is we still control our own destiny by how much work we put in and the dedication we put into this, and a lot of great games ahead. I wouldn't want it any other way."
Wilson finished the Jags game 18-of-30 for 252 yards and a touchdown with an interception and a passer rating of 84.3. The QB also scrambled for 17 yards on four attempts.
Wilson's dynamic ability to use his legs is a weapon the Broncos' offense has been in dire need of. Here's to hoping the bye week offers up the study-time opportunity for Wilson and the coaches to recognize that.
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