Russell Wilson Drops Tone-Deaf Remark on Chiefs' 13-Game Win Streak

Do Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett sound fired up to vanquish the Kansas City Chiefs?

Nothing in life is certain except death, and taxes. The face of the Denver Broncos franchise and the proverbial leader of men — Russell Wilson —continues to disappoint Broncos Country both on the field and especially at the podium.

GM George Paton traded away what now feels like a king's ransom to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire nine-time Pro Bowler. The goal was to right the wrongs of the last half-decade and rocket launch the Broncos out of NFL purgatory and back to postseason glory.

Instead, the Broncos have yielded a 3-9 record and haven't won on American soil since Week 3. The Broncos are 9.5-point underdogs heading into Sunday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver. The game was initially scheduled for NBC's primetime Sunday Night Football before the NFL flexed the lopsided matchup just a week ago.

The last time the Broncos beat the Chiefs was on September 17, 2015, in Kansas City (31-34) when former cornerback Bradley Roby returned a 21-yard fumble for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes was a sophomore at Texas Tech, and the Broncos would later capture their third Lombardi Trophy that season. 

Since then, three U.S. Presidents have held office, and the only remaining player from 2015 is kicker Brandon McManus. It'd be reasonable to expect some saltiness from a Broncos organization whose goal was to dethrone the Chiefs by importing Wilson and hiring head coach Nathaniel Hackett. 

But nothing about the Broncos' current situation or performance is reasonable.

"That's the past. For us, it's the now," Hackett said on Wednesday when asked about the significance of breaking the Chiefs' unbeaten streak. "It's a West opponent, a great rivalry that's been going on for years. I'm very excited to be part of it. It's one of those things where we have to show that we can win to make it a better rivalry. That's the starting point."

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Hackett's lack of awareness of an enraged fanbase that was promised a new product to watch continues to repeat weekly. It follows the theme from Raider week when the rookie head coach downplayed a once historic rivalry because his father used to coach for the Raiders. 

Hackett's answer to what should've been a layup-type question is yet another example of how out of touch he is with his responsibilities to motivate and expect competitiveness from his football team, let alone engender excitement in Broncos Country.

The Broncos are the only team in the NFL that has not won a game in their division. Including this Sunday's matchup against the Chiefs, three out of Denver's last five games will be against divisional opponents, including the Los Angeles Chargers.

Surely Wilson would know what to say about the Chiefs' continued bullying of the Broncos. That's why the man was brought to Denver in the first place, to compete with Mahomes and be the next installment of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning in this era.

But like his head coach, Wilson's underwhelming response made him sound oblivious to Kansas City's 13-game winning streak.

"This game of football isn't necessarily all about the past. It's about the present," Wilson said Wednesday at UCHealth Training Center. "That's the great thing about the game. What can we do to go against a really good football team and get a win at home in front of our fans and for our team? It definitely matters to us. We have to set the tone early and often. It's a four-quarter game, and we have to play all four quarters of it. They do a really good job of making their plays, and we have to do that, too."

Forgive my frustrated and impatient tone — I need a translation of Wilson's answer, please. The most consistent element of his first year in Denver has been talking about his past experiences and successes, yet the Broncos have only scored three touchdowns since Halloween.

Wilson was recently asked if there was any temptation to alter his routine — the same one that has the Broncos at 3-9 and the QB on pace to post his most underwhelming statistical season 

"No. My routine that I've built over 11 years of my career in terms of just how you go about it every day and what time you get here—I think that allows you to have confidence, play with confidence and still not lose it, even in the midst of ebbs and flows," Wilson said. 

Last week's 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens guaranteed a sixth consecutive losing season for the Broncos, who failed to score a touchdown and, for the second time this season, failed to even make it into the red zone. The Broncos made history for yet another embarrassing reason, even after Lamar Jackson's injury sidelined him for most of the game.

According to Pro Football Reference, NFL teams since 1995 were 0-206 when committing two turnovers, forcing none, and failing to exceed ten points. The Ravens became the first team to win in under that specific set of circumstances in league history, courtesy of the Broncos.

The smallest dose of humility combined with having a realistic pulse of the fan base would do Wilson wonders. He's continually allowed to bloviate at weekly press conferences, but his highly publicized brand and platform that could assist in turning around his image. 

Drop the clichés and politically-correct phrasing and speak from your heart and soul, Russ.

If the head coach and quarterback's combined pulse for Sunday's matchup is weak and thready, all that's left for the Broncos to do is flatline for the 14th consecutive time against the Chiefs.

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